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Coach
If you care enough to ask on this forum, you are doing okay. No one honestly expects anything of a first year, particularly during this climate. I’d say what you are feeling sounds 100% normal.
This has been abnormally tough for first years. Unless you are working a menial job you will have a lot of growing pains.
Following this cause I’m in the same boat.
Another group or another firm. May not be the right fit. It's tough times also. May just have to ride it out.
I think it’s not uncommon to feel this way. Would you want to do something else bc you don’t like the work or bc you feel like you aren’t comparing? If it’s just the latter I’d say keep at it and talk to seniors on how to improve. People appreciate working with positive ppl who are trying to learn and improve
This is normal tbh. I felt this definitely as a first year associate working at a small firm. When I transferred to a B4 firm after my first year as an experienced associate, I was still considered “on par” and got promoted to senior. You’re not expected to know anything as a first year associate - so I wouldn’t dwell on it too much & consider a career change already. That is unless you absolutely despise PA & you think it’s effecting your health / mental state.
I felt like this my first year or so. It takes a while to figure things out. This year is incredibly hard one to start. Talk to some seniors and managers in your group and don’t compare yourself to others at your level. They are each on their own path with their own experiences.
Yea, just control what you can control. Try not to repeat the same mistakes. Try to SALY as best as you can. If you’re spending a lot of time and also getting a lot of review comments, try “raising your hand” earlier with each project. It will get easier. It just depends on if you’re willing to see it out.