Name: Jennifer Ungar
Location: Colorado
WIXII-ISM™ FROM JENNIFER:
“You only live once, and having the “perfect” career path or work-life balance, brings no more happiness than having a crooked or messy path. I feel I have lived a thousand lives because I have had many different careers and followed many different paths. I would do each one over and over again.”
JENNIFER’S STORY:
Meet our featured Wixii™, Jennifer Ungar. She is her early 40s and mother to an 11 year old son and 9 year old daughter. She holds a B.A. and J.D. Currently, Jennifer chooses to be full time with her children. Jennifer has found a passion for tennis in recent years.
JENNIFER’S CAREER PATH:
Jennifer has worn many hats over her professional life. After successful careers as a corporate lawyer, law school career counselor, corporate HR trainer, private career counselor, legal headhunter and career coach entrepreneur, Jennifer decided to take a hiatus from her professional career to be all hands on deck with her school aged son and daughter. Making the decision to not simultaneously straddle both professional and personal realms while her children move through school brought an unexpected peace to Jennifer.
Jennifer loves to learn and excelled in law school which allowed her to land an associate position with a prestigious firm. However, the big law firm environment did not suit her passions and strengths and she opted to join a law school career counseling department. From that decision, Jennifer found that she had a special talent for counseling students and lawyers about career choices and opportunities. Her career path was not always intentional but she embraced each opportunity, and in her usual style, found success at each stop along the way. Jennifer believes that each experience is an integral part of her story. In this mini profile, we focus just on one aspect.
With only practicing law in a traditional manner for a short time over your professional career, would you advise a younger version on yourself to attend law school?
Yes, I would go to law school again because it was the right decision for me at the time and I loved it. I try hard not to second guess any of my past decisions because they make me a part of who I am today, good or bad. I truly wouldn’t be the person I am today if it hadn’t been for law school, being a lawyer, and a million other decisions I have made along the way. It certainly wasn’t always a rosy path, but I am very proud of my past life as a lawyer. I did well in law school, landed a very prestigious job that less than 20 students in my graduating class were able to land on graduation day. While I was there, I learned things about how the world works that I would still not understand nor appreciate without that background. I have tremendous confidence in my own ability to learn anything, be able to talk to anyone, and frankly, to do anything. I don’t recommend law school as a general recommendation, because that would be irresponsible. But, I do advocate following what interests you, taking on challenges that scare you, and being courageous enough to try things where you might fail. You only live once, and having the “perfect” career path or work-life balance, brings no more happiness than having a crooked or messy path. I feel I have lived a thousand lives because I have had many different careers and followed many different paths. I would do each one over and over again.
