If I quit big law without anything lined up, Would In house positions be less likely to hire me bc I took a 3-6 month break in between jobs? Would really appreciate an honest answer. I just need to take care of some health issues, but not sure how to navigate.

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Ask if you could take an unpaid sabbatical if it gets to that point. Could you not go on FMLA leave? It is much easier to find a job if you already have a job.

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Exactly what I did. I’ve had plenty of in house interviews. I took 9 months off. People understand, and if they don’t - not worth working with them.

likesmart

Agreed. Take a leave of absence and get your health in order and apply while on leave. Don’t just quit

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How many YOE? I’m sure everyone’s experience is different but I’ve been actively applying for in-house roles for almost a year without any offers. I got to final round interviews twice.

Can you take a LOA? While on LOA apply for jobs?

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It’s been tough! Itching to get out of a law firm.

I’d be more likely to hire you, but I probably attach more value to lawyers’ ability to maintain a good balance than most hiring managers. (Also not hiring atm, sadly)

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Same here, and I do think there are more lawyers like us than some believe. Maybe not at FAANG, but we’re here. Take care of yourself, OP. You’ve only got this one life.

smart

I think it depends on the position that you're looking at. You're probably less likely to be hired for very competitive positions like FAANG or financial services companies, but I know a few people who have done exactly that during the 2021-2022 hiring bonanza and landed on their feet just fine.

That being said, if you're in litigation, in-house positions are very difficult to get, and you may very well torpedo yourself if you take that much time off.

The good news if, if you have a genuine health issue, FMLA essentially requires your firm to give you the time off that you need if a doctor prescribes the time off, and if you're in biglaw, most firms have very generous short-term disability leaves.

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It wouldn’t bother me … AND singling out candidates with gaps could disparately impact upon marginalized communities, so we don’t do it.

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You could do some interim work to stay sharp and keep something on the resume? Like Ontra (formerly InCloudCounsel)…

Is Ontra worth it?

Yes they would be less likely. Sad but true, easiest to get a job while you have one holds true for in house too.

Sorry, not to jump on this post, OP, but for those that answered:

What if you took time to travel / see family (in other countries), rather than taking time off for a health issue - more or less likely to be able to go in house after that ~8 months off? Senior associate at a v5 firm for background.

I did exactly this. No one even noticed the gap, to be honest. I ended up with a handful of interviews in tech or tech adjacent companies after applying for about ~4 months.

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