Nowadays, the pressure to stick with and succeed in one chosen field has, in many ways, lessened as more young Australians vote with their feet and regularly change careers.

Commonly referred to as a slash career, these alternative career pathways can manifest in many different ways. You may hold down a full-time job but have a side hustle or work on a passion project over weekends. You might run multiple projects simultaneously or even focus on one full-time job but consciously change careers every few years to keep your interest alive and skills current.

This type of career can blend multiple professional titles, such as writer/lawyer/entrepreneur, or it can involve making giant career leaps from actor to banker to lawyer. However you choose to look at it, slash careers are widely considered to give you a competitive edge.

Now, a growing trend is seeing many Australians pursue further education as a means of segueing into a different career or upskilling to increase their chances of securing a better career opportunity.

Latest research

According to Melbourne-based startup, training.com.au, more Australians are turning to upskilling through further study to ready themselves for a career change.

Many within the education industry are predicting that online education and course delivery is the way of the future, with the annual growth rate of the Australian university sector projected to slow to 1.6% (IBISWorld, 2017) between 2017-2022.

In a recent survey of over 3,000 Australians, training.com.au sought to gain a better understanding of what motivated people to consider further study as well as the role of technology in the delivery of courses.

Marketing director, Mike Thomas said:

We were surprised to find that 43% of all survey respondents advised that they were seeking alternative employment in the coming 3-years and a further 41% identified that a lack of qualifications was their greatest professional limitation.”

Although 55.06% of survey respondents said that technology had positively impacted their ability to upskill, not all suggested that online education was their preferred study stream. Times Higher Education has reported that about 20% of students who choose external study options drop out in their first year, compared with approximately 7% for those on campus.

For tertiary institutions, this could mean potential losses in student fees since student course completion is a prerequisite for securing fees through the HECS-HELP study assist structure.

Regardless of individual preferences to study online or offline, it is clear that technology is playing an integral role in modern learning environments. Although the results of this survey show that flexibility of course delivery, technology and online learning options influence overall student interest in further study, it is clear that student preference for traditional campus delivery is still very much alive and well.

Have you considered further study as an option to help smooth your transition into a different career? Let us know in the comments!

From everyday predicaments like whether you should go to the gym or go out for dinner with your friends; forego precious sleep and watch just one more episode of Mindhunter; to bigger life decisions like whether you are on track with your career or if it might be time to change course this year.

We are bombarded from all angles with social media noise about how to fix our biggest career problems ‘in 10 simple steps’ – and with so much conflicting information about how to be successful, it’s not surprising that many of us have come to doubt our natural instincts and decision-making strategies. Instead of pausing to listen to our inner voice we label it as an untrustworthy saboteur and quickly tune it out. How many times have you chided yourself for not making a decision you ‘knew’ at the time you should, but didn’t?

What value can your gut really offer in developing better decision-making skills and how can you use it to improve your career prospects this year?

How do we make everyday decisions?

When it comes to decision-making, our brains use two main systems:

1. Deliberative (conscious): researching, analysing, weighing benefits and deciding on the most logical approach based on facts.
2. Intuitive (subconscious): trusting your gut, following a ‘hunch’ or choosing an option that just ‘feels right’ based on past knowledge and experience.

In his book Thinking Fast And Slow, Daniel Kahneman refers to these two different but complementary systems as ‘slow thinking’ and ‘fast thinking’.

In our examples above, difficult decisions that take time and conscious thought, such as applying for a new job or making an important career move, generally fall under the cognitive end of the decision-making spectrum. Emotional decisions to do with relationships, on the other hand, correspond to the intuitive side of the decision-making spectrum.

For many years researchers believed that the conscious, pragmatic and objective mind was best able to make logical decisions; however, most experts now agree that a combination of analytical and intuitive decision-making yields the best results.

According to research published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes by researchers from Boston College, George Mason University and Rice University:

Intuition has long been viewed as a less effective approach to critical reasoning when compared to the merits of analytical thinking. Yet as society and businesses place a greater emphasis on the speed and effectiveness of decision-making, the intuitive approach has been identified as an increasingly important tool.”

How lawyers make decisions

Traditionally, lawyers are trained to ‘think slow’ and make decisions based on hard evidence and facts. It’s a form of industry-championed analytical thinking that begins in law school and carries through to legal practice with the primary goal of mitigating unnecessary risks. So when it comes to making career decisions it should come as no surprise that most law graduates and young lawyers fall into the trap of using a similar formulaic approach, based on measurable facts and metrics.

For example:

If I thoroughly research a potential employer, have excellent grades, gain as much relevant experience as possible before applying, nail the interview, have all my social profiles up-to-date and project a professional image, then I will be in the best position to secure an offer.”

Unfortunately, real-world recruitment practices almost never adhere to a clear and predictable formula. Having perfect grades and relevant experience is no longer enough. This is because the hiring process is largely intuitive. While your qualifications and experience are objective markers of your suitability for an interview your personality and likeability are an equally important (but often overlooked) subjective factor that plays an important role in your overall employability.

A hiring manager may be excited by your application on paper, for example, but choose not to hire you at the interview because of a ‘gut feeling’ that you will not fit their company culture. This could be because you did not show a demonstrated passion or interest in the type of work they offer.

In this situation, you might need an extra edge to push yourself over the employment line – one that blends a deliberative and intuitive decision-making approach to your legal career.

Getting the edge: Conscious analytical thinking and raw gut instinct

Employers favourably regard applicants who demonstrate high emotional intelligence, well-developed self-awareness and the capacity to make sound decisions. Spending time developing your interpersonal skills, learning how to communicate effectively, and honing your ability to formulate an opinion on raw data and your intuition is one way to achieve this.

Employers also want staff who are actively engaged in both self-development and professional development. If you apply for a role with a corporate firm, for example, a simple way to position yourself ahead of your competitors is to make a calculated career move by pursuing an online Master of Laws (Business Law) .

Expanding your career arsenal through further study shows a potential employer that you have a thirst for knowledge, are committed to developing your professional skillset, are actively engaged with the latest trends in your industry, are eager to refresh your existing skills and to build a solid career with their company.

These are qualities that all employers seek in a new hire. This is especially so as they are making an investment in you and will see your potential long-term value to their company.

Developing intuitive thinking in your career

In an interview with Fast Company, Angela Jia Kim, co-founder of women entrepreneurs’ network Savor The Success, outlines some questions to ask yourself to understand your gut feelings:

• “Do I feel good around this person or choice?”
• “Does this person or situation give me or take my energy?”
• “Do I feel empowered or disempowered?”
• “Am I going toward an adventure or running from fear?”
• “Am I listening to my lessons learned from the past?”
• “Would I make the same choice if I had a million dollars in my pocket now?”
• “Do I feel respected and valued?”
• “Am I trying to control the situation or am I leaving room for expansion?”

Intuitive thinking can boost your career by helping you to:

1. Make faster and more accurate decisions

Your ability to follow a hunch and quickly assess a work situation develops with time. In many cases, sound professional decision-making skills are tied to your level of knowledge or experience in a given area. This is referred to as domain expertise, meaning that the higher your level of knowledge in a subject area, for example, where you have climbed the ranks in your industry the more effectively you will be able to make intuitive decisions.

Invest time in further study related to your speciality, read online journals and industry news, listen to podcasts and inform yourself about new developments that impact your current or future roles. A strong baseline understanding of such issues flows on to helping you make faster and more informed choices, which are attractive qualities in any employee.

2. Be in a position of power at interview

If you are offered an exciting job, it does not always mean that you should take it. Our gut is often our best tool to navigate personal and professional relationships. Consider a situation where something seems ‘off’ about your selection panel at interview. Maybe the company values do not align with your own, or perhaps you have an off-putting sense that you may be discriminated against because of your gender or cultural background. You may dislike your new employer or feel that taking the job is not the most strategic career move.

Trust your instincts – if something makes you feel uneasy about a job you are under no obligation to accept it. Remember that simply because a job is highly competitive does not mean that you should blindly take it, especially when everything in you screams that it is the wrong decision.

3. Know the right time to make a big career move

If you are in an unsatisfactory work situation, and things are not improving, your gut is often the first indicator. Pay attention to warning signs such as a constant heavy or nagging sensation, experiencing discomfort or anxiety, feeling ill-at-ease throughout the day, sensing a continuous sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach.

In this situation, going with your gut involves coming to terms with the fact that your work situation is unlikely to improve and using your analytical brain to decide on a change.

Bear in mind that listening to your gut takes time and practice, so be kind to yourself and don’t expect immediate results. Your intuition is not a voice that comes over a loudspeaker, but something much more subtle. It’s an inkling that reveals itself only when you quiet your mind. It makes you want to go in one direction over another for reasons that you may not be able to fully articulate.

Conclusion

While legal reasoning and analytical thinking focus on breaking down complex problems into small digestible parts, intuition is about looking at the bigger picture. Making career decisions based on intuitive reasoning looks to patterns and your long-term career goals.

Your career is more than the sum of its parts, which is why it is important to consider and trust your instincts. Every day your intuition makes millions of rapid assessments that tell you whether something is right or wrong – it will let you know which direction your career should be taking you.

Relying on your inner voice is a skill you can learn. It’s a habit you can cultivate in your personal and professional life. Cultivating your gut instinct can not only help you get, and keep, a job in today’s competitive market but also help you make healthier and more confident decisions about your life.

This post is proudly sponsored by Southern Cross University. For more information on jump starting your legal career in 2017, click here.

Congratulations!! After many years of hard work you have successfully completed your law degree.

The next matter for you to consider is: do you expect to have a long and productive career as a lawyer employed in a law firm?

Perhaps so, but, if not, maybe it would be of benefit for you to consider using your many skills in the pursuit of a career outside that of the traditional legal pathway of employment in a law firm.

More Than Law

The consideration of an alternative career path may be the result of the struggle to obtain any employment in a traditional law firm; or it could be that having started such a career you find that it no longer provides you with the satisfaction that you had thought that it would do so.

As many of you are aware, the current employment environment for lawyers is difficult and particularly so for young lawyers to get a start in their career. Of 12,000 law graduates produced each year, only 60,000 working lawyers exist in the entire country.

However, that does not mean that the learning that you have acquired is useless and that your options are forever closed because you have not obtained, or wish to continue in, employment in a law firm.

Skills To Pay The Bills

Among the many benefits that a law degree has provided to you is the ability to think in an analytical manner. This skill is central to the way problems are solved and issues are evaluated. These skills can be the building blocks on which you can develop a career outside employment in a traditional law firm.

The skills that you have acquired also ensure that, should you wish to do so, you have the intellectual capacity for continual learning in other disciplines. A law degree is a very good springboard that can launch your chosen career by helping you to develop skills in mediation, negotiation, problem solving and analytical skills.

The choices that you may wish to explore will need to be undertaken in a way that will fulfil what you are passionate about and believe is worth your while in investing your skills. It will be necessary for you to be patient and resilient in the face of potential disappointments when a job application that you have made does not even elicit a response. However, it is not the end of the world if that happens – it is important for you to keep your spirits up by continuing your quest to work in a way, and in areas, that you wish to do so. Your persistence will pay off.

How To Use A Law Degree In Any Field

As a law graduate, it is important to remember that you are a chameleon of careers.

Like a chameleon, holding a law degree gives you the training and skills to adapt to any field or professional environment. Websites such as Beyond Law are now exploring this theme by providing graduates and legal professionals with a platform to explore different career pathways.

Common alternatives to traditional firms include working as:

• an in-house lawyer for a large corporation (including banking and finance); and
• a lawyer employed in a large government department or agency, or a non-government organisation.

Government Law

Several Commonwealth Government Departments have large legal areas providing specialist legal services to their respective departments. For example, the Australian Taxation Office and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.

The Australian Government Solicitor and the Office of Parliamentary Counsel also provide excellent career prospects for those who wish to work within the Government sphere of legal work, as does the Attorney-General’s Department.

If you are interested in military and international law, the armed forces and the Department of Defence also have specialist legal areas.

Policy Development

However, in addition to jobs that are specifically legal in nature, within government departments and agencies there are many legally qualified people employed in areas of policy development and service delivery across a myriad of interesting roles and responsibilities that are of great importance to our national life.

These opportunities enable the skills of the lawyer to be utilised but within an environment that is not what you may have envisaged on your graduation.

Graduate Programs

In an era where there have been reductions in employment in the Australian Public Service, there are many departments who have their own Graduate Program. These are conducted on an individual departmental basis and, in addition, several Government Agencies conduct their own program.

It is well worth looking at the relevant websites for those opportunities which will be for the year commencing in early 2018. These applications will need to be completed in early 2017, and if you are interested it is worthwhile regularly checking websites in January 2017.

While I realise that is some time away, if this is a path that you wish to pursue, it could be worth your time to properly investigate. Various government agencies have continued to invest in young graduates even in times of reduction in employment in other areas of the Australian Public Service.

Non-Ongoing Or Contract Employment

In addition, there are various temporary (3-6 month contract) positions within many Public Service agencies and government departments that are advertised from time to time. Placing your details on government Temporary Employment Registers is an effective way to secure temporary work and to gain experience.

Once you establish a proven track record as a temporarily-engaged staff member it is often easier to secure extended, long-term contracts. You will also have a foot-in-the-door and be in a better position to apply for permanent positions through internal recruitment rounds.

It is worth looking for these opportunities that still do arise, particularly if you are interested in expanding your horizon to employment outside that of legal practice. Remember to check websites of the various State and Territory governments for job opportunities that arise in their respective agencies.

Mediation

An example of how diverse the range of choice available to you is that mediation is a rapidly expanding area of work that has resulted in the development of the National Mediation Standards and accreditation for mediators.

Mediation is a profession in its own right, but accreditation can be sought, by way of example, through the Law Institute of Victoria. The National Mediation Standards are expected to commence on 1 July 2015.

There are also registered family dispute resolution practitioners accreditation through the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department that may be of interest to you.

Overseas Opportunities

It could be that you are interested in pursuing work opportunities overseas.

Those opportunities will be informed by the geographic location that you have an interest in, as well as the areas of work that you wish to undertake. The main thing is to appropriately research all of the options that may be available to you and that will be of benefit to you in developing your skills for the rest of your career.

Conclusion

These days having the backing of a professional degree doesn’t tie you down in a tedious job. It opens doors that allow you to use your skills in unique and interesting ways.

You may decide to use your degree for good by pursuing a rewarding position in the non-profit sector. Or you may decide to build a career in the public sector, either in legal or policy fields.

Increasingly, lawyers and recent graduates are adopting a radical approach to their careers and leaving traditional law firms to start online businesses or private firms. Others are gaining relevant experience before uprooting to chase exciting opportunities overseas or to work their way around the world by offering freelance legal services. 

The possibilities available to you are only limited by the breadth of your imagination.

What ways do you envisage using your law degree? Will you pursue a traditional private firm or forge an alternative pathway of your choosing? 

Further Information

• For information on Australian Government Graduate Programs visit: australia.gov.au
• For information on current Graduate Programs visit: APS Jobs.
• To search current Australian Public Service Jobs listings visit: APS Jobs.
• To search alternative legal pathways visit: Beyond Law.
• To search vacancies in the non-profit sector visit: Pro Bono Australia.
• To search jobs in the community and non-profit sector visit: Ethical Jobs.