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Bowl Leader
ZS Associates
I have a couple of questions for ZS fishes-
1. Is it possible to turn down a promotion at ZS? I'm currently happy with my responsibilities as a Decision Analytics Consultant and don't want any added responsibilities in the near future (next 5 years)
2. Is it possible to shape up a career path in the BC stream which doesn't involve business development? I don't want to get into working on SOWs and RFPs.
Hello Fishes,
I have recently attended an interview for QA automation in TCS. I have been asked to upload the documents for verification and would be proceeded to HR discussion round. Could anyone please help what should be the expected CTC.
Current CTC- 13.5 L (fixed)
YOE- 5 y
Role- QA Automation
Tata Consultancy
Additional Posts in Big Law
Name and shame the firms doing stealth lay-offs.
Subject Expert
Mentor
White collar folks - how busy are you guys now?
Coach
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Mentor
Buy stuff. Travel on the weekend. Drink $20 cocktails. It's how we survive in this profession
Right?!
Coach
Perhaps try a different practice group first? I’m in big law and I love it, but I also work with great people.
Same re hours! I love the people I work with and don’t mind my practice group but the hours are brutal, and now with wfh, there’s no sense of time or weekends anymore. Am honestly thinking of dipping out next year once (if) bonuses come out... maybe just changing career paths altogether. Not made for this profession and certainly not made for big law
Yes, but then I keep reconsidering because those other options pay way less, at least starting out. Teaching, PE, consulting, etc.
Following bc SAME.
I’m actually considering going on my own bc of how much I hate my job right now but also don’t want to leave this job bc having this experience on my resume will probably open doors. 💆🏻♀️💆🏻♀️
Yeahp. I’m trying to take it a few months at a time. My goal right now is to finish the year ( only two more quarters to go yay). Once I see if we get any EOY bonus/raise then I’ll figure out my next move. But I’ve made up my mind that this is not what I want to do for much longer.
If you think going in-house is an easier, I think you may be sadly mistaken. Whenever I’m on calls or turning drafts late at night or on the weekend, guess who I’m sending it to so they can review for their internal clients? You guessed it. Now, yes, me and my associates are doing the leg work, but I know that’s because my client is dealing with a thousand other things on the deal that I have no idea about.
If you hate the people, switch firms or groups. If you hate the hours, change professions. Caveat—billing a lot of hours with people you like is totally different than billing hours with people you hate. You can probably do the same hours in a good situation and love it, but do less hours in a bad situation and hate it. Don’t think it is law firms in general as it may be your law firm specifically.
Totally disagree. There is no way in house is worse than billing 2600 a year.
Subject Expert
OC, echoing several other posters you appear to have an unrealistic view of life in-house, especially now. Since 2008 and especially since COVID hit, many in-house legal departments have had their budgets slashed been told to reduce their outside legal spend as close to zero as possible. But the work hasn’t gone away. It’s just being done in house. Many of the hardest working lawyers I know are in house, and a lot of them lack the support resources that are common in firms. And they often make less than their contemporaries in private practice.
I have no doubt that what I just said isn’t universally true. Some in house jobs offer a better QOL than many firm jobs. But you’re sadly mistaken if you think that working in house is a ticket to a 9-6 schedule, free weekends, and daily foot rub.
I would suggest stepping back and working on your lifestyle. It is possible in any biglaw setting to exercise some control over your schedule and workload, and to manage your self care well - sleep, exercise, fresh air, etc. Start with that.
If the people you’re teamed with are aholes, cultivate work from other lawyers and groups. Does that take determination and some subtlety? Yes. Can it be done? For sure. And soak up everything you can from your job. Formal and informal training. Lessons about managing (good and bad techniques). Relationships with your colleagues, some of whom may hire you some day. I know COViD and WFH and biglaw are hard. Maybe you made a bad choice of firms. But pulling the plug in haste without thinking about the implications, or plunging into an in house world that you clearly don’t understand is not a long term solution, or even a good short term solution. Especially if you have significant debt you have to be both tactical and strategic to set yourself up to succeed over the long term. Good luck with that process.
I became great friends with some of the other associates so it made the environment a bit more bearable. I would've probably left the firm earlier had it not been for them. Makes me think if that was a good thing haha. Joking.
Choose your happiness.
You only get one chance at this life. Find a way to be happy through the advise above or leave. Once you realize money doesn’t make you happen then you’re liberated. I know lots of wealthy lawyers with serious health issues because of stress. Some love this stuff, others don’t. You don’t have to make yourself be one of those folks. It’s okay to hate BigLaw and find a better path.
Any advice on how to endure those years? What helped you bear it? How did you cope? Any hacks to help manage?
Main reason to stay is because the in house job market is totally dead
C1 and GC1 - any advice for making the move in-house as a junior? Do it/dont do it? Wait a little longer/dont wait?