A2 at a T1 firm in Mumbai. Need advice from any seniors in law firms on this forum.
See that we are anonymous, so could you now tell how do you find passion and drive to do the work we do or is it just something we all have decided to tell our juniors so they are on their toes? I realise what we do is necessary and it pays, but I just can’t generate the drive that my seniors demand me to get.
One reason for that is the work is banal, and it’s just documents - and that too not for a grand purpose, just ensuring largely that the rich stays rich. Second, the intense amounts of pressure. Even if someone was to be passionate about the job, how does it stay intact under this insane amounts of pressure and unforgiving work culture. Third, it takes up most of your time (and I see this to be the case at almost all levels) barring you to do anything else mostly.
I want to know the silver lining to this job. I wholeheartedly believe I am missing something because I don’t look up to my seniors as people, that is, I don’t want to be like them when I grow older, neither do I look up to their lifestyle that I want to live like this in the future. None of these people live a life that I want to willingly work towards achieving.
Money is great, sure but not with these many issues in physical health, family life and mental health. So, why do some of the smartest people I know continue?
I hear that I should struggle, persevere, show a superior work ethic and put my best efforts or that law is a jealous mistress - all of this is to what end except for money?
I understand that you’ll say the same but say If you were advising to your younger self - would you think I am making a wrong decision to go back to my tier 3 city hometown with my friends and family and take a slow pace job in a bank and enjoy life (or at least for some time to bear with burn out)?
After 25 years with law firms I have to agree with you fully. Do what makes you happy. Life is about a balance of all aspects. The unnecessary emphasis on money in the legal world is exactly that - unnecessary. Only perspective I will leave you with is that our minds are like sponges and we are most agile when we are young. That is the best time to learn new things and gain new experiences. After the age of 30 you mostly are repeating what you have spent time learning. So best to put in the effort learning something you are interested in at this stage. That will carry you for the rest of your life. My best!
- Most early stage people are figuring out / do not care. There is lack of respect, organisation, determined approach to learn and passion about the job (most are in it for early money, fame and exits).
- people who do care fall in following categories (capable
Unless you have pressing financial commitments, you should definitely leave. The importance of drive and interest only increase as you go up the ladder and you’ll have no place to hide in the middle/at the top. And by then, you might be unemployable elsewhere. So just leave and do something that interests you/doesn’t require your full interest in to be successful.
As another associate, who shifted from Tier 1 to a boutique firm and now enjoys his job (relatively more)
If you’re in a Tier 1, especially in a big team, you are a cog in the wheel, and your role becomes much more defined and it is hard to break out, but in a smaller set up, your involvement is more hands on, so seniors explain the work properly, and you get to learn and understand the matter lot more.
Also, a checklist for other things that count towards feeling happy at work:
BEING PART OF A TEAM
In your team, are there 2-3 people your age whom you can talk to casually during office hours?
In your team, is there a senior at SA/ PA level whom you consider your mentor and he/she takes time to give you feedback/ lookout for you/ you can approach for feedback ?
In your team, are there too many locals? If yes, they often may not care about being friends with folks from outside the city as they already have their social circle from school (do you ever hang out with them on weekends? Not in office for work, dummy)
Do your seniors encourage you to share your thoughts/ have open lines of communication about the work you do - or are you mostly restricted towards doing templatised work?
WORKLOAD
Is there constant flow of work such that your seniors seem very busy and are unable to take time out to explain things properly even when delegating work to you? Are they on verge of burnout?
Do you have visibility about your own work -as to on which days you have to send out deliverables/ visibility about internal calls, and you are not constantly anxious that out of the blue a senior may staff you without giving any prior intimation or asking about your current workload?
Do you get time off on weekends (maybe not every weekend) such that you think you are able to have a decent balance and do the things you love outside work?
Is this your first job, and that’s why you can’t compare your experience of working in another firm where things may be a lot better in terms of workload delegation and management?
These are slightly finer issues which your upper management won’t face/ realise since there are not at the receiving end of their own work culture. What your upper management wants you to have a sense of ‘ownership’ when they talk about drive. But sometimes the upper management creates such a work culture that it will drive the sense of ownership out of even the most motivated folks. So don’t worry too much about it.
I have assumed that since you’re in Tier 1, your team does not suffer from the usual toxic work culture issues - which are more easily identifiable- like shouting in office, not being professional, not paying salary, not granting leaves etc.
Takeaway - There are better teams out there in the market. You don’t have to shift to a boutique firm to have a better working environment. But you will have to do a lot more research so that your next firm is definitely better than your current one. And here’s the bummer - people in toxic teams and good teams sometimes use the same words to describe their team culture, so please take reviews from trusted sources.
See that we are anonymous, so could you now tell how do you find passion and drive to do the work we do or is it just something we all have decided to tell our juniors so they are on their toes? I realise what we do is necessary and it pays, but I just can’t generate the drive that my seniors demand me to get.
One reason for that is the work is banal, and it’s just documents - and that too not for a grand purpose, just ensuring largely that the rich stays rich. Second, the intense amounts of pressure. Even if someone was to be passionate about the job, how does it stay intact under this insane amounts of pressure and unforgiving work culture. Third, it takes up most of your time (and I see this to be the case at almost all levels) barring you to do anything else mostly.
I want to know the silver lining to this job. I wholeheartedly believe I am missing something because I don’t look up to my seniors as people, that is, I don’t want to be like them when I grow older, neither do I look up to their lifestyle that I want to live like this in the future. None of these people live a life that I want to willingly work towards achieving.
Money is great, sure but not with these many issues in physical health, family life and mental health. So, why do some of the smartest people I know continue?
I hear that I should struggle, persevere, show a superior work ethic and put my best efforts or that law is a jealous mistress - all of this is to what end except for money?
I understand that you’ll say the same but say If you were advising to your younger self - would you think I am making a wrong decision to go back to my tier 3 city hometown with my friends and family and take a slow pace job in a bank and enjoy life (or at least for some time to bear with burn out)?
Here are my thoughts - hard thoughts:
- Most early stage people are figuring out / do not care. There is lack of respect, organisation, determined approach to learn and passion about the job (most are in it for early money, fame and exits).
- people who do care fall in following categories (capable
If you’re in a Tier 1, especially in a big team, you are a cog in the wheel, and your role becomes much more defined and it is hard to break out, but in a smaller set up, your involvement is more hands on, so seniors explain the work properly, and you get to learn and understand the matter lot more.
Also, a checklist for other things that count towards feeling happy at work:
BEING PART OF A TEAM
In your team, are there 2-3 people your age whom you can talk to casually during office hours?
In your team, is there a senior at SA/ PA level whom you consider your mentor and he/she takes time to give you feedback/ lookout for you/ you can approach for feedback ?
In your team, are there too many locals? If yes, they often may not care about being friends with folks from outside the city as they already have their social circle from school (do you ever hang out with them on weekends? Not in office for work, dummy)
Do your seniors encourage you to share your thoughts/ have open lines of communication about the work you do - or are you mostly restricted towards doing templatised work?
WORKLOAD
Is there constant flow of work such that your seniors seem very busy and are unable to take time out to explain things properly even when delegating work to you? Are they on verge of burnout?
Do you have visibility about your own work -as to on which days you have to send out deliverables/ visibility about internal calls, and you are not constantly anxious that out of the blue a senior may staff you without giving any prior intimation or asking about your current workload?
Do you get time off on weekends (maybe not every weekend) such that you think you are able to have a decent balance and do the things you love outside work?
Is this your first job, and that’s why you can’t compare your experience of working in another firm where things may be a lot better in terms of workload delegation and management?
These are slightly finer issues which your upper management won’t face/ realise since there are not at the receiving end of their own work culture. What your upper management wants you to have a sense of ‘ownership’ when they talk about drive. But sometimes the upper management creates such a work culture that it will drive the sense of ownership out of even the most motivated folks. So don’t worry too much about it.
I have assumed that since you’re in Tier 1, your team does not suffer from the usual toxic work culture issues - which are more easily identifiable- like shouting in office, not being professional, not paying salary, not granting leaves etc.
Takeaway - There are better teams out there in the market. You don’t have to shift to a boutique firm to have a better working environment. But you will have to do a lot more research so that your next firm is definitely better than your current one. And here’s the bummer - people in toxic teams and good teams sometimes use the same words to describe their team culture, so please take reviews from trusted sources.
All the best!