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I was in the final stages of an interview with Microsoft two weeks ago, in partner marketing. Then the recruiter told me they were putting the hiring process on hold to assess the need for the role. Well, then we heard about Microsoft layoffs last week. Seems like most were in Xbox and Project Alpha but there’s not a lot of information out there. Should I hold out any hope that I’m going to get this job? Any insights on how much these layoffs have impacted the marketing org and/or new hiring?
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Your new firm is going to be amazingly happy to have you. Their expectations of you are in a range that is likely +-25% of where you actually are, so you’re going to do fine.
You will do fine and need to dampen down the imposter syndrome.
I don’t know what “going into cyber” means (privacy, Cybersecurity, tech transactions?) but the same rules should apply:
1. Care about being right
2. Be willing to learn from people junior to you who have been in this practice longer
3. Don’t feel an obligation to prove on Day 1 that you are a great hire. Keep a little in the tank to whip out in 3-6 months after I’ve gotten comfortable that the fit works
4. Find a happy medium between exercising judgment about an answer and that being viewed as taking away the senior folks ability to apply their judgement. “I think that X because of Y. Would you approach it differently?” After a bunch of times when the answer is “no I wouldn’t” the senior folks are going to be comfortable with you running with stuff.
5. Care. Since I’ve said it twice, that means “think about answers to the questions asked AND the questions that should have been asked. Despite the fact that proofreading early drafts is for squares, proofread every draft. There is nothing harder than breaking a reputation for being sloppy. Figure out what your clients do and why what you do for them matters.
6. Be a team player. If you’re able, offer to be the second set of eyes on things produced by others. Folks who have been around for a while will have an opinion about you. Those opinions will get to people more senior than you and will matter.
Pro
You’ll be fine, but I lateraled as a 4th year and I feel like an idiot
AA1: Just want to echo this.
Please do not fake. This will be found out and people will be very annoyed. Don‘t oversell yourself and be helpful. AA1‘s image of a blank slate is entirely correct.
Use the first weeks to get to know the systems and their way of work while you are not completely staffed, accept all work and try to figure out a lot on your own. Have just had a fifth year lateral to us and she is so helpful and considerate it is amazing.
Have also had the opposite experience.
You will be just fine! Congrats.
Congrats! You will be fine, seriously. I had the same interview process, and lateraled at the end of my 5th year. In some ways, I felt way out of my depth in the specialized lit practice at my new firm, but I actually got a lot more substantive lit experience generally in my first 5 years than most associates, so it was just a matter of applying that and also trying to absorb and learn as much as I could in the first year after lateraling.
Your new firm isn’t just investing in what they think you know—they’re investing in how much more you can learn and then teach juniors. Just work hard, do everything you can to learn as much as you can, and you will be fine. Cheers
Thank you! Coming in from a non-partnership track attorney role to an on-track associate role and very much want to do a good job. I don’t know what the learning curve will be like but hopefully it won’t be something I can’t handle.