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Is it advisable to shift before say 3 PQE? Will career growth be stunted if i shift in house (even to a good company) after just 1 PQE in a tier 1?
I'm someone who has done both. I won't say where I am now, but I can speak with some experience.
Shifting after 1 year PQE is effectively just resigning yourself to being an in-house lawyer. On average pay is subtantially lower than Tier 1 pay, and increments will be limited (not to mention no bonus).
To summarize:
Law firm pay is largely about survival. The longer your survive (and survive decently), the more you get paid. But ultimately, life and health takes a back seat.
In-house is largely about lifestyle management. If you are already reasonably well off, or otherwise don't want to "migrate up" in class or are content with your station in life, then a good in-house job gives your certainity, work life balance and an overall stablity. It is also the case that you are setting yourself up largely for a life of in-house jobs since law firms will rarely (if ever) hire someone who has been in-for most of their professional life. It will also be the case that the skillset needed to be a Tier 1 lawyer will be lost after a few years of being in-house.
So it's entirely up to you. If you get a good opportunity go for it. But expect compromises on lifestyle in terms of wealth (but benefits in lifestyle in terms of health).