I went out for breakfast with my son the other morning.
We were sat next to a couple of blokes who were discussing a legal issue that one of them was having.
His mate was confidently advising him of his position and what he should do next.
Now, I’m no commercial law expert, but I knew that his advice was wrong.
But I couldn’t exactly butt in and say ‘sorry lads, I couldn’t help overhearing. What your mate has just told you is utter b*llocks.’
This chap clearly wanted to help out a mate and was doing his best to try and find a solution for him, but following his advice was going to do more harm than good.
There are no shortage of people willing to offer advice on every topic under the sun. It doesn’t mean that it’s correct or that you should follow it.
There are people that will tell you that you have to work for a certain number of years in x,y,z law firm before you can move in-house. Doesn’t mean they’re right.
There are people that will tell you that if you don’t follow a certain path then some jobs may be out of reach. Not necessarily the case.
Your friends, family, colleagues, and anyone else that offers their advice on your career may be well-meaning. It doesn’t mean they know what they’re on about.
Don’t base your decisions off the views of one person. You’re potentially closing doors based on their experience.
#lawyers #inhousecounsel #careers
