How do you define Career
Stay in this country. Find another job. Enjoy what I do for work.
These are the goals that I would like to conjoin into a master life plan that would zoom me into the room of success. By success, which is a subjective term that like love means something different to each of us, I mean meet each of those while keeping myself in a comfortable manner. It is all relative, but I think that currently I am on the low end of a comfortable manner.
To meet these goals is not an easy task or I would be here writing and saying did that. It is not easy to be a legal expat. Finding another job assumes I know what other job I can do and that the job can take care of the first point. Enjoying work means I have determined that there is a path that I would enjoy and that I can make money from. And that path will allow me to stay in the country. Each point is connected to another and what may fulfil one point, another point would bust. An answer to one question implicates an answer to another. And what one decides creates a new experience; and this is called, my life. It is a large tangle that frustrates me quickly.
What I do now is act as a training lawyer assisting clients and normal solicitors regarding a small, specialised area of law. It is a small niche with not much further growth opportunity, other than spinning the same wheels, and perhaps making more money for doing it, well, more. What I would like to do is use my skills now and broaden my industry experience by moving into management consulting. I am going to look for a job in that field, located in London with potential for other global experience, this summer. Should I whack myself on the ass and further refine my CV with the goal of nabbing such a job. But then how much have I accomplished but to put myself in another career pool, working for a company behemoth, enjoying the challenge initially but probably becoming bored and frustrated that I do what I do to make money and not because I enjoy it.
But not everyone is someone who enjoys there job. The economy of strong countries wouldn't survive otherwise. So I ask myself, which side am I on? The questions I really wish I could answer, and I can only do so if I take some risks, is can I go out there, start my own business doing xyz that I enjoy and make money at it while not being kicked out of the country?
This is a question I do work on; I have drafted business proposals and am starting to network and have meetings with people about the concept and starting up a business overall.
However, there are broader goals that I aspire to as well. Those items that are filed under "fifty things I will do before I die" type of chapter. I want to live by the (warm) ocean, I want to live in the mountains, and I want to own a flat in London. I never know if find partner for life and have children should be part of that chapter. I think I can control whether I live in the Caribbean. I do not think I can control whether I meet someone to share my life with.
I will be taking my journal and sketching out thoughts on these themes this weekend. I leave for Texas this weekend to spend a short break with my family. I am really excited but I am wondering whether I will be the object of a petit intervention. The what are your plans, isn't this enough and when are you coming home. Probably with some money thrown in. It is a possibility, and there have been a few rumblings over the past year. I hope they don't mess with the potential fun and happiness vibe by trying to push me in a corner that I don't want to inhabit. But I will just be honest with them, and I do have my own purse to fund my life. Just say Non to emotional blackmail.It does not escape my notice that going from amazing life in London to plush family home in Texas is a massive blessing. I will do what I can to not take it for granted. Cue: sslluuuuurp…she sips from icy margarita in sunny garden….
These are the goals that I would like to conjoin into a master life plan that would zoom me into the room of success. By success, which is a subjective term that like love means something different to each of us, I mean meet each of those while keeping myself in a comfortable manner. It is all relative, but I think that currently I am on the low end of a comfortable manner.
To meet these goals is not an easy task or I would be here writing and saying did that. It is not easy to be a legal expat. Finding another job assumes I know what other job I can do and that the job can take care of the first point. Enjoying work means I have determined that there is a path that I would enjoy and that I can make money from. And that path will allow me to stay in the country. Each point is connected to another and what may fulfil one point, another point would bust. An answer to one question implicates an answer to another. And what one decides creates a new experience; and this is called, my life. It is a large tangle that frustrates me quickly.
What I do now is act as a training lawyer assisting clients and normal solicitors regarding a small, specialised area of law. It is a small niche with not much further growth opportunity, other than spinning the same wheels, and perhaps making more money for doing it, well, more. What I would like to do is use my skills now and broaden my industry experience by moving into management consulting. I am going to look for a job in that field, located in London with potential for other global experience, this summer. Should I whack myself on the ass and further refine my CV with the goal of nabbing such a job. But then how much have I accomplished but to put myself in another career pool, working for a company behemoth, enjoying the challenge initially but probably becoming bored and frustrated that I do what I do to make money and not because I enjoy it.
But not everyone is someone who enjoys there job. The economy of strong countries wouldn't survive otherwise. So I ask myself, which side am I on? The questions I really wish I could answer, and I can only do so if I take some risks, is can I go out there, start my own business doing xyz that I enjoy and make money at it while not being kicked out of the country?
This is a question I do work on; I have drafted business proposals and am starting to network and have meetings with people about the concept and starting up a business overall.
However, there are broader goals that I aspire to as well. Those items that are filed under "fifty things I will do before I die" type of chapter. I want to live by the (warm) ocean, I want to live in the mountains, and I want to own a flat in London. I never know if find partner for life and have children should be part of that chapter. I think I can control whether I live in the Caribbean. I do not think I can control whether I meet someone to share my life with.
I will be taking my journal and sketching out thoughts on these themes this weekend. I leave for Texas this weekend to spend a short break with my family. I am really excited but I am wondering whether I will be the object of a petit intervention. The what are your plans, isn't this enough and when are you coming home. Probably with some money thrown in. It is a possibility, and there have been a few rumblings over the past year. I hope they don't mess with the potential fun and happiness vibe by trying to push me in a corner that I don't want to inhabit. But I will just be honest with them, and I do have my own purse to fund my life. Just say Non to emotional blackmail.It does not escape my notice that going from amazing life in London to plush family home in Texas is a massive blessing. I will do what I can to not take it for granted. Cue: sslluuuuurp…she sips from icy margarita in sunny garden….
posted by miss goLondon at 12:32 PM
2 Comments:
This is another very well written thought provoking post. Guess we'll have to compare 'X-Men' notes when you return...
Have a safe and a great trip!
well, it would be better if i would rememeber my simple grammer rules, like their vs. there...this is what happens when my PA doesn't review my work...i will have to be more careful with my business plan docs!
i do feel like i understand myself, but that i get caught up by fear and refuse to act because of the anxiety that the unknown causes. and i am not able to accept the downsides yet. if i can accept the worst case, then i will go forward. my next step is to say, worst case is not so bad.
well, off to Texas and a new country, time zone and frankly, way of life. yee ha! will blog a post when/if bored.
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