Linda McIntosh* - A significant - and growing - percentage of law graduates go on to careers that have little-to-nothing to do with the law.

The reasons for the move are varied. Some use the law degree as the basis for another career from Day One. Others realise that they realise at law school that they simply don't want to practise law.

And many will enter a wide variety of businesses and professions that may well have nothing to do with the law.

These may range from real estate and banking to commerce in its varied forms, entertainment, journalism and much much more.

Find your Skillset

One of the keys to being successful in any career is finding your skill set and demonstrating how you can use them in any number of ways.

You can identify your skills by considering a number of key factors you will have learned at law school:

• think and write analytically
• speak in public
• write clearly and persuasively
• synthesize ideas
• compile facts and information
• simplify complex ideas
• negotiate
• persuade
• research
• develop a strategy to reach a desired outcome
• teach
• work with others
• counsel

And what about your personality traits? What can having a law degree say about what sort of person you are? Consider these:

• self-motivated
• organized
• goal oriented
• detail oriented
• hard working
• responsible
• diligent

When entering another profession you need to emphasise these factors when looking at a job. Many (most, even) people do not possess them to make the most of them.

And as for alternative careers, they are as varied and many as you would wish.

LawFuel identified some of the non-traditional career paths for lawyers here if you wish to take a look.

And remember - having a law degree will never hold you back or hinder you, regardless of whether you want to practice law or not.

*Linda McIntosh is a recruitment advisor and former lawyer.