If you always have to ask for new work, does that mean youre a crappy, unpopular associate or is it an expectation that associates have to hustle for billable hours? Trying to read the signs

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Depends on your group and year. I am senior now and prob have not asked for work in about 5 years.

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Uhhh I think my title is in my name here and as mentioned I’m senior. 7th year.

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Instead of asking us a ton of questions, why don’t you just tell us what year you are, how long you’ve been at your current firm, whether your group is busy, etc.

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OP, given your responses and attitude in this question, I would say the problem is 100% you. I can’t imagine you’re pleasant to work with.

smartfunny

I think for junior, you need to ask a lot of times from different people. Once you become a part of a regular team for a few clients, then you don’t need to ask that much anymore unless the client is done.

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Depends. I have to ask during certain times of year. Usually I’m full without asking.

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My group is traditionally slow over the summer because we just don’t have lots of work coming in. I’m in a specialist group and our work ebbs and flows a bit more than others.

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Essentially what others said. At some point, that should no longer be the case. If you do a really good job on an assignment for someone, they usually look forward to working with you again (assuming they are keeping busy themselves).

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I can’t give you a clean answer. Depends on how busy your group is, how many other associates have capacity, etc.

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Do other associates at your level in your group have the same problem? If not, then yeah, it’s you. If they also have trouble, then sounds like the group is just slow.

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Not at all. Might mean your group is slow or if you’re v junior it’s just natural. Almost always it’s just that people are not thinking of you, rather than them having any affirmatively negative opinion of you. So when you follow up and remind them you exist, they may be happy to send you work. Also, it’s good to be very proactive about your workload. If I never asked for work, I get enough offers that I’d stay busy (unless there’s just v little work, which has been the case recently in my field), but I have favored partners/clients I like working for, so if I’m wrapping up a big project, I’ll reach out to my faves so that I can be on their radar and get work with them. Otherwise you wind up getting asked by less favored folks and it’s hard to say no unless you’re actually too busy.

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I am a first year privacy and tech commerce associate. I have not asked for work since August. I am so busy I often have to set expectations with over a week of lead time on new assignments that come in. I also have started getting non-privacy partners in other offices reaching out to me directly for work, then I have to go find a senior associate who can supervise me before I can say yes.

I’m a stub year & work keeps finding me. I haven’t asked for work since my first week. I’ve billed over 80 hours for december.

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If you take vacation, is the onus on you to make up that billable time? If so, how do you enjoy long vacations?

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Getting over heartbreak and having a full time job is torture lol. My boyfriend and I just broke up after almost a year of being together. It was such a beautiful relationship but ultimately he just didn’t love me. I love him so much. My mind knows that I deserve reciprocal love and I’m worthy, but I feel physically ill. My body hurts, my stomach is in knots, my head hurts. How is it that I have to mend a broken heart but also meet my billable hours lmao

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How many billable hours in a month does it take for you to think you are billing a lot?

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Billables are low this month. Like I have 65 billable hours in so far. I’ve messaged partners over the last week to try and get more cases but there are tons of new associates who were just onboarded and were at a low point for business. I’m freaking out

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Anyone else absolutely *loathe* being assigned new client matters at the end of the month when you know your billable time won’t count bc conflicts haven’t cleared yet? Just me?

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Is there an appropriate way to turn down an assignment because it is non-billable? Two of the partners I work for keep asking me to write client bulletins and articles with them, which is great, but now I’m starting to worry about meeting my billable hours requirement.

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Did the billable hours bonus not get paid out today? Or is it to be paid in the next check?

I heard so much about minimum billable hours here by staff. I never saw that email. Is it inly for certain groups?

To the post below- it is quiet, so I’ll bite!
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So I was a 5th year associate in nyc making 100 k a year 2k billable hours.. I decided to leave for the role Im in now.. my old countered to keep me at 115k (which was like pulling teeth for them) but I left anyways now I find out that they offered a 7th year 150 k and a partner title should I be offended that they didn’t even try more with me

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I’ve been a freelance print production designer for many years, and usually on-site in the before times. Now I work remote, and am finding it uneasy dealing with billing. Before I always billed hourly, which made sense, but it’s becoming an issue now. Some companies don’t have a full days’ work, so it seems wrong to bill full days, and it allows me to juggle projects for different companies, but my billable hours are down. I know I should bill a daily rate, but not sure that will fly. Thoughts?

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It’s been a hot minute. Thai Basil Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin Sauce (Keto). My pre-covid work clothes are now loose on me. I’ll have to buy a new work wardrobe wherever that may be. I quit my job and am back in school. Goodbye tax, goodbye busy seasons, goodbye billable hours.. 😁

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