When is the right time to move?

Be it the first month, around the three year mark or even a decade later, chances are you will be thinking about making a move at some stage of your career. We may be creatures of habit but we all start craving a change in scenery…so when is the right time?

Frankly, there is none. If you’re waiting for the market to get better or vying for that firm or praying for your dream role, you may be wasting precious time. Don’t just sit and do nothing about it. Think hard and think smart about where you want to head and how you can start making the right changes now.

It doesn’t mean that you give up and return to uni to pursue a post-grad degree. Some of you may have just finished uni or recall the horrors of those endless assessments – do you really want to head back? Nor does it mean that you’re ‘stuck’ – building experience takes time, patience, long hours and hard work. Stick it out and look forward because it’ll give you the best foundation to choose your next move. And if it’s really not something you want to do, then stop right now and find what you enjoy because the longer you practice, the more you’re pigeon holed.

For those who’ve already practiced for a few years but seek a change, what is it that you’re after? Is it a different area of law? Bigger firm? Location? More challenging work? Autonomy? The reasons are many and varied but it must be judged according to what suits your career, not those of your friends.

The things you need to keep in mind are – do you have enough experience to make a move? If not, how can you build on your experience? Have you considered that you might have to take a few steps back to move in a different direction? If you have the experience, then what are you waiting for?

You have nothing to lose by finding out exactly how marketable you are at whichever stage of your career. You may be losing out if you’re just sitting and waiting for things to happen. Take control of your career today.