Published in 07/04/2020 -
Author Mauricio Almeida
At 58 years old, after a 40-year career dedicated to technical and business executive work, I found myself wondering what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. My experience has always been focused on production, planning, quality, business development, and administration/finance. But I felt compelled to think it was time for a change, as the market in 2013 was already showing clear signs of radical changes in the Oil and Gas sector, to which I belonged. So I asked myself: "What do I want to do after I turn 65? What will be my plan B, based on conviction?". After careful analysis, I found that the area of ??judicial expertise could be a good path for this second professional trajectory, and better yet, for the rest of my life, as it would theoretically bring together all my experience, especially in auditing and report writing, as well as practical experience in management.
Well, I talked to several friends and listened to a lot of information, mainly from those who were already actively involved in this market. In other words, I let out a torrent of suggestions and asked the famous question about what I liked to do most, and I came to the obvious conclusion: engineering. And in this way, I identified judicial expertise in the engineering field as something that could truly be my path. Therefore, I decided to plan the paving of my future life. Based on this, I sought out one of the most prestigious specialization courses in Rio de Janeiro in "Engineering Appraisals and Judicial Expertise," and after four months of intense classes, I completed the course and was certain that this was indeed the path I would follow in the future.
So, life went on, and I returned to my tasks, and what I had predicted happened: the market shrank, and opportunities in oil and gas became scarce. The Brazilian catastrophe was beginning to show signs of awakening, with companies systematically laying off workers and then closing down. One of the natural consequences was a considerable increase in lawsuits related to the oil sector.
In 2016, I left my executive position and immersed myself in expert witness work and consulting in the Oil and Gas sector. What seemed like a catastrophe ended up becoming an excellent career option. At that moment, I was happy because I had done my homework in advance and thought I was going to ride a giant wave, and even better, be at the forefront.
How wrong I was! I had become an intern in the field and, as such, didn't have all the answers to my professional needs, because to be a court-appointed expert, in addition to being a good technician, requires knowledge of many laws and regulations specific to this field.
Even worse, I discovered at that time that the six-month specialization course I had taken only provided me with basic knowledge, but it wasn't enough to register with the Court of Justice, as it would be necessary to take another expert course at ESAJ (Superior School of Judicial Administration) to then be able to enter the official list of experts of the TJRJ (Court of Justice of Rio de Janeiro). As a good novice, I went back to learn and train in this specific course, with the presence of more than 200 students.
Upon entering the room, I was surprised by the quantity and diversity of professionals who had ages, qualifications, and objectives different from mine.
During this course, I began to draw some extremely important conclusions:
• Most of the professionals there were looking for a job, not a profession;
• Almost all of them had no idea that they would literally have to begin a journey full of new challenges;
• That at the first sign of any other job opportunity, the profession of expert would be immediately discarded without the slightest remorse;
• That, talking to colleagues, I identified that most did not have the profile to perform such a function;
• That a huge number of professionals were also seeking a second income, that is, literally a "side job";
It is no use seeking a new professional area on fragile and unrealistic foundations such as those mentioned above. Change is extremely healthy if it is genuine and based on conviction, coming from within and knowing that the path is long and difficult. And it will certainly be much more difficult if you are not deeply involved in its essence.
A professional who truly desires to work in the field of judicial expertise out of conviction and not momentary opportunism needs to possess several attributes and convictions:
• Initially, have good technical, theoretical, and practical knowledge of their area of ??expertise;
• Have a history of impeccable ethical conduct;
• Have the aptitude to prepare reports and opinions;
• Have the necessary humility to, despite being an experienced professional, know that they are beginning a new journey and will be treated as a novice;
• Have, in their personal essence, the ability to speak less and listen more;
• Know how to position themselves before the parties involved;
• Be a professional of the magistrate's unrestricted trust;
• Know how to listen, which does not mean remaining silent;
• Have the ability to investigate all the facts involved in the expertise;
• Possess the knowledge necessary to conduct the research required to complete your reports;
• Possess the ability to gather facts and record them impartially, clearly, and concisely;
• Understand that everything starts from the bottom up, not the other way around;
• Always keep in mind that when conducting expert work, you are acting as a trusted assistant to the magistrate and should behave accordingly; and
• Be persevering, persevering, persevering, persevering, persevering, persevering, persevering, persevering, persevering, persevering, persevering, persevering, persevering, persevering, persevering, persevering, persevering, persevering.
The path is long and very difficult, but extremely pleasant and enjoyable. Thus, when you seek professional satisfaction by truly believing in what you are doing, you will persevere and wake up every day with satisfaction written all over your face. That's how I feel now!
Well, I hope I've contributed in some way to showing professionals in all sectors that, despite age, there's always a better future waiting for you. A big hug and until our next chat.
Mauricio Almeida