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Hello RSM coworkers! I am thrilled to be moving to RSM into a Scheduler roll. I just found out yesterday and want to be as prepared as possible in the next steps.
So here are my questions.
How long does the background study take? I'm guessing admin staff have a study that is faster and less complicated than someone in Tax ect.
When training at home what did you need that wasn't supplied by RSM? My home office is well stocked but I want to be as prepared as possible.
Thanks in advance!
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I’m interested in the responses you get.
From what I’ve read in posts here and on Reddit, it really depends on the market and your connections. So, if you do step away, you should be okay with only having in-house and mid-law roles as options.
I just have notice because of the exact same reason! I got a lot of support from the firm which was nice and unexpected and I know at least of a couple people who did this and returned. If you’re not a partner yet you’d probably go back as counsel and then be up after the look back years are built up. Do it if you have the possibility, I feel so much better now that it’s done!
You’re most welcome! I was stressed and hadn’t even considered the option but feel so much better now. My kids are a bit younger so maybe consider the other response about being bored once they’re in school but I think it boils down to how available you want to be and being ok with potentially not being able to going back to your current job. Consider how your firm is in terms of family friendliness, if they are then it’s more likely they’d support the choice and welcome you back since it’s not like you’re joining another firm!
My kids are the same age. I took four months off this summer (I planned to take longer but got bored when the kids went back to school) and came back at 50%. It has been a really nice change of pace.
I literally quit with no plans for when or if I would return. They were crazy busy so when I called and asked to come back they were happy to take me in any capacity.
I took a step back to a couple different non-practice roles over about 4 years and was able to come back successfully. It’s much harder if you stop working altogether but can be done if you maintain your existing connections.
One at a firm, one not. Both were full time and at least somewhat demanding but with set hours.
Chief
I scaled way back to 800 hrs a year in midlaw for a few years, which worked awesome. It’s really hard to stop completely and come back.
Chief
I say ask for whatever you want. It’s not uncommon for firms to offer super PT folks like an hourly/contract atty gig. The difference between doing a little bit of law and becoming the default parent 24 hours a day is huge.
For me, being a very available and involved parent is amazing. Being the goalie who does everything around the house and for the kids all the time is heinous.
Staying in the mix gives you a lot more options IMO, both for how you structure your career and your family.
F
I took a 2 year break when my first son was born. I am in house now which is what I wanted anyway. So I would say it worked much better than I expected it would.
Ys
I know that you asked for 0 work commitments, but another suggestion is to ask your firm if there are any secondment opportunities. The fresh new gig with lighter hours may be a perfect fit, and then you can also see how you like in-house for a potentially longer term gig.
F
F
Check whether your firm offers sabbaticals. Some offer up to a year after a certain number of years of work. If that's available, that's the best route, really. It's also a way to test if you really want to be away full-time or not. There are ways to come back, and it all depends on your practice area and how busy your firm is, but there are different strategies for coming back with a no-work gap vs. after a sabbatical vs. returning full-time after scaling way down.
An alternative perspective: work first on your mindset and approach to work commitments. If you’re thinking about quitting anyway, there’s not much to lose and a lot to gain from setting and enforcing boundaries.
I’m currently really focused on trying to do this, with the goal of keeping my time spent working only during the day, during childcare hours but with some wiggle room for time off. I think this is doable at a 75-80% schedule (but if you can swing a lower target financially, do it!). I started setting and enforcing boundaries much more aggressively in the last 6 months or so, and it is making a very big difference in how I view the job and its sustainability. (My kids are almost 1 and 3.)
Some book recommendations: 168 Hours, Slow Productivity, Essentialism
I think that depends on the law firm as well. I work at a mid-big law firm, in finance group, and I have never had any comment about needing to be “all in” when putting up boundaries. I’ve been in discussions with the partners I work for on reducing hours and although it won’t be true part time, they have stressed the need for me to put up boundaries and make sure I get into the habit of that. Just food for thought OP.