Master Dilettante

My sister-in-law recently alerted me to a New York Times blog post on why lawyers leave the profession. The post profiles Taisha Rucker, also a recovering lawyer, who writes JDSnub Blog “[t]o inform and inspire law students and lawyers seeking alternative careers.”

Taisha is fielding a cool survey to gather stories on lawyers who have left or plan to leave the profession. Of course, I completed it. And I’ve been trading emails with Taisha who let me know this morning that my responses are posted on her blog today.

Nice to meet you, and best of luck, Taisha!

Temp Hides Fun, Fulfilling Life From Rest Of Office

I read this article eons ago when I was a lawyer and couldn’t stop laughing. As a lawyer, it resonated with me. Now, a decade later, it’s a humorous reminder to work to live and not the other way around.

My two favorite quotes:

• “I don’t want to rub in how much I get to do the things I want to do,” Braxton said. “I feel sorry for them. They go home after a hard day, and they’re so fried they just spend the night sitting in front of the TV. You know how these people spend their weekends? Resting. They rest.”

• “They wanted to go for the brass ring and really live the good life,” Braxton said. “What they don’t seem to get is that the key to living the good life is to avoid that brass ring like the fucking plague.”

I recommend Guy Kawasaki’s post on career guidance from Penelope Trunk, author of Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success. The post, a 10-question interview of Trunk, is a short, insightful read. I’ve ordered the book from Half.com and will let you know what I think once I read it.

You’ll have to read the interview answers in the post to understand fully these comments I have on them:

Answer #1 ($40K is enough for happiness) . . . Even in Silicon Valley???

Answer #4 (promotions are passe) . . . My sense without having read it yet is that Trunk’s book is targeted at individuals earlier in their careers. The notion that training, mentoring, life style, etc. may be more important than money certainly is compelling or at least important. But it’s also somewhat evocative of what HR departments try to sell employees instead of actual compensation these days.

Answer #5 (specialization is a better path than generalization) . . . Great answer to a question I’ve asked myself repeatedly over the past several years and one with which I’ve been wrestling recently.

Answer #7 (an MBA is not the answer to not being able to find a job) . . . I’ll reserve judgment until I read the book, but there are other reasons to get an MBA besides not being able to find a job. The wording of the question and subsequent answer here matter.

Answer #8 (stick to one-page resumes) . . . After a brief detour to two-pagers, I’ve reverted to this tried-and-true advice.