Week One Recap
I woke up Saturday morning in sort of a panic, stressing about the new job. I think it's just new-job jitters. Sometimes when I think about it, I feel like I'm going to do really well there and catch on quickly, but at other times, I start freaking out and wondering what I've gotten myself into. I hate being the new girl and having so much to learn. A lot of things will transfer from my previous experience, but I still have to become familiar with the cases I'll be working on and with all of the new rules, software, general office procedures (there's a form for everything!), etc. It seems overwhelming right now.
This job is very fast-paced compared to my previous one. Larger firms are all about cramming as many billable hours as possible into each day, whereas at my previous firm, my bosses were laid-back and were more concerned with having time to spend with their families than they were about working themselves to death.
One of the partners I'm working for is very high-strung and hyper. She's not mean or rude at all (just the opposite, in fact), just very, um, energetic. She seems very nice and told me several times this week that I'm doing a great job so far, and she really seems to like me. She is a hoot, from what I've seen of her so far. She's a very tiny woman, and I like her a lot, but I've never worked for anyone so high-energy and rapid-fire before, so it's going to be interesting. She is in the middle of trying to get the disclosure (including a mammoth witness list -- 32 pages as of our last revision on Friday) out on a huge case right now. It's due to go out tomorrow, and I think we're in good shape, so hopefully I'll have more time to breathe after we've gotten that out of the way.
The other partner seems much more laid-back, and I think once I've gotten familiar with the work he does, I'll really enjoy it. He does strictly appellate work, which I find very interesting, but I've worked on only a handful of appellate cases in the past, so I have a lot to learn. I'm also going to have to do a lot of work for him which I do not think I'm going to enjoy at all. He's on a lot of different State Bar committees, gives a lot of speeches, teaches a class at UT, organizes a lot of dinners, etc., and I'll have to do all of the leg-work like making reservations for banquet halls, making nametags for attendees, making guest lists and confirming attendance, etc. I hate that shit. It bores me to no end, and as I'm a very shy person, I get very stressed out about having to call people to confirm reservations, etc. Ugh. Anyway, he seems like a genuinely nice person and someone who will be great to work for, so hopefully I'll get used to dealing with the not-fun stuff and it won't take up too much of my time.
The associate attorney seems like the most laid-back of the three, and I think she'll be really easy to work for. She's very sweet and seems quite self-sufficient, so I don't think I'll be doing much grunt work for her. The biggest case she's working on right now is incredibly complex (an entire room full of discovery documents, with three temps combing through them) but also very interesting. I've never gotten to work on such complex, huge, high-profile cases in the past, so I'm really excited about the opportunities I'll have at this firm.
I'm still adjusting to being back at a full-time job. I got used to being at home every day and not having to be on a strict schedule, and I'm already missing having time to just relax, hang out with my pets, etc. Of course, that also got very boring after awhile, so I'm glad to have a job to go to again! It's just going to take some getting used to. I have to get up at 5:30 every morning and I don't get home til around 6:30 in the evening. Then I have just two or three hours to ride my bike, take care of my pets, do laundry, wash dishes, watch t.v., read, go online, or just relax before I have to go to bed between 9:00 and 10:00. I feel like I don't have time for anything but work during the week, and that's pretty stressful. It's like I don't even have time to breathe.
So, there are some really good things about this new job, but there are also some serious drawbacks. Hopefully I'll get into a groove before too long and the benefits will outweigh the costs. At least I managed to find some great new outfits at the mall yesterday, so if nothing else, I'll look good this week. :)
This job is very fast-paced compared to my previous one. Larger firms are all about cramming as many billable hours as possible into each day, whereas at my previous firm, my bosses were laid-back and were more concerned with having time to spend with their families than they were about working themselves to death.
One of the partners I'm working for is very high-strung and hyper. She's not mean or rude at all (just the opposite, in fact), just very, um, energetic. She seems very nice and told me several times this week that I'm doing a great job so far, and she really seems to like me. She is a hoot, from what I've seen of her so far. She's a very tiny woman, and I like her a lot, but I've never worked for anyone so high-energy and rapid-fire before, so it's going to be interesting. She is in the middle of trying to get the disclosure (including a mammoth witness list -- 32 pages as of our last revision on Friday) out on a huge case right now. It's due to go out tomorrow, and I think we're in good shape, so hopefully I'll have more time to breathe after we've gotten that out of the way.
The other partner seems much more laid-back, and I think once I've gotten familiar with the work he does, I'll really enjoy it. He does strictly appellate work, which I find very interesting, but I've worked on only a handful of appellate cases in the past, so I have a lot to learn. I'm also going to have to do a lot of work for him which I do not think I'm going to enjoy at all. He's on a lot of different State Bar committees, gives a lot of speeches, teaches a class at UT, organizes a lot of dinners, etc., and I'll have to do all of the leg-work like making reservations for banquet halls, making nametags for attendees, making guest lists and confirming attendance, etc. I hate that shit. It bores me to no end, and as I'm a very shy person, I get very stressed out about having to call people to confirm reservations, etc. Ugh. Anyway, he seems like a genuinely nice person and someone who will be great to work for, so hopefully I'll get used to dealing with the not-fun stuff and it won't take up too much of my time.
The associate attorney seems like the most laid-back of the three, and I think she'll be really easy to work for. She's very sweet and seems quite self-sufficient, so I don't think I'll be doing much grunt work for her. The biggest case she's working on right now is incredibly complex (an entire room full of discovery documents, with three temps combing through them) but also very interesting. I've never gotten to work on such complex, huge, high-profile cases in the past, so I'm really excited about the opportunities I'll have at this firm.
I'm still adjusting to being back at a full-time job. I got used to being at home every day and not having to be on a strict schedule, and I'm already missing having time to just relax, hang out with my pets, etc. Of course, that also got very boring after awhile, so I'm glad to have a job to go to again! It's just going to take some getting used to. I have to get up at 5:30 every morning and I don't get home til around 6:30 in the evening. Then I have just two or three hours to ride my bike, take care of my pets, do laundry, wash dishes, watch t.v., read, go online, or just relax before I have to go to bed between 9:00 and 10:00. I feel like I don't have time for anything but work during the week, and that's pretty stressful. It's like I don't even have time to breathe.
So, there are some really good things about this new job, but there are also some serious drawbacks. Hopefully I'll get into a groove before too long and the benefits will outweigh the costs. At least I managed to find some great new outfits at the mall yesterday, so if nothing else, I'll look good this week. :)
posted by Catherine at 7:03 PM
3 Comments:
i feel what you feel about work ... i love to be challenged, hate doing certain jobs (i hear ya, re the nametags, banquet halls - i don't like that type of stuff either), love the busy-ness yet yearn for the solitude of my quiet life ...
once you establish a routine, it'll be all good ... and a new work environment brings new friends into your circle too ... hope there are some stellar folks there for you to meet!
sleep tight ...
Put yourself in your bosses shoes. They most likely don't care much about you being perfect. They are probably just hoping that you are adequate at this stage in the game.
LOL, Wino, that's a good point! And they already seem to be very impressed, so I should relax.
Saija, isn't it funny how when we're working, we wish we didn't have to, but when we're out of work for awhile, we wish we had a job? I guess this will only prove Wino's theory that women are impossible to please. :)
Have a good week, you guys!
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