Major Job Decision - HELP!!!

[bmccasland]

CA,
Your sanity and ethics have to count for something. Do you REALLY want to work even longer hours? Are these longer hours because of a particular project or is this going to become the new normal? 2100 hours per what? I don't quite get what the hours relate to.

But if it was me, I'd go for the quality of life choice and switch firms.

[Blueberry]

We've merged with a large firm, so between 2000 and 2100 hours would be the "new" norm. For those who aren't in law, attorneys in private firms are generally required to "bill" a certain number of hours per year. That's time that is directly billed through to the client. We get "billable" credit for certain other things (e.g. client development), but it's a small amount (50 hours per year). So, if you're billing 2100 hours, you're actually working 10-20% over that number (2520 hours), and by the time you take out holidays, continuing legal education, a couple of sick days, etc - you're working 60 hours or more every week.

Had I known all of this, I'm not sure I would have gone to law school

[KnottedYet]

I just jumped ship and am going for a new job. My old job paid less, had me working insanely hard, and wasn't using me to my fullest abilities.

If your gut (not your head, nor your heart, go for the gut) wants to do the switch to VI, I'd do it.

If it doesn't work out you can always search out another job later. (at least, that's what I keep telling myself)

Besides, biking time is CRUCIAL!!!

[Pax]

I chased the money for almost 20 years (in social services so relatively speaking), I accepted more and more responsibility, worked more and more hours (on-call 24/7 the last seven years of it)...then one day I realized they had "bought" me. I had a crappy quality of life, my beloved and I were on very thin ice, I never slept, and I was miserable. We looked at our budget to see what we could do and realized we could get by on a lot less.

Long story short, I bailed and couldn't be happier. Life is too damn short to spend 80+ hours a week at work.

[Thistle]

I chased the money ...then one day I realized they had "bought" me. I had a crappy quality of life, my beloved and I were on very thin ice, I never slept, and I was miserable.

Long story short, I bailed and couldn't be happier. Life is too damn short to spend 80+ hours a week at work.

me too. i've never regretted it for a moment, despite the fact that finances are much tighter.

i dont think you would be crazy at all.