CAREER ADVICE

This section gives you details of a range of careers advisers, coaches and consultancies that you may wish to speak to if you are contemplating a career change, a new role or if you need to re-focus on, or increase your performance in, your current job. There are additional links at the bottom of the page to some other useful resources.

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CareerBalance (EC2)

"CareerBalance Ltd has helped hundreds of solicitors and barristers to take control of their careers. Whether you are thinking of moving in-house. changing career direction, or setting up your own business or consultancy, we can assist you. We have significant knowledge of careers inside and outside the law. We'll make your search for a new opportunity more effective - from getting your CV right to coaching you for that important interview."

To arrange a confidential meeting, a telephone consultation or Skype session call or e-mail Simon Broomer LLB, who leads our team for lawyers.

E-mail:

Tel: 020 3051 1054

Or go to our lawyers page on the CareerBalance web site.

You can also see a video here about lawyers changing career.

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Career Space

Partnership? In house? Change firm? Leave the law? Career Space provides one-to-one coaching support to lawyers who are feeling a bit "stuck" - those who would love to make some changes to their working life but don't know where to start.

We offer two programmes designed specifically for lawyers:

Career Transition for Lawyers helps you to explore whether it really is the law frustrating you or other underlying issues such as your practice area, your organisation, your boss, a lack of work-life balance etc. If you decide to leave the law, we will ensure you gain clarity around what to do next. You will learn a more structured approach to a job search strategy, as well as how to develop your networking skills and enhance your interview skills.

Career Management for Lawyers is for lawyers looking to sustain their position and move forward in their career, at a time where it’s more important than ever to step up your performance, as well as developing other skills such as client development and leadership. Our programme helps you to develop all of these skills, plus other vital areas such increasing your visibility and profile within your organisation, and developing and promoting your personal brand.

Our bespoke coaching programme for women (Space for Women) is often used by female lawyers looking to progress their careers, or for support in combining their career with having a family.

For more information please call 020 8883 0626 or 07584 306866, email [email protected] or visit our website at http://www.career-space.co.uk

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Career Contours

"Career Contours offers a personalised service for individuals who are seeking clarity in career direction or choice. We know that success in making career decisions requires considerable self-awareness and an understanding of unique strengths, skills and motivations. Using well-established career tools, Career Contours offers a tailor-made coaching programme that helps individuals move forward with confidence in making effective choices, as well as practical assistance and guidance in turning your plans into reality.

Our highly experienced coaches have many years’ experience of working with lawyers making career moves inside and outside the law - and have been through major career changes themselves. Their backgrounds and expertise enable them to offer effective and practical support at points of change and at different career stages.

Career Contours coaching involves a powerful and effective mix of one-to-one coaching meetings and personal reflection and planning work between sessions. Core modules use an established and proven methodology to help gain insight and understanding about life and career goals.

Each Career Contours programme gives:

decision-making confidence
ideas about job options
a road map for the future
practical guidance on a range of skills, including effective self-marketing and CV and interview preparation

Further modules may be added to give additional flexibility to each programme.

For more information about how we can help, please call Jayne Welsh or Caroline Millar on 020 7398 6631, visit our website at www.careercontours.com or e-mail

Career Contours is a division of The Professional Career Partnership."

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Marianne Craig MCC

Marianne Craig specialises in working with professionals who find themselves at a career crossroads, whether through choice or due to restructuring. Over her twelve years as a career and personal coach she has worked with many solicitors and barristers working in a wide variety of settings. With twelve years' experience, she is one of a handful of coaches in the UK to be awarded Master Coach Credential by the International Coach Federation.

Are you successful but feel there’s something missing?

Are you ready for a new intellectual challenge?

Do you work hard but wonder what you have to show for it?

If the answer to any of the above questions is 'Yes', you have much in common with Marianne’s clients. Perhaps you are an ambitious and successful person. Successful people are often perfectionists and push themselves beyond reasonable limits. Perhaps you are feeling isolated, stressed or lacking focus. The relentless pressure of work may leave you feeling disaffected or burnt out. So what to do?

"Working with Marianne has been really brilliant for me: I've moved from being stuck about what to do with the rest of my life to real clarity and confidence about my future, even though I'm taking calculated risks in what I'm doing. It's real, too: not just superficial euphoria”. C.G. Barrister

Firework Career Coaching Programme

Marianne Craig has created the ground-breaking Firework Programme to enable you take a journey from uncertainty about your present career and not knowing what your next step might be, through to having a clear vision of a life and career that is absolutely right for you, and an action plan for how to create it.

“I am more positive in my decision to change direction in my career….The exercises were encouraging and made me feel like even though I was leaving law the skills and experience I had spent the past 5 years developing were invaluable and totally transferable so I felt that I wasn't wasting all that time and money.” ST Solicitor

As an ideas person, Marianne Craig welcomes the opportunity to brainstorm with you to explore your ideas and how to take them forward. She also offers feedback on your CV as well as interview preparation coaching.

Coaching can be face to face or by telephone or skype. In addition to regularly scheduled calls or meetings, you will have unlimited access to your coach by phone and email at no extra charge.

Free Coaching Consultation

Call now on 01273 563518 or email .

For further information visit www.coachlifeandcareer.com

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Inspiring speeches

Steve Jobs (who knows a thing or two about being successful and enjoying what you do)

Articles for 2012

Energising career change (part 1) (Rachel Brushfield)

Are you a trainee wondering whether you really want to qualify? (Anna Margolis)

How transferable skills help lawyers change careers (Tessa Armstrong)

Articles for 2011

How to overcome some of the challenges that lawyers face at work (Tessa Armstrong)