Related Posts
Any LA agencies looking for Associate Producers?
I have offer from Nagarro for 32 LPA(1.6 variable) and another from Turing of 34 LPA (2.5 Variable) I don't want to Join Turing, but can I negotiate with Nagarro based on Turing offer to increase my package? Or is it too risky since I don't have any other offer. What are chances if negotiation fails they(Nagarro) resind the offer?
Pro
Conversation Starter
Hi
Anyone facing this issue?
Additional Posts in Law
Chief
New to Fishbowl?
Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
I think it depends on end goal but in my opinion, it is not a true meritocracy. Those with connections (and even someone more senior than you) will get more opportunities despite your work ethic / knowledge of a case/area of law. That doesn’t mean that a grinder goes unnoticed because firms still need those people, but you have to learn to the play the game and either balance work/politics or just become a rainmaker.
It IS a meritocracy, OP just has too narrow an understanding of what “merit” is in this industry. Being social and likable and building relationships with partners helps like it would in any job, but it is also good evidence that you are/will be able to do the same with clients. Networking and relationships with clients is not only a huge part of the job, but ultimately at the partner level, arguably the most important part.
I will preface this by saying that billing over 2,200 a year for multiple years in a row is obscene, and you should be rewarded for that with huge bonuses. I also do not golf and am not speaking towards your specific example. But I was told a long time ago that you do not just need to convince your teammates/partners that you can do legal work and bill 2,000+ hours, anyone can do that (not that they will, but they can). You need to convince them that you are the person they want to be stuck in a room working with for 10+ hours. In the end, attorneys are still people, and drones working non-stop does not equate to an office you want to come into everyday, that you can manage a team, or that you are able to talk directly with clients.
The grinder route works too. I came from nothing from a dysfunctional broken poor family with zero connections and worked my way up to equity partner. But I am not a rainmaker and do think who you know helps there. However I also know rainmakers who came from nothing.
A1, sure!
What you’re describing is just how life works. It’s a naive misconception or misunderstanding of the world that working hard and doing good work will get you to the top.
It seems unfair to people who lack the natural inclination to build connections that way but it’s very natural and should be expected. Being pro-social is a form of merit in itself; life isn’t just about hard work and grinding out hours - if it were, the low level workers of the world working 60+ hours per week at crappy jobs for minimum wage would be paid a lot more.
If you’re not someone who is skilled at networking and building relationships like this, that’s on you to build that skill. But I’d say it’s a form of meritocracy where those that are the most pro-social have the best outcomes.
Rising Star
Oh my gawd, do we really need to go over this question weekly here?
Rising Star
Well then, since you can't seem to see the bigger picture... many people like myself will eventually leave this app because the same questions are getting asked over and over again. Therefore, the app will eventually become obsolete as more and more people leave and less content is being produced. Its not that hard to figure out a search bar, they arent novel concepts, and all apps have them. Pretty self-explanatory. We, as attorneys, are literally trained in legal research to do this exact thing in our practice. If its that hard to figure out, how are they even attorneys?
The partner with the book of business means nothing unless the associates work that business. Realize the power of your labor and use it to your advantage. help others at your office realize the power of their labor too
It’s both things. If your connections generate significant business, yes. But no one is going to shower someone with very high compensation, for years on end, simply because of where they came from.
It is more merit-based than many fields, but yes, things like nepotism, favoritism, friendship, and biases all impact career progression. Keep that in mind.
F
I found the following story on Reddit:
This sounds like my former direct report. She NEVER worked. I have no clue what she did because I ended up doing her job and my own. If I hadn’t, it wouldn’t have been done. We were under extreme pressure and she was just concerned about taking walks around the building and chatting with coworkers. My director wouldn’t let me PIP her even though this was a pattern of bad performance. At the end of the day, I got laid off and she kept her job and H1B sponsorship. I had to cash in my retirement savings.
Re:
•
I can tell you what she was doing: visiting her line management above you, or other executives, with happy stories of all her contributions/sad stories of how hard she worked.
I had a boss whose first action every morning was to put his stuff down at his cubicle then walk the executive hall for an hour, greeting VPs casually. He hung around the coffee machine chatting up everyone.
He is now a C-level executive at a unicorn startup.
Learn to code…errrr…I mean golf
I have had my granddaughter playing golf since she was 8 because ofnthese circumstances. You have to get in to fit in. Learn golf.