Episode 10 - Dave Namkung (Mosaic Executive Search, Smith Legal Search)
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Dave is the founder and managing partner of Mosaic Executive Search, as well as a partner with Smith Legal Search, a legal recruitment company. He has unique expertise and interest in executive search mandates relating to legal and professional services, non-profits, crown corporations, post-secondary institutions and impact-driven businesses.
In this episode, we talk about the stigma of anxiety in the legal profession, how he overcame anxiety in his own career, and how he carved out his own path after articling at a big law firm, and finding fulfillment within one’s career.
Dave acknowledges that anxiety not only exists in the legal profession, but in reality exists in every facet of society, whether in private companies, post-secondary, nonprofits, and more. Anxiety exists everywhere.
He laments that the legal industry is one of the most competitive and aspirational arenas where people want to participate in. There’s a particular image and armor one is expected to adorn when you step into this world, and he feels that this thought can be particularly heavy for some people. Furthermore, imposter syndrome, especially for those who are intersectional, can be crippling because they would carry an image of how things ought to be in this profession.
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Here is a highlight from the podcast
Steven: Dave, can you talk a little about your own career, your own life, and your own anxieties along the way?
Dave: In some respects, I was fortunate in the sense that I did not excel academically in life and I had to work and try harder in school. I remember when I got into law school, one of my friends from elementary school was like “You? Of all people became a lawyer? Are you kidding me?” Let’s just say I wasn’t considered one of the smartest kids in class, and in that respect, I felt that I was punching up throughout this whole process.
Hence, my disappointments were less pronounced and I didn’t necessarily expect to remain in the legal profession long term. I was a decent law student, but I had to work my tail off to polish a B+ to an A- or A; that was my general trajectory.
When I got into UBC law, I remember thinking ok, the game plane would be to get an article, get hired back, and then figure it out a couple years later what you really wanted to do in life, because that’s when your options start to crystalize, whether you want to go in-house or into business.
The articling process itself was really interesting because it felt like the bachelorette, where everyone’s pursuing the same rose. For me, at a certain point, I was like hold on - I don’t want this rose, but I’m competing for it for the sake of competition. I didn’t like who I was becoming, and moreover, I just assumed that being a business lawyer made the most sense for me because I did an undergrad in business. So I thought, okay, why don’t I just become a rainmaker, like you know be the person at the firm bringing in the deals.
When I got there (to the firm) I realised these types did not exist like I thought they did. You had to do the work, and sitting there, grinding on documents just produced a lot of anxiety for me. It was evident that I wouldn’t be a fit at the firm. I was probably on the cusp of hireback, and when I wasn’t, leading up to the decision given to me, I experienced tremendous anxiety. I would rate it a 9/10 in my life experience at that point. It was an ego situation - I wanted the choice.
I wanted to get the rose and then turn around and say: I won’t take it.
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At Beyond the A, we understand that anxiety and mental health is a serious issue. While we do not purport to be experts, our mission is to open up the conversation and provide you with the tools and resources to excel in your career and beyond. If you are seeking immediate help, please contact a healthcare professional or access our resources page.
Given the sensitivity of the topic, we are always open to further conversation about it. Email us at info@beyondthea.co and someone from our team will get back to you.