I am based in the Midlands and have been working in law for the past 18 years. I progressed through to a senior supervisory position dealing with complex claims. I consider myself to be an experienced lawyer, however I do not hold a formal qualification (I hold a BA in Hummanities).I have two small children who spend the majority of the week in the after school clubs. This make me feel like I am the worst mother in the world particularly when I have no energy to do anything with them over the weekend. I have definitely lost my spark, the progression is limited (and goes in tandem with working outside of the conventional 9-5) plus the stress is not worth it.
I have been thinking of changing my career for a couple years. Until recently I struggled to think of what else I could do career wise but then I started reading about procurement. I feel like my skills align perfectly- I am an experienced negotiator whose job is basically about advising the paying parties on the potential outcomes of a case with reference to indemnity spend, analysing opposing parties’ budgets, getting the best results from the financial perspective and approaching/sourcing various experts and services.
How can I pivot into the procurement area without having to go down the graduate scheme/apprentice type of route (thus slashing my salary in more than a half)? I am prepared to take a drop in wage but obviously would like it to be as painless as possible. Would speaking with a recruitment agency help or should I do some basic courses beforehand to show that I have some understanding of what procurement is about?
I would appreciate any recommendations/suggestions (to include whether you would recommend this role if you currently work in procurement).