My job situation

hoffse · December 2013

Well I think I can finally give some updates...

The good news:

I got an official offer yesterday from a new firm. It amounts to a 22% raise, better benefits like profit-sharing, a better health insurance plan option for my lifestyle (high-deductible/HSA which I love because HSA funds can be invested and withdrawn tax-free in retirement), a pension, etc. There's also talk from this new firm about paying for me to get an LLM in taxation (an advanced tax degree). I've wanted one but couldn't stomach the cost. They are willing to pay for a place like NYU, which has the best tax program in the country but is $$$$. That's still being negotiated, but it's looking pretty good. And I'll be working one block away from my H... in fact, there's a possibility our offices might face each other, so we could wave at each other every now and then! The best part is that most of my practice group is going, so I'll be working with the same people I work with now. That's the biggest thing for me, because I really enjoy the people I work with, and that's really hard to find in the legal world.

The bad news: There are so many of us going, that it looks like my current firm is going to have to close for business. While I logically know I'm not to blame for this, I still feel culpable. And I hate to watch my friends who don't have an offer scrambling to find jobs. Our Christmas party is this evening, and it's going to be morose. To say that there has been office drama over this is putting it mildly. It's been so emotional, and it's been very difficult to work the last couple of weeks.

Anyway I'm starting to get to the point where I'm excited about this move. It's an amazing opportunity for me, but it's also very bittersweet. My H keeps telling me that "it's just business." While I know he's right, it's still hard to be here and watch the ship go down - especially knowing that my life raft is going to be vastly better than what some of my friends end up with.

I'm still not sure when I will be starting - but it will almost certainly be within the next couple of months. I'm hoping by then to be 100% thrilled with this move. Right now I'm at about 70%.

Xstatic3333 · December 2013

Congratulations! It definitely sounds like a tough transition, and I feel for your colleagues who don't have offers yet, but for YOU this is great! Hope the next few months go as smoothly as possible!

brij2006 · December 2013

This is a great opportunity, and is going to better your career and financial future. So don't feel bad about getting this opportunity, and the other firm closing its doors. It obviously happened this way for a reason, and it likely means they didn't set themselves up to prosper on their own. So be happy that the ship didn't sink while you were still working there.

As far as your friends and their employment. Hopefully they can find better opportunities with this closure and move.

Congratulations on the new job!

smbenevides1989 · December 2013

Congratulations on the new job. The transition will always be the hardest, but at least you can think of the new potential in this new position.

Ducktale · December 2013

That's great! I get what your saying about the tone of the office. My company lost the contract that I work on, and we all would be without jobs a few months after that, so it was very very low morale around the office for the first month or so. It was difficult and sad. Since most, including myself, have actually found better positions so it worked out for my situation, but for awhile it was difficult. Congrats though, that sounds like a win all around for you .

orangehills · December 2013

Sounds like an amazing opportunity! That does stink about your coworkers without a position though

Hopefully they will find something soon! Companies open and close all the time. It's better that you found a better spot in another company since this one just couldn't compete.

hoffse · December 2013

Thanks everybody - I think I'll be super stoked by the time the move actually rolls around. I do think some things in this firm were probably mismanaged, and it resulted in my practice group carrying the other three. The partners who brought in the business in my practice group (which floated everybody else) didn't get extra compensation for all their extra work, and over time they got tired of it. I don't blame them - doing twice the work for the same compensation as others is crappy, and it's only sustainable for so long.

One nice thing about this legal community is that people tend to pull together - and I know that some of the other firms in town are evaluating their work load to see if they have the capacity to take on some of our lawyers who don't have positions. It's just going to be a couple of months until we know how this has shaken out for everybody, and until it's done it will be awkward and stressful. It's also sad - this firm has been in business for more than 80 years.

I will keep you all posted. With any luck, this will result in a positive change for just about everybody.

Belthil · December 2013

Congratulations on the job offer! It sounds like an amazing opportunity. It's always a little sad when something that's been around for so long ends and while its terrible that your current firm may close I'm sure something positive will come. Congrats again!

Wulfgar · December 2013

Congrats on the job move. It sounds great.

My job situation

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