But as it turns out, my drive into Manhattan from New Jersey was fairly uneventful. I got to drive over the George Washington Bridge, and I only got honked at by one person (a cab driver who thought I should have run over a pedestrian rather than yield). And I found free parking right in front of my friend's apartment building, where I'm staying.
Today, as I wandered the city, I wondered why I didn't listen to the fearful voices that told me to just take cabs everywhere (which would have cost me a lot more money).
I think it's because ever since I quit law, I'm just not as fearful of life in general. Over two years ago, when I discussed the possibility of quitting my attorney job with friends, many of them told me I would never be able to return to law, and that I could never make the same money I did as a practicing attorney. Quitting law would render me regretful, desperate, and penniless, in that exact order. But as it turns out, I quit the law and the world kept spinning. I found other jobs, I now make more money, and I am actually making financial progress. I lived through it.
Most of the time, I think fear is a silly waste of time. I politely listened to other people's worries about driving in New York, but in my mind, I thought, "Come on, millions of people have driven in New York. Do they all possess super powers or something? How hard can it be?” The same goes for career change. Millions of people work in the non-legal field and many of them seem to be doing quite well. If they can get by as non-attorneys, so can I. So can you, if you want.
The picture is from a street fair I went to today. Notice the guy in the wheelchair in the lower right corner. He probably has a much harder time navigating this city than me in my rented Toyota. And yet, he seems to be doing fine. I don’t think I would ask him for directions, though. I just know if I told him I was driving, he’d look at me and say, “For the love of crumb cake, lady, take a cab.”
I believe the "concerns" that people often share about someone else's situation are simply a reflection of their own fears. THEY fear not being able to drive in NYC, THEY fear being regretful, broke, and despondent if they quit their job, etc.
ReplyDeleteAlso, a lot of people give too much credence to assumptions. What a lot of people know about NYC and/or the practice of law, they got from TV and we all know that is totally accurate (The Practice, Friends anyone??). They believe that no one there drives and that you have to take a cab or the subway to get anywhere and parking means you have to sell your arm, leg, and whatever is left of your soul that law school didn't abscond with.
Obviously, none of that is true and good for you for not listening to the naysayers who clearly need to deal with their own fears!
Thanks, Lawfrog! I swear, when I told a couple people about my car rental, they looked at me like I just announced I had scheduled an elective lobotomy. I agree about people reflecting their own fears. It's human nature, I guess. I just wish people could be a little more self-aware when they play the part of Debbie Downer.
DeleteHow much where you making in law? How much are you making now? What do you do now?
ReplyDeleteHello, Anonymous, and thank you for reading! I haven't posted an update about my career in a while, so here goes. When I practiced, I started at $50K and ended somewhere just below $60K. Which was good for my market, but not as good as the big firms of course. Last year, I worked two administrative assistant positions, one at $25 per hour and the other at $45 per hour (I worked more than half-time with this one), so I made over $70K. I recently left that position and took a job with a start-up making $35 an hour, but I also have stock options with this one, so that's why I was willing to make a lateral move. And I am doing a lot of things to help run the business, so my resume is steadily improving. I also work on a contract basis making $45 per hour, with about 5 to 10 hours per week (that's my current moonlighting gig), so that will put me in the $80K range this year, hopefully more. And the real perk is that my life is much more balanced and I am happier not practicing law. :)
DeleteYour story sounds so familiar it's scary. I get that all the time from parents and others. That being said, I really like your blog and look forward to reading more. I read through your pizza stories, and they were great! I also agree with the mirror thing that Lawfrog said. Life to many is scary, but the reality is, many things that seem scary end up not being so bad, as long as you are brave to endure them in the first place.
ReplyDeleteHow did you get such high paying assistant jobs? Through your temp agency? I am trying to do the same thing, but hit nothing but huge brick walls.
ReplyDeleteHey, Anonymous on September 10 @ 7:35 p.m.: One of the things that helped me was taking the JD off my resume. I know that's controversial, but it does work. If they ask you on an application to list every degree you've ever earned, then you should disclose it, but other than that, get rid of it. Certainly don't advertise it. What I did to disguise my previous lawyer job was a little sneaky, but not dishonest. If you want to know what it was, email me at Recovering.Lawyer1@gmail.com.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you can really sharpen your computer skills, that helps, too. Definitely highlight those on your resume. And yes, starting with a temp agency worked for me because they weren't too strict with the reference checks (so no one talked to my former lawyer colleagues), and sometimes you can score a gig working with a good employer that will eventually hire you. Email me if you want some more advice or if you want me to take a look at your resume!