Mid-30s, transitioning out of law, already gave my notice - freaking out about what's next

[Anonymous]

I would be freaking out if I didn't have a job lined up as well. Don't you have rent to pay? Or do you live with your parents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would be freaking out if I didn't have a job lined up as well. Don't you have rent to pay? Or do you live with your parents?

Don’t you have savings?!?! I’m a lawyer and could quit now with no worries for a year plus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be freaking out if I didn't have a job lined up as well. Don't you have rent to pay? Or do you live with your parents?

Don’t you have savings?!?! I’m a lawyer and could quit now with no worries for a year plus.

Sure, have savings to cover over a year's worth of expenses and then some. But would never just quit with no plan in place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be freaking out if I didn't have a job lined up as well. Don't you have rent to pay? Or do you live with your parents?

Don’t you have savings?!?! I’m a lawyer and could quit now with no worries for a year plus.

Sure, have savings to cover over a year's worth of expenses and then some. But would never just quit with no plan in place.

Fine for you but don’t babble on about needing to pay rent or living with your parents

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would be freaking out if I didn't have a job lined up as well. Don't you have rent to pay? Or do you live with your parents?

OP has contract work for old employer lined up...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And ignore the PPs who tell you to never quit before having something else lined up. You know your field and network best, and you know what's best for you personally. It sounds like you've thought this out and even have the contract work lined up as a buffer. Congrats on getting out of a toxic situation, and good luck finding someplace better!

People who think they must quit before lining up a new job often have inflated ideas about their self worth and are the types who create drama. If OP was having trouble at work then this all makes sense. These types don’t realize it’s just a job and their previous employer will move on shortly after they have left.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be freaking out if I didn't have a job lined up as well. Don't you have rent to pay? Or do you live with your parents?

Don’t you have savings?!?! I’m a lawyer and could quit now with no worries for a year plus.

Sure, have savings to cover over a year's worth of expenses and then some. But would never just quit with no plan in place.

Fine for you but don’t babble on about needing to pay rent or living with your parents

But who wants to live on savings while looking for a job when they could have done so while earning income??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look into patent attorney work. USPTO used to have tons of telework positions (although they were under scrutiny for crappy practices a year or two ago).

where did OP say she was a patent attorney?

She didn’t, and from her post, unlikely that she is. This highlights a fundamental problem with this communication method- too many posting who lack any understanding or information of what they post.

But DC is an area for networking! Just because I am not an attorney doesn't mean I don't know multiple patent attorneys who came from non-patent backgrounds. They had to choose a technical field and take some classes (I want to say 24 course hours?), but it didn't require getting a degree in the field. They may have had an additional exam or certification to pass, too, but if OP wants flexibility, taking online or night classes while doing contract work during the day is not impossible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look into patent attorney work. USPTO used to have tons of telework positions (although they were under scrutiny for crappy practices a year or two ago).

where did OP say she was a patent attorney?

She didn’t, and from her post, unlikely that she is. This highlights a fundamental problem with this communication method- too many posting who lack any understanding or information of what they post.

But DC is an area for networking! Just because I am not an attorney doesn't mean I don't know multiple patent attorneys who came from non-patent backgrounds. They had to choose a technical field and take some classes (I want to say 24 course hours?), but it didn't require getting a degree in the field. They may have had an additional exam or certification to pass, too, but if OP wants flexibility, taking online or night classes while doing contract work during the day is not impossible.

the requirement for the sitting for the patent exam is way more than 24 credit hours, and involves laboratory classes etc. that you can't just dial into online or sit passively through in class. the minimum credit hours is 24 hours in physics. most undergrad level classes are 4 credits, so you have to take SIX college level physics class, often which have very high level math requirement (like linear algebra, multivariate calc, vector calculus etc). Also if this is your approach to the patent bar you probably will not pass it and if you do you still will not be desirable to employers because you do not ave a true science or engineering background! OP: THE SOLUTION TO YOUR PROBLEM IS NOT TO TAKE THE PATENT BAR.

[Anonymous]

Wow, OP here and I sort of checked out from this thread initially when I wasn't getting many replies.

Thanks so much to those with constructive thoughts and ideas. I will look into them. I don't come from a patent law background. I do have a background that could lend itself to in-house, or higher ed, local government, or medical institution type work, if the right opportunity came along, but I would probably need to be connected to get a real shake. I'm open to law-related and also entirely non-law work, and trying to be really open minded right now.

To those criticizing the move I made and deciding without any information to base it on that I couldn't have had good reasons to leave before lining something else (besides contract work) up, I'm not going to go into the personal and potentially identifying details that led me to do what I did, but my reasons are solid and reasonable and also none of your business. What I'm trying to figure out is what next. Aside from the more personal details, I also live in a place where I won't be hired away from my firm by anyone without my bosses' open and public support. It's a small area, I was considered to have some value to the firm, and no one who knows of my bosses would ever risk crossing them. Also, yes I have some savings, I also have small kids and am the primary breadwinner in my family, and don't intend to blow through all my savings while taking a year to figure out my next move. I need and want a job.

I do wonder, as a PP suggested, if I'll need to accept a lower salaried position at least to start, to get my foot in the door somewhere.

[Anonymous]

Roar wrote:OP: Feel free to PM. I jumped from law right after 1 year of practice. Much of your skill set transfers to other positions, but you need to highlight those to potential employers. Ever thought of BD or Sales? I love it as a career and use my socratic method training all the time.

Thanks for these thoughts! I'm not sure if I'm cut out for sales, but (at the risk of sounding stupid) what is BD? Congrats on the successful and early transition.

[Anonymous]

Roar wrote:OP: Feel free to PM. I jumped from law right after 1 year of practice. Much of your skill set transfers to other positions, but you need to highlight those to potential employers. Ever thought of BD or Sales? I love it as a career and use my socratic method training all the time.

I'm not OP but my heart just soared reading this. Can you share anything about how? What kind of jobs did you target? I feel so stuck...