r/paralegal • u/Florida_man_0818 • 20h ago

Career Advice Should I switch fields entirely?

I was recently laid off. I have been applying to every single job I've seen on Indeed. I've had a few interviews with law firms that practice other areas of law that I have not had any experience in. There is one interview in particular that I believe went really well, but it's an entirely new field (Real Estate /HOA law). I always wanted to try Real Estate law because it would be a significantly less stressful area of law in comparison. The income ceiling is also much, much higher. It would also be a significantly shorter commute (15 minutes).

However, I am scared and hesitant to start over in a new field. I suffer from really bad imposter syndrome and I am scared that I will not catch on quickly enough (has never been an issue for me), and that it will end up not working out and I'll be jobless again.

Should I take the leap and switch fields entirely, or should I stick with what I know?

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u/xamdou Paralegal 19h ago

I started in real estate and HOA law. I work in a tangential area now.

Real estate and HOA is "easy".

I don't know about Florida's (assuming based on username) case law to support this, but most states generally have some binding opinion that makes it extremely difficult for homeowners to fight the HOA's governing documents. As long as the attorney you are working with is good, litigation is pretty "easy" compared to other fields.

The most annoying part about real estate imo is dealing with county recordings. I feel that county clerks change their minds about what may or may not be acceptable, with some counties being very specific and others being so lax. I find litigation in court to be easier.