Remember that sigh of relief when you landed your first job out of law school? After the stress of the initial job search, the first few years of practice are a blur. You keep your nose to the grindstone, and try to build a solid professional reputation. It's not until several years into practice that you may begin to ask yourself if you are actually happy doing what you are doing.

If you find you are dissatisfied with your practice and your overall professional trajectory, you are not alone. Most attorneys switch jobs once or twice within the first five years of practice, and the available data suggests today's young lawyers will make many more career moves than our predecessors. The National Association for Law Placement (NALP) reported that the lateral hiring of associates increased almost 22% in 2018, and The Atlantic has identified legal recruiting as a growth industry. Additionally, you likely have company if you are considering whether the practice of law is even really for you—a simple Google search of "attorneys leaving law" reveals a plethora of articles with advice for lawyers who are considering exiting traditional legal practice.

Though making a job or career change is not uncommon, the process and considerations can be daunting. How do you begin to decide if it is time to make a move, let alone know how to go about doing so?

As a first step, identify what is causing you to consider making a move and/or what would lead you to consider a move. This may seem obvious, but this is too often overlooked when considering a job or career change, particularly if an attorney is very much dissatisfied in their current position. It may not be in an attorney's best interest to jump at the first opportunity that comes along—if the reason or issue spurring the move will be unchanged in that new position, making a move will not change the level of job satisfaction. Moreover, after the many years of hard work and preparation to become a lawyer, if you are not sure whether attorney life is for you, it may be worth first considering what is causing your dissatisfaction and whether this can be addressed by changing your practice setting before leaving the profession entirely.

Going through the exercise of identifying why you may want to make a move can take both professional and personal goals into account. Professional factors to think about may include practice area, employer size, employer structure, partnership and leadership opportunities, opportunity to work directly with clients, ability to work independently, and work hours.

Though attorneys don't often discuss personal goals, attorneys can and should give themselves permission think beyond their life in the office when considering a job move. Do you feel like you are taking care of yourself? Are there other things you would like to accomplish, like traveling, running a marathon, developing a hobby, spending more time with family, etc.? It can be easy to forget about accomplishments or talents that don't directly translate into forward job mobility, but it is important not to overlook them—and caring about personal goals and accomplishments does not necessarily mean an attorney is less committed to their career!

Identifying reasons for a career move may raise the next question—do you really need to leave your current firm or organization to improve your current work life? If changes can be made at your current workplace, you may prefer to stay. For example, is there a senior attorney you can talk to about ways to address your concerns, such as getting more responsibility? Can you instead work in another position in the same firm or company? Is there a committee or practice group that you can join? Is there an opportunity to be a leader in making a change so your current firm or agency is a better place to work? Are there other attorneys that you can connect with for feedback and support?

It's great if you can make some small changes at your current job and reach career nirvana, but there is nothing wrong with making a bigger move. This could be a lateral move to a firm or agency of a similar or different size, a change in practice areas, or a transition from the public to the private sector (or vice-versa). Young lawyers should not discount that they may want to consider opening their own solo or small firm. Carefully considering what setting would be conducive to addressing your career and life goals may result in increasing your job satisfaction.

Not sure what opportunities are available? We are told to network, network, network—and now is the time to put those networking skills to use! Getting to know other attorneys who are in your field but are in a different practice setting may be helpful in identifying your ideal work environment—even if it merely confirms that you are already in the right place. Joining bar organizations or special interest professional organizations is one way to do this. You may not know what your dream job is right now, but you may discover it.

Finally found the perfect job for you? Make sure that you follow the proper protocols, both from an ethics and employer perspective, to close out your work with your current clients. For example, in early December, the American Bar Association issued Formal Ethics Opinion 489, Obligations Related to Notice When Lawyers Change Firms, which may be one source of helpful guidance in the transition process.

Although you may be excited to move on to another opportunity, be careful about burning bridges with colleagues and clients—you may see them in another setting, particularly if you are in a very specialized practice area, or you may want or need a recommendation from them going forward.

Considering a career or job transition is an exciting, though stressful, time. Whether you're a young lawyer just beginning to think about making a change, or a seasoned attorney actively looking for new opportunities—the YLAB wishes best of luck to you in achieving your professional goals!

The NJLJ Young Lawyers Advisory Board is a diverse group of young attorneys from around the state. Follow them on Twitter, @YoungLawyersNJL.