5 bold career moves that should have terrified me (but didn’t)

The best things in my career happened right after I ignored fear and did the bold thing anyway.

Every pivot looked risky on paper, but each one brought me closer to work that feels aligned, challenging, and genuinely mine.

These are five moves that could have terrified me (they didn’t - and I’m better for it, including my bank balance, health and general career fulfilment).

1. Barrister in London as first legal career 🇬🇧 ⚖️

I was fresh out of law school, very junior, mostly speaking before angry white male judges…

But I love advocacy, being challenged intellectually, and sticking up for people… so to say this is where I “cut my teeth” is an understatement.

2. Leaving the Bar in London 🙋🏽♀️

5 years earning nothing right after Lehman collapsed, with rumblings of Brexit = bleak, punishing times in London.

Chambers were LOOSE with their hiring policies back then - I finally threw in the towel when one of them told me “you were the strongest candidate but we hired a woman last year so we’re hiring a man this year”.

Laters.

3. Moving countries (from the UK back to Ireland) ☘

I had no friends here, no permanent job or place to live, and I was cross-qualifying as a solicitor. That meant I was competing with a lot of junior lawyers also job hunting as Ireland emerged out of the recession.

But I had everything to gain and nothing to lose - a ton of legal experience, grit, ambition, London network, plus nothing phased me… and this is where was born and am ultimately from, so I didn't feel like a total outsider.

4. Leaving private practice 👋🏻

Right as the pandemic hit and everything in the world was going sideways, I worked my last day as a corporate lawyer in private practice and took a career break to catch up on 15 years' worth of sleep and figure out my next move.

I’d had some kind of job since I was 16 years old, and I was exhausted. Spending 6 months with no structure, daily deliverables or anywhere to go was actual bliss. Even during a pandemic!!

This led me to a great opportunity (GC and first legal hire at an Irish SaaS company), the precursor for what I’m doing now.

5. Ditching practising cert / licence ✌🏼

I know plenty people who keep their practising certificate even though they aren’t practising law anymore.

But I knew that I needed to leave it behind to be taken seriously in the business world - sadly most folks don’t get the strategic value lawyers bring to the table and I knew I couldn’t build a business based on that (and didn’t really want to either).

And no, setting up my own business didn’t terrify me either - of all my career choices, it has made the most sense.

What about you?

What bold moves have you made that should have terrified you but didn’t?

Feel free to reply directly to this email!

Sarah 💜