I’m new at a mid-size firm and am feeling unqualified. I switched from public interest to civil defense lit and just feel completely in over my head. I know it’s a steep learning curve but I feel useless to the rest of the team bc they’re all incredibly smart and I don’t have all of the accolades many of them have. I know I’m being hard on myself but I’m trying my best to just produce good work-product for now.

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You got this! Going anywhere new NEW takes at least year to get a handle on things (law, cases, management styles, office politics, who does what, etc.), so cut yourself some slack! Write down daily affirmations, mediate, or do whatever helps you relieve anxiety during the work day.

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Producing good work is exactly all you should be worried about right now! You got hired because they believe in your potential to be an asset to the firm. Keep learning and keep growing -- confidence will come in time.

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Everything that others said! Also talk to yourself in third person. Pretend that your friend was going through what you are, what and how would tell them about the situation?

Law firms are a business, they wouldn’t hire if they didn’t see your potential as the previous comment said. Stick to the facts - you CAN do this!

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@OP They hired you for who they see you will become. That means that they know your exact current skill level and you were the best candidate. They know that you need to learn the law and adjust to the big change in your practice. They expect you not to know everything so they are also expecting you to have a lot of questions and maybe need some guidance or assistance.

And if they don’t…it’s completely their fault for not being diligent enough during their hiring process and you don’t want to work there anyway. Good luck and remember that you are human and it is okay to make mistakes and learning is part of the process and most importantly, practice, practice, practice! Keep practicing.

And check out the book Mindset by Carol Dweck if you haven’t.

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Thank you all so much for the encouragement. It’s been hard but you all have definitely given me a little confidence boost.

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