Office Chaos Stories - indulge me

Happy Monday! Recently found a great podcast on Customer Success and wanted to share: Gain Grown Retain. I found it on Spotify and sure it's available elsewhere.

Favorite/most frequently used billable entry with the least likelihood of being cut? Let’s help each other out during the lag. :)

Interviewing with KMK consulting for Manager role. Can you help me with average TC and sign on bonus that I can expect so that I can negotiate accordingly?

LF: Advice

I’m a Consultant with 1.5 YOE. Looking to pivot into Customer Strategy/Customer Insights, or product management either at another consulting firm or in industry.

Wanted to learn more about Tableau certifications. Are they worth it? Which one is the most valuable? TYIA!

We just opened our UK graduate programme recruitment cycle. DM to discuss a referral to a specific programme 🚀

Curious about non-US attorneys: are you working the crazy hour weeks most of us in the US do? Or are your weeks closer to 40 hours? I hear a lot about the working hour caps, vacation requirements, etc in Europe/Canada. Curious if that flows into legal practice... or if it gets ignored. To clarify—I’m talking about BigLaw. I’m sure there are smaller firms with reasonable hours, the same exists in the US.

EXTREME creative block the past week or so. We are coming up with launch ideas and I can’t seem to think of anything new. How can I get out of this rut and make my brain work again? Thanks ❤️

Hi Fishes!

Which is a better option b/w Deloitte USI vs EY GDS as Audit senior?
In terms of pay, other benefits and work culture.

What’s the LEK culture like at the London office? Saw a thread in the main consulting bowl (mostly US) and it got annihilated.

Has anyone sold at a big-law firm? Any tips/tricks?

Has anyone ever wrecked a rental car? What happened?

Any recommendations for good resorts near Pune (within 50 kms) for weekend getaway

Tips for sneaking out to job interviews while you still work full time?

Hi I got to kmow about a visa where we can sponsor ourselves, Is there anyone who has done the same and has relocated? Or is anyone working with those startups who can hire and then the same can apply for sponsorship?

Can I use the mic on my phone for filming a project, or will it make a big difference to buy an external one?

Anybody get more active in the market after GameStop? Personally I did as I’ve been using robo, etfs, and index funds but until last week I never actually picked stocks. Now, I’m finally trading and into crypto with still a longer term focus.

How do growth equity funds typically source deals?

“Do you think art directors look at images online for inspiration?”

I’d like to get modest appreciation gifts for some of the junior associates I work with (think bottle of wine, maybe chocolate), but some are in other offices. Any recommendations on how to do this, or should I just send them a gift card?

Has anyone worked with Matthew Syrkin at O’Melveny? Thoughts?

With the lateral market booming, what are the odds of a second year lit associate being able to lateral into a corporate practice somewhere? The only thing I like about lit is discovery and reviewing documents and transactional work seems more my speed.

Is it normal to struggle with the transition to starting your first legal job? I did all the things - graduated law school, passed the bar, started at the big law firm that gave me my SA offer 2 years ago… Now, I’m feeling miserable. It’s only been 2 weeks and I’m not particularly enjoying work. I was totally burnt out on law school at the end and it was a struggle to finish. I figured I was just “over” the law school grind. Now I wonder if I’m actually “over” the law. (Cont’d below)

A client had something sitting on their desk for 2 weeks and emails us urgently asking for it to be done today. Told the partner I have 4 closings and he told me to “find the time”. Do partners and clients just get off from this sort of thing?

From a scale of 1 (mild cold) to 10 (heart attack), how ill do you need to be to 1) feel comfortable taking sick days, and 2) find it ok for a team member to take sick days?

Do you reply to client emails saying thank you? If so, what do you say?

“You’re welcome” sounds too formal.

“No problem” sounds too informal.

“Anytime” sounds like an invitation to get requests all weekend and all night.

“My pleasure” is clearly a lie when it comes to most legal work.

BigLaw, what’s your billable through end or September? Me? 1,643

How do you know if partners like you? How do you know if you have adequate mentors in your office?

Is it poor form to venmo my assistant her holiday bonus?

Any midlevel or seniors who missed bonus target at a V10? What did the firm do?

If a firm thinks you’re the right candidate to make an offer to, do they usually continue interviewing anyway? Confused because I had a great interview and think I’m a great fit but the firm is continuing to interview and will make decisions in the next couple weeks. Is that not a good sign?

Big law associates, how long did it take you to pay off your student loans on a big law salary? If comfortable sharing, how much student debt did you have when you started in big law? Did you focus on paying off the loans first, or did you contribute to your 401(k) at the same time?

Looking to switch from a boutique firm into big law and make a move into corporate from litigation. Anyone have experiences doing this? Also, does anyone know which firms are more willing to hire laterals from outside of big law and which ones won’t?

I realized recently that I can turn my “super associate” persona at any time. I had it off during covid when my kids needed me and got a bad review. So now it’s back on. I’m responding to midnight emails (and daytime ones in under 20 minutes) and getting work done the same morning. I’m spending countless hours doing edits over edits. I actually don’t like super associate. Why do people live like this 24/7?!? 🤔

Those who lateraled in q3/q4 of 2021 - how are you handling bonuses for your secretaries?

Hi everyone! Junior associate in big law here. My wife got a job in Chicago and we are looking to move there by January. I am not licensed in Illinois yet but will be taking the bar in February. My firm is allowing me to lateral to our Chicago office but mentioned that “I needed to be bared before we can do that.” Anyone here know if I can still practice starting in January until I get my results back? I am barred in Indiana and do M&A work. Thanks!

Thoughts on Snell & Wilmer

I am really mad at my firm. Do I complete the Vault survey today or wait until I have cooled off? Today, right?

Working Canadian big law. Really burnt out and not enjoying work. Very understaffed and work product is suffering. Partners not hiring new associates, classic toxic work/availability expectations etc etc. have an opportunity to work with a boutique firm, make same amount making now but plus % of billables. Smaller deals and less sophisticated but opportunity to help grow the firm and be more entrepreneurial. Weekends generally protected and lower yearly target. What would you do?