Take a Gamble

It’s not for everyone, but I like a ‘flutter’ on the football at the weekend – I do some accumulators and place the odd £5 / £10 bet on Premier League matches. Being a Manchester United fan, I’m pleased to see improvement in the side’s overall form now Ole is Manager. It means I can return to backing the team I support, which I did a few weeks back, winning £100 on a £20 bet for Rashford to score first.  

Career gambles

But it got me thinking about the gambles we do or more often don’t take, especially with our careers. I took one recently, coming back to Interlink having left back in 2017 to take on a new challenge with IT recruitment. I was doing well at my previous recruitment firm and wasn’t looking to move – but I listened to the opportunities on offer and took the plunge, returning to Interlink at the back end of last year. And it’s been a decision worth making as I settle successfully back into legal, working with firms looking to increase their residential property teams.

A lot of big career changes can be perceived as a gamble, like the following…

Pay cut for the right role

In the legal profession, remuneration plays a huge part in lawyers deciding which firm to work for. That and career progression. Very rarely in medium to large tier firms do qualified lawyers take a step back, opting for less pay for a new role. It’s usually the other way around, whereby firms offer more based on the skills and experience in question. Certainly, at junior level and in smaller firms, taking a pay cut for a new role might pay dividends in the long run. We always recommend anyone considering a reduction in salary for a new role, to check whether it’s feasible financially first and foremost and that there’s a clear-cut pathway to achieve the salary you want, eventually. 

Sometimes, it’s all well and good earning a favourable sum, but if you’re not entirely happy in your role or you’re not getting the opportunity to develop your skills, the gamble of a slight backwards step feels less risky. If the firm you’re looking to join is prepared to invest in you, offering training and development, and there’s a clear pathway to progress within the firm, you could be onto a winner.

Relocation

Law firms moving or opening new departments, property prices or a change in your own personal circumstances may lead you to consider a brand-new start in an entirely new town or city. Relocation is a huge gamble, for personal reasons as much as for your career. Some of my friends have recently up sticks and relocated to London to start new jobs – it’s going well for them so far, I’m pleased to say. But, there’s not greater need to be 100% sure on whether to take a new role, then when you are moving your whole life with it. This is when support, help and advice from a recruitment company is very beneficial, being able to do the homework and answer some of the uncertainties you might have.

A change of hours

We hear more and more of legal professionals changing their working hours to fit around home and family life. Flexible working is commonplace and taken seriously by many employers, giving their staff the support needed depending on the circumstances.

But, there’ll always be an element of doubt if dropping from full time to part-time is a good idea for your career in the long-term. What if any restructuring leaves you unable to go back to full time hours in the future?  Will you lose the opportunity to take on more complex cases as there’s not enough hours in the day? The gamble is there if you come at it from another angle too. Making the transition from part-time back to full time – can you manage the extra hours in terms of stress and pressure? Have you the support network around you at home and at work, to help you settle back into full time working?  

Any conscious changes made in our lives come with risk – for some it’s seen as a gamble, for others it’s just part and parcel of life. It’s these changes which unlike placing a bet on who will win the local derby, come without odds, yet the risk and rewards can be far greater.