Embracing uncertainty

Apart from death and taxes (as the old saying goes), there is nothing more certain than uncertainty. LPC student and soon-to-be Allen & Overy trainee Tom Whittaker suggests that we should all accept the virtues of uncertainty and go on to reap the rewards.

Being too certain can be problematic. Imagine an over-confident contestant walking on to the stage in X Factor. Gold boots. Big Hair. Car crash television. Some humility would go a long way.

The pitfalls of over-confidence are obvious when we see them on television. However, many of us still feel the need to appear confident in front of others even though we aren't. When asked questions regarding modules or careers, for example, some of my fellow law students answer definitively, describing exactly what they want and how they're going to get it. That's great. But there are many who worry that displaying any uncertainty is a sign of weakness. Is this partly because of the false perception that everyone else knows what they're doing?

The risk of trying to appear certain if you're not is that the decision becomes based on what you think others want. Gold boots do not an X Factor star maketh. Following the crowd, smiling and nodding along, means you could be missing out on opportunities to learn. If you can't afford Simon Cowell to critique you, then you will have to act on your own instincts. Uncertainty isn't always a weakness; it has its virtues.

It inspires research

Acknowledging which issues are causing doubt helps identify what research needs to be done. That research, in turn, can show you whether the issue is nothing to be concerned about or something more important than you first realised. Without having done all the necessary research, a wrong decision could easily be made. So if you are going to share a house with mates, start an application form or eat the canteen's 'meat surprise' lasagne and you keep having niggling doubts, it's best to ask a few questions first, rather than jumping in and ending up feeling sick (never trust a chef who uses the term 'surprise').

It encourages trying new things

Having new experiences can also be the result of uncertainty. Doubt about whether a particular career will tick all the boxes is an important motivating factor behind getting work experience. Finding the right opportunities is sometimes difficult, but it's worth taking a creative approach. So alongside traditional work experience placements, explore other possibilities; career presentations, training courses, charity volunteering or working in another industry altogether. In interviews you can explain more clearly your reasons for career A when you can contrast it with the experiences you've had in career B.

All of this results in getting a much better understanding of who you are, and especially your likes and dislikes. In my second year at university I had a summer internship which was invaluable. I saw first-hand what I wanted, and didn't want, from my career. In the next term I started going to a much wider range of careers presentations and started to ask a lot more questions. Also, understanding what I was looking for in a career helped me select volunteering opportunities better and allowed me to view them with an open mind.

It helps with decision-making

Fortunately, uncertainty is manageable. The Financial Times has run special reports about managing uncertainty in business. The reports argue against any search by businesses for certainty because there will always be potential pitfalls. Instead they argue that if businesses anticipate uncertainty, they'll be better prepared to respond and stronger for it. What is applicable here to business is applicable to individuals too. If you audition for Britain's Got Talent, you know David Hasselhoff will say or do something weird so you should anticipate your response. Individuals can manage uncertainty provided they are prepared.

How to deal with it

Without wishing to sound like Indecisives Anonymous, the first step is the ability to recognise existing or potential uncertainty. It's difficult to admit that a previous decision is wrong or to acknowledge that more work is needed in order to make a decision. However, these are both far preferable to making the wrong choice. Recognising uncertainty allows important questions to be asked and demonstrates a willingness to avoid taking the easy option.

If there's concern over a decision that's already been made, then acknowledging that is good too. The decision can be changed. By pinpointing exactly what is causing the concern you can avoid shoving your head ostrich-like into the sand and instead focus on how to deal with it.

If you know a decision will soon need to be made and there's uncertainty on the horizon, you have the advantage of seeing it coming. Many legal articles detail how law firms can give expert advice on what challenges lay ahead and how they in particular, of course, can guide a business through. By knowing what questions are likely to arise, research (eg, businesses contacting consultants or law students contacting tutors) can be done in advance.

Obviously uncertainty has problems but these can be overcome. Some decisions need to be made by a certain time and in a certain way. Hesitating can mean, for example, having to wait a year for the next round of applications. However most of the time uncertainty creeps up far before these decisions have to be made; being organised solves this.

It motivates you to excel

Finally, what is also under-recognised is how uncertainty makes some people excel. In Peter Jones' programme How I Made My Millions on BBC2, he suggested to both Michelle Mone, inventor of Wonderbra, and Richard Reed, founder of Innocent Smoothies, that entrepreneurs are driven to succeed because of a fear of failure or feeling of inadequacy. This could well be true because when the entrepreneurs questioned whether they were good enough, in a personal or business sense, perhaps that resulted in them also questioning how they could improve. It's only by acknowledging their underlying uncertainty that they have the impetus to question and act on it. So rather than uncertainty being seen as inherently linked to inertia it should also be seen that for some it's what makes them do more.

Acknowledging uncertainty, and the ability to act on it, allows the chance to step back, reassess and ask, “Is this the right thing to do?”. When uncertainty results in doing nothing then that's a problem. However, when it results in someone questioning what they want, how they can achieve it, or gives them the drive to prove themselves, then that initial uncertainty should be seen as welcome.

Tom Whittaker is studying the Accelerated LPC at The College of Law, Moorgate, and will begin a training contract at Allen & Overy in September 2012.