Occupational
Option Angst©
By Laurel Ross
Being
an attorney was never my first career choice; it was
a means to an end. I imagined that I would have
a rich husband, thereby being able to do pro bono legal
work for good causes. By the time I hit college,
that fantasy had passed, and I saw myself pursuing politics,
where a law degree would be an asset. I again
imagined public interest law, and having some unknown
means of financing living the good life. Despite
my youthful imaginings, I unexpectedly found myself
in private practice, where I have remained since.
I found that I preferred being my own boss, and have
been self-employed for the last ten years. I am
good at what I do, and work hard to make sure that my
clients are satisfied, yet I find myself unhappy professionally.
Over
the years, I had spent a good portion of my non-work
time involved in politics, thinking I was laying groundwork
for a political career. Thankfully, I discovered
that it was not for me. Politics is like a drug
addiction – I love the high, but it’s not healthy.
I also discovered that my personality lacks the diplomacy
gene necessary to succeed either in front of the curtain
or behind it. After serious soul searching and
consideration, I walked away from politics to focus
on finding a career that would bring me more happiness
and satisfaction.
I
invested in a career counselor. Several weeks
ago, I sat in a small room, filling in boxes on a standardized
test listing hundreds of jobs. I had to decide
the level of interest I had in each job. The list
ranged from agricultural worker and athlete to zoologist.
My personal favorite was orchestra conductor – I sat
there pondering the item, wondering how I could decide,
since I lack the vast majority of the skills required
to conduct. I managed to complete the test, and
promptly decided that my career choice should be picking
the careers for the test.
This
week, I met with my career counselor for the first of
three counseling sessions. As we got to know each
other, she asked in various ways, whether there were
things I like about law and the legal profession.
I shrugged it off, saying, ‘no, I want and need a real
change.’ After about a half an hour of chat, I
couldn’t stand waiting anymore, and asked to know the
results of the testing. She looked at me a bit
sheepishly, and I immediately thought, ‘oh no, I’m supposed
to be a farmer.’ She pushed the paper over to
me, and I looked at the top option – no, that can’t
be my ideal occupation! I’ve since spent quite
a bit of time pondering this news. And more importantly,
I heard my father laugh harder than he has in months,
“you spent $400.00 to find out you should be a lawyer!”
It
has forced me to start thinking about ways to use my
law degree that would make me happier. I’m
looking forward to seeing where the rest of these career
counseling sessions take me. I’ll keep you posted!
Editors
Note: Laurel Ross welcomes your (gentle) comments. Her
email is LaurelRoss39@aol.com
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