It’s exhausting trying to sound enthusiastic in interviews when you’re just burnt out on billing hours. I know I can still be great at what I do, but pretending I’m excited about firm culture feels fake.

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Had that happen at an interview last week. Headed towards a 210 hour month but had a 1 pm virtual interview mid-week and I know my answers just lacked that “umph” that I usually bring. Needless to say, I got a glowing rejection text from my recruiter the next day.

likefunny

I do not dream of labor ...

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This job is exhausting, but if you can’t turn it on for an hour, I wouldn’t trust you to work on my matters or interface with my clients. Not saying this job doesn’t suck, but a big part of it is putting on the face and acting accordingly.

funnylikesmart

I feel this hard.

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Fake it til you make it. You aren’t alone. The profession is exhausting, as many other high paying and labor-heavy professions are. It’s work. They pay you to be available. You don’t have to enjoy it but just smile and carry on

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This can be really tricky. I recommend focusing on other aspects that can sound more authentic than being excited about firm culture. For example, is there a particular client base that this firm offers that the other firm doesn't (e.g., more emerging companies, more entertainment clients), is there a particular type of transaction that you'd get exposure to (e.g., more JV work). Alternatively, if you're going to stick with firm culture, the way to make it sound more authentic is to have a name drop to back it up. For example, I recently spoke with Will X, and he shared this particular story (insert story) that highlights how entrepreneurial the firm environment is, and that's something I'm really looking for. You can reach out to those at the firm pre-interview to gather that backstory to harness in your interviews. If you want help with legal interview prep, email me at Lauren@PearlmanCareerCounseling.com.

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Well then be enthusiastic about a guaranteed full year bonus without any hours req for the three months you will work after being hired. Hurray!

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