In the last of a series of three, Jo Larbie outlines conversations she has had trainees and junior lawyers, some of whom were unhappy with their work, their firm and their career. The underlying issue appeared to be the same for all – a failure to stop and think about their answer to the question: "What do you want from your career and life?"

They are not alone – many lawyers face the same dilemma. These articles provide questions for you to think about and answer. Click here for Jo's first and second articles.

Our values are the things that are important to us and define how we want to live and work; guiding our behaviour at home and work. Our values affect how we view our work and consequently our job satisfaction. Your values are the reason why you stick with a difficult assignment, or decide to take a particular career path. For example, if you value financial reward, then you will probably be prepared to work hard in pursuit of your career goals that are financially rewarding.