5 Questions to Ask Yourself if You Can’t Stand Your Current Job

Is your current job pushing the limits of your tolerance? Has it already passed them?

If your job, co-workers, supervisors or responsibilities are more nightmare than dream, it may be time to seek a job that aligns better with your lifestyle and long-term goals. Here are five questions that can help you find the right new legal support job and end the cycle of intolerable work.

Which parts of your current job do you never want to repeat again?

Make a list of the things you want to avoid in every future position. For instance, if your boss micromanages you or you’re constantly handed work you must rush to complete by its deadline, you might include these on your list.

Which parts of your job “would be doable if…”, and what’s the “if”?

While listing things you want to avoid at all costs, you may also have encountered items that made you think, “actually, I could deal with this if…” Start a second list for these, and complete the sentence. For instance, “I could handle short deadlines if they always fell within my area of expertise.”

Which parts of your current or former jobs do you really love?

Chances are, you took your current job because it offered (or promised) a few features you really like. List these separately; this list will become the backbone of your search for a job that allows you to do the tasks you really love more frequently. For example, if you particularly enjoy researching recent changes in the law or preparing the perfect trial notebook, list these tasks here.

What does “work-life” balance look like for you?

Do you want to have the flexibility to leave early for your children’s after-school activities, or to work late because your best ideas always occur around 7 p.m.? Would you prefer a job that you can safely ignore on weekends, or do you like to be consulted whenever your experience is required? Create an ideal “balance” schedule for a day and a week, remembering to leave time for appropriate sleep, nutrition, exercise, and time to recharge with family and hobbies.

Complete this sentence: “My ideal employer would support me best by____.”

Every law firm and legal department has a different internal culture. Some of these cultures will match your ideal support system; others will work against your best work. By determining how your employer can support your best work, you learn how to seek employers that offer a matching culture, instead of a conflicting one.

The recruiters at Kent Legal are proud to support the mission of the oldest legal recruiting firm in Toronto, and to continue its legacy of building strong relationships between legal support professionals and the law firms and legal departments within the greater Toronto area. Contact us today to learn more.