It took everything for me to not run away mid-interview. Another firm was trying to project the feel of “old-line prominence.” But it did so with faux wood paneling and cheap reproductions of classic paintings. I sensed that ethics and people would take a back seat to money. The interview was all about billing rates, billable hours and how the pie was divvied up. One firm I interviewed worshipped the bottom line. When you are unemployed, have student loan debt and are trying to “adult,” it seems counterintuitive to reject job opportunities. Every law firm and workplace has a value system. You interview potential employers as much as they interview you. The delay better prepared me and gave me a more solid foundation on which to base my practice area. Looking back, the additional two years made a big difference in my skill level and depth of experience. The person previously chosen for the job had left. I let go, kept casually exploring, and concentrated on enjoying life as best I could. I got close to making a change three years in, but someone else was chosen for the job. I started exploring different positions and options. I was not sure what I wanted to do, but I sure as heck knew I did not want to continue doing what I was doing. My reality was far different than what my goal had been in law school.
Here are a few things I learned that might help you on your path: It can take up to five years to find your place don’t give up!ĭuring my first five years, I felt unsettled and uncomfortable. I was tempted to run away from it.Īnd then I found “my place.” Instantly, I saw how those first five challenging years exquisitely prepared me for “my” practice area, one that has sustained me intellectually, emotionally and financially ever since. I thought maybe the law and I were not a good fit. The learning curve was steep, and I questioned whether I would ever be a good lawyer. I was in a practice area I was not comfortable with. In the first five years of practice, I made less money as an associate than I did as a paralegal. If you are like me, you found a different reality awaiting you. We expect that, at some level, financial security, meaningful work and the fulfillment of postponed plans await us after the gauntlet of law school. We stumble out of the bar exam exhausted and relieved, feeling both excited and slightly uneasy about our future.
0 kommentar(er)
