Career Planning for Lawyers | Alex Correa Executive

Why Thinking Two Jobs Ahead Changes How You Plan

In a Friends in Law podcast conversation, we spoke at length with Marcus Payne, a seasoned General Counsel whose career has spanned Queensland Urban Utilities and, more recently, Griffith University, including a period as Chief Counsel at Queensland Health during the Covid-19 pandemic. Marcus also recently swam the English Channel, which turns out to be a genuinely useful lens for how he thinks about career planning too.

Quick answer: Marcus's core advice is to think two jobs ahead rather than planning your entire career at once. It gives you a sense of direction, a practical framework for evaluating opportunities, and a manageable two to five year timeframe that doesn't feel overwhelming. Combined with breaking goals into smaller steps and checking in on them regularly, it's a simple but genuinely effective approach to career planning.

Why Two Jobs Ahead, Not Ten

In his conversation with Alex Correa, Marcus suggested lawyers should think two jobs ahead when making career decisions, for a few clear reasons:

It gives you a sense of where you're heading, and the next step on the way there
It gives you a practical framework for evaluating opportunities as they arise
It keeps the timeframe to roughly two to five years, which feels achievable rather than overwhelming

Marcus is a strong advocate for breaking goals into manageable pieces, an approach he has tested well beyond his legal career. As he puts it:

"Anyone can do amazing things, it is just about having the right approach and not trying to do too much too quickly."

Career Paths Aren't Always a Straight Line

Marcus is clear that career progression rarely moves in a straight line. Lawyers may need to pick up new skills along the way, whether that's a secondment to build commercial or business acumen, or consulting experience to strengthen client relationship skills. A secondment in particular can offer a genuinely useful outside perspective, and space to reflect on whether your current path is still the right one.

As he puts it:

"There is enormous value in getting out of your comfort zone and learning new things."

Make Time to Actually Plan

Legal work is often reactive by nature, and it can be genuinely hard to find space to think strategically. Marcus's advice is to deliberately carve out time to consider where you're heading, and to break that direction down into smaller, concrete steps rather than leaving it as a vague intention.

Work Should Be Genuinely Enjoyable

This is advice worth sitting with. Marcus suggests reflecting honestly on what you actually enjoy in your work, and separately, what you're genuinely good at. The best career fit tends to sit at the intersection of both.

"Do not do things that you are not enjoying. Do not stay the course if this is the case."

He also points to the people you work alongside as a critical part of the equation:

"It is enormously important to surround yourself with good people, that you can have fun with, work well with, and learn from. We all spend so much time at work, this is a critical part of life and working."

We could not agree more.

What Sets Well-Planned Careers Apart

Of the many candidates we speak with, the ones who consistently stand out have usually done one thing: they have taken the time to plan their career deliberately, and they return to that plan regularly to reassess it. Their CVs tend to reflect a clear, considered pathway rather than a series of reactive moves.

Many lawyers begin their careers without much formal planning at all. Years of study lead into a first position, and once that milestone is achieved, it is easy to lose the habit of setting goals and checking in on them. That habit matters well beyond the early years, both for professional development and for the personal satisfaction that comes from feeling genuinely on track.

Having coached professionals across many career stages, we have consistently seen that those who take the time to plan and track their progress tend to reach their goals faster than peers who don't.

Keeping Yourself Accountable

Once you've reflected on your strengths, weaknesses and opportunities, and set a clear career objective, the next question is how you'll hold yourself accountable to it.

Consider sharing your goals with a partner, mentor or supervisor, and set regular check-ins to review progress, celebrate milestones, adjust course, or shift direction entirely if a goal is no longer relevant. Building quarterly, six-monthly and annual reviews into your own calendar gives you the best chance of actually following through.

A legal career is a marathon, not a sprint, and it is worth remembering that support is always available along the way. We regularly help lawyers think through their next move, and the groundwork you put in now genuinely shapes how clearly that path unfolds.

Frequently Asked Questions About Career Planning for Lawyers

How far ahead should a lawyer plan their career?

Marcus Payne's advice, which we think is genuinely sound, is to think two jobs ahead rather than mapping out an entire career. It gives enough direction to guide decisions without the timeframe feeling unmanageable.

What if my career path hasn't been a straight line?

That's genuinely normal. Secondments, consulting experience, and periods spent building different skills can all strengthen a career long term, even if they don't look like a direct upward path in the moment.

How often should I review my career goals?

Regularly, and ideally on a set schedule. Quarterly check-ins for progress, alongside six-monthly and annual reviews for bigger picture direction, tend to work well for keeping goals genuinely active rather than forgotten.

Should I share my career goals with someone else?

Yes, sharing them with a mentor, supervisor or trusted colleague and setting regular check-ins with them tends to significantly improve follow-through compared to keeping goals entirely private.