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Reframing my skills transformed my career

Fred originally trained as a solicitor in a corporate law firm only to realise that a career in law was not for him. While he initially felt completely stuck, he learned to reframe his skillset before successfully pivoting into a career in management consulting and then into industry. Fred now works as an independent strategy consultant and a professional coach for lawyers who are considering making a career change.

Red paper boat breaking away from white boats, symbolising leadership and innovation.
"I felt completely trapped. I knew I couldn’t keep going as a corporate lawyer, but I felt like I couldn’t do anything else. Thankfully, everything changed when I started to reframe how I viewed myself."

 

I can clearly remember the first time I realised I was going to have to make a major career change. It was 6:30am on Christmas eve and I had just walked through the front door of my parents’ house, suited and booted. My dad assumed I had been out all night. The reality was that I had been in the office since 8am the previous day, completing a deal that had to get done. 

It wasn’t just the hours and the toll they were taking on me and my life. I just found the work uninteresting. In fact, I was much more interested in my clients’ businesses. And ultimately it was that combination of forcing myself to care about work that I found dull that made me realise it was not sustainable. I needed to find something different to do.

But what else could I even do? I was a lawyer, I had studied law at university and I had only ever worked in law. I had been destined for law since I was about 15.

I knew I was interested in business strategy but, with my background, I couldn’t conceive of how I would ever convince someone to give me a job doing that. “No chance”, said a colleague I had confided in.

Luckily, I had some more supportive people around me and, over time, I was able to reframe how I saw myself and my experience. I began to appreciate that I had skills, not just legal knowledge, and those skills were ideal for the work I wanted to do. Analysis, problem-solving, strategic thinking, synthesising complex information into clear recommendations for clients.

Within a year, I had landed a job in strategy consulting and, from there, everything changed for me. I would subsequently move into industry, spending 10 years working around the world in a job I loved in the spirits trade.

Law is a wonderful career for many, but certainly not all. At the time of leaving legal practice, and in the years since, I have been approached by many lawyers who are unhappy in their jobs but feel completely unable to do anything different. I have been struck by just how many brilliantly talented individuals are suffering in silence, seemingly blind to just how much they have to offer in other careers, like I had been.

Lawyers are some of the most talented, hard-working and flexible members of the workforce. For those who are not happy where they are, they can and should be applying their exceptional capabilities in pursuit of work they love. I now coach lawyers to make that leap.

My tips for lawyers considering a career change

    1. Believe in yourself: to have even become a lawyer in the first place, you have already demonstrated exceptional skill and talent that any organisation would be keen to recruit
    2. Think skills, not knowledge: You are not just dispensing legal knowledge to your clients; you are using a range of skills that are valued across the economy. Think about what you spend most of your time doing. Do you work in tax? Chances are you’re a great analyst. A litigator leading court cases? You’re a strategist and a brilliant project manager.
    3. It could take time, but it is a prize worth fighting for: Depending on your circumstances, the transition could take a while, in some cases a couple of years. There may be multiple hurdles to navigate, whether they be developing new skills or planning for a financial adjustment. None of this is easy, but finding a way to live the life you want and do the work you love is among life’s most valuable investments.

Fred Spratt began his career as a City lawyer before successfully pivoting into strategy consulting and industry roles. Drawing on his own experiences, he now works as a career coach, specialising in supporting unhappy lawyers who are contemplating career change. Understanding firsthand the challenges of leaving legal practice, he helps lawyers to build confidence, take action and find their pathway to work that they really want to do. To learn more about his coaching work, visit outlaws-coaching.com to book a free, no obligation discovery call.

Fred Spratt Sept 2025 Cropped

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