Coffee Break: ‘Lasso Western’ Skinny Belt

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belts for dresses: Elise Lasso Belt I always try to keep an eye out for belts with dresses (a great look, as we learned by studying Selina's style in Veep!) because it can be really tough to find affordable belts that look good without a belt loop to tuck the end of the belt into. This $40 option from Nordstrom looks great, although it's only available in size “Medium/Large” right now in both cognac (pictured) and black. (I do believe there was a Small/Medium size previously; if you really love it try calling your local store to see if they have any in stock.)   ‘Lasso Western' Skinny Belt This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

Sales of note for 1/31/25:

  • Ann Taylor – Suiting Event – 30% off suiting + 30% off tops
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And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

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122 Comments

  1. A young family member is getting married and the couple didn’t register for much because they want cash. I’m fine with that and will happily oblige for the wedding, but does anyone have any ideas for a bridal shower gift? I would like to get her something a little more special than a tupperware pack for the shower, especially if I’m giving cash at the wedding. She’s not generally into girly things but she is very much into the wedding and personalized Mr./Mrs. type stuff it seems and her new last name if that helps. Budget is $50-$75 for this part of the gift.

    1. -Custom cutting board or cheese with their new last name from etsy
      -A gift card to have a cleaner come the week of the wedding so they return to a sparkling clean place after the honeymoon
      – A lands end tote bag with her new monogram on it
      – A gift card to either take her wedding bouquet and turn it into a christmas ornament or a necklace

        1. Not at all. I kept my own last name. I would not make that assumption. I am reading the above paragraph which says ” she is very much into the wedding and personalized Mr./Mrs. type stuff it seems and her new last name if that helps.”

      1. Or a cutting board in the shape of their state. Someone gave me one of those from Etsy and I loved it.

    2. Somebody got me a sign that says “Senior Attorney and Lovely Husband, est. 9/10/16” and we hung it up in our kitchen and really enjoy it. They have a ton of options on etsy.

    3. I love taking the couples wedding invitation and having it matted and framed.

      1. I would consider not doing this, as some brides say that they receive about five of them, and others have no desire to display their wedding invitation.

        1. Better this (where they could reuse the frame) than a personalized cutting board – we received two personalized cutting boards that we did not register for after we already received two we *did* register for and liked (and therefore had already used).

      2. We had someone that gave us a glass vase etched with our invitation. I love it. I normally hate personalized things but it was so subtle. And practical.

    4. If they are religious, decorations for their relevant holiday (e.g., I got a beautiful set of Christmas ornaments).

      1. Even if they’re not “religious” per se but celebrate Christmas and really enjoy that holiday, tree ornaments sound like a really nice idea, especially if they’re young and haven’t been living together very long.

    5. You can get pyrex pans with your last name etched in them if they seem like the pot-luck types.

    6. A cutting board/cheeseboard monogrammed or shaped like the state they live in? Fancy champagne flutes? A mattted and framed print of something personal.

      1. Please please no fancy champagne flutes. Can this stop being a gift? Every bride I know received these and zero use them. If they’re monogrammed or whatever, you can’t even donate or regift them easily.

      1. I can tell you’re trying to be snarky, but I can’t even figure out what this comment means… like, it’s tacky to give money as a wedding gift? Or to be excited about Mr/Mrs stuff? and what on earth does that have to do with condoms? Do you go to weddings where they give out free condoms?

  2. Maybe this is better for the mom’s site but thought others could help here. I am 20 weeks pregnant and my b**bs just keep growing and I can’t seem to find a bra that is working. I need a variety of bras.

    I exercise 6 times a week so I need a good sports bra that works for yoga/PT/gym. I am finding the ones that I have to pull over my boobs really painful to get on and off so I would prefer a back latch.

    I need bras for work. All the nursing bras seem to not hold everything in place like I want it to. I also hate how the more casual fabric of the nursing bras causes my shirts to fall on my chest. I don’t want to see every seam and wrinkle from these bras.

    I need comfy bras to sleep in. Because they ache and they need some support.

    Any suggestions?

    1. Moving Comfort/Brooks has good sports bras that fasten in the back. You don’t need probably won’t nursing bras until you are actually nursing. I used regular bras with one of those band extenders to give me the extra inch or two for my expanding ribcage and bought some mid-priced bras. There are sleep bras, but a bralette, tank with a built in band, or cheap sports bra might be an option for sleeping.

    2. In addition to other advice you get here, please check out redd1t’s A Bra That Fits sub. Post what you posted here. Those ladies know what they’re talking about and will have you fixed up in no time.

    3. Try the C9 by Champion front-zip sports bras for high-impact activities from Target. They are supportive and comfortable. I hate sports bras that go over my head or clasp in back, and these are the best solution I’ve found. They are amazing!

    4. I like the sleep bra without padding from bravissimo. I wear the same cup and back size in the sleep bra, but you could size up. If you aren’t sure what size to order, I would phone them…their customer service is excellent, and they have helped me gage fit over the phone, from clothing to bras.

    5. If they do not have a store in your area, call Title Nine and have the wonderful phone operators help you. The customer service there is excellent.

    6. This is the time for a bricks and mortar store. Go to a maternity store — they have seen it and dealt with it before.

    1. You can try the bike at showrooms. Also a number of hotels have them — westins mostly. If you have another bike and just want to try the classes you could buy the app for a month, its not very much, under $20 I think.

      I have a peloton bike and it is the object I own that brings me the most joy. I recommend it enthusiastically.

  3. I’ve seen a lot of y’all and others saying you have to believe the victim in assault cases, which I get. I really do. But I’m really trying to figure out what that looks like. How far are we going to take it? Can someone be convicted just based on believing the victim without any corroborating evidence? Can someone be denied a job, like here?

    I mean, I get that there are reasons she doesn’t have corroborating evidence – women didn’t feel justified saying anything back then or even now, she didn’t want her life turned upside down, etc. – but the fact is that there isn’t anything to corroborate, even if there are good reasons there isn’t.

    So I just want to hear the response to that. Do y’all think that he shouldn’t get this job just based on uncorroborated accusations? Would you feel that way if it were a nominee of your party? What is the burden of proof here? Could he be held criminally liable based on just those same allegations? Civilly? Where does this hearing fit in on the BOP spectrum?

    1. Obviously he cannot be held criminally liable. No one has suggested that. This is a distracting straw man.

      1. And you saying my argument is a strawman is actually a strawman! I asked where on the spectrum this falls, and you totally declined to engage and instead just picked what you think is the easiest response.

        1. Well, it’s not really clear from your post how much thought you’ve given this is you’re still conflating criminal proceedings with job interviews. I’m not saying that to be mean, but it a little bit seems like you just threw out some stuff and want people to educate you. Hopefully that’s not the case.

          1. I’m not conflating the two. I asking where on teh scale between teh two this falls. How are you not understanding this?

          2. Don’t come here asking to be educated and then be a twat about it. I answered your question in detail below, why don’t you read it and get back to me. Please use your critical thinking skills instead of just asking to be spoon fed and then going after people who respond to you.

        2. On the spectrum between a job interview and a criminal trial, this is a job interview. What is confusing?

      2. I thought MD doesn’t have a SOL for attempted rape. So yes she could press charges.

    2. Take one step back and ask yourself your second question again.

      “Can someone be convicted just based on believing the victim without any corroborating evidence?”

      Do you really think this would happen in any court, ever?

      1. Uh, one of the standard jury instructions in California is “the testimony of a single witness is enough to prove any fact.” Not that this is a trial. This is a proceeding to see whether a person gets the most coveted law job in the country.

        Also? Stop calling Dr. Blasey’s allegations uncorroborated. She has significant corroborating evidence including her therapist’s notes and her husband’s testimony.

        1. True, that’s some corroboration, but not much. The notes don’t include his name and were from thirty years later in any event. There is all sorts of science and evidence about how bad memory is, especially one that is accessed frequently. I’m not saying nothing happened, but there’s no corroboration it was him, and especially no corroboration from anytime around the time it happened.

          1. I don’t really understand this thinking. The alternative to her telling the truth is that 6 years ago she told a story to her therapist, remembered it in 2018, and decided she could make it look like it was him? Witness testimony is bad about details of strangers (ie height, beard, hair color) when you are undergoing trauma. This man wasn’t a stranger to her – she knew it was him.

        2. Actually, it is an opportunity for the Senate to evaluate Brett Kavanaugh in order to advise the President as to whether he has identified a suitable candidate for a lifetime appointment to the most important role in the judicial branch of our government, and to give its consent to the appointment.
          Please know I am not trying to criticize you, SA. Not at all. I just want to be sure we frame this appropriately. This is not about whether Kavanaugh should get what he covets; it is about whether the country is getting what it deserves.

      2. This happens all the time. I haven’t done a 50-state survey, but my state and most others I have looked at allow the victim’s testimony to be enough and do not require any corroborating evidence. As a criminal defense lawyer, these are very hard to defend (I’m not saying morally or anything like that. I mean factually. Even when the victim’s story makes no sense at all.) Also, my state does not have a statute of limitations on some types of sex crimes, so some of these cases are based on allegations from 25-30 years ago.

      3. Lol this happens EVERY DAY in the U.S., especially men of color. Have you not seen the recent headlines about the police chief to, in order to keep arrest rates up, told his officers to pin crimes on random black men they see anywhere in the vicinity of a crime scene? One guy was literally riding his bike by the scene long after the crime occurred and was arrested. You have a very idyllic view of the U.S. justice system and have probably not come into close contact with it.

        Back to the judge, SOL has run out, but if you’re a lifetime appointed judge, your moral character and personal beliefs are at the very heart of the investigation, that’s why this matters. You can’t trust a man to vote on issues that affect women and sexual crimes that has committed them or doesn’t think violence against women is a big deal.

        1. I’m talking about this specific situation. Where a white man in a position of privilege and power, gets convicted of s3xual assault based off the testimony of one woman. Do you really think that happens? LOL

          1. Um, yes? I’m a career clerk for a state appellate court and almost every sexual assault case we see, including those with powerful/rich, white, male defendants, are convictions based solely on the testimony of the victim. Because there typically isn’t any corroborating evidence.

    3. Convicted in a criminal court is VERY diferent than being denied a job. I wouldn’t send Kavanaugh to prison based on what I’ve seen so far, but I think it’s absolutely enough to deny him a job, especially such an important one. I also think once there’s more than one accusation, it’s significantly more persuasive. It’s certainly possible for a man to harrass/assault only once, but I think it’s somewhat rare and I’m always more confident in his guilt when there appears to be a pattern of behavior (as there has been with Kavanaugh and with most other men in the #MeToo movement).

      1. Is there another accusation of which I’m unaware? The second one is so ridiculous the NYT could not corroborate after two weeks of trying.

        1. False. The NYT couldn’t corroborate it, because the victim was speaking exclusively to the New Yorker about it and wouldn’t talk to the Times. The New Yorker issued a statement about this. There are also accounts from other witnesses saying they heard about it at the time. In fact, Farrow and Mayer (reporters at the New Yorker) first learned about it from Yale alumni email chatter, not from the victim herself. So it very much was “the talk of campus.” The second allegation is certainly less serious than the first, but I see no evidence it’s any less true.

          There’s also a supposed third allegation coming out soon, and then there’s all the derogatory stuff about women (including bragging about the fact that he allegedly banged a specific woman) in his yearbook and his Yale roommate saying he was always falling down drunk and partying. To be clear, talking crassly about women and being blackout drunk are very far from sexual assault, but they directly conflict with his *sworn testimony* that he never drank or partied and only cared about “academics and church.” And I believe if he’s lied about one thing, he’s more likely to have lied about other things.

          1. And if he’s lied about one thing, he is unsuitable for the job of Supreme Court Justice. I don’t care if, in his own estimation, those things shouldn’t matter.

        2. There are 4 accusations in total as of right now. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more victims.

      2. Right. People don’t get jobs for all kinds of reasons. Having hair ties on their wrists. Laughing to shrill-y. Wearing a mismatched suit.

        1. And it’s not as if Kavanaugh’s currently unemployed. What’s his fallback? Lifetime appointment to Circuit Court? I am not shedding any tears over his predicament (especially as it’s self-inflicted.)

    4. Do y’all think that he shouldn’t get this job just based on uncorroborated accusations? Yes – 100% yes.

      I believe her because I know a number of women who have been victims and none have reported. I wouldn’t report either. The system is horrendous for women. It’s a second victimization in many cases. But I would report if I thought my attacker would be appointed to the highest court in the country. I would do that because I would need to do everything I can to protect my kids from someone like that having the ability to make decisions that affect their lives.

      She’s gotten death threats. So many women don’t report. That’s why I believe victims. The cost is so enormous, to report it for something that didn’t happen? Incredibly, incredibly rare.

      Employment, civil liability, criminal liablity are all different standards. You can’t assess credibility in the abstract. There are many situations where an employer or a judge has to decide who they believe. This is no different.

    5. This isn’t just getting a job. This is a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land. I expect these people to be better than most of us – myself included.

      Every time a high profile case comes up there are discussions about criminal/civil burden of proof and I think most people get why this is complex on both sides. This isn’t the first such case and it certainly won’t be the last because we aren’t all agreed on where the line is in general.

      I don’t know if the accusations are 100% true but it seems a lot more likely that they are at least some part true than that they are outright fabrications.

      That said I have no issue with this type of behavior being a barrier to entry for a role on the Supreme Court or executive of a big company or other similar role regardless of criminality. Plenty of perfectly qualified / capable of being qualified people are esssentially barred from those types of jobs due to factors well beyond their control anyway so it’s not like he’s really getting something taken away.

    6. I don’t really think that the burden of proof question fits perfectly here. This isn’t a court case; it’s a job interview. Reputation matters and character matters. And many employers for such public facing jobs may decide against hiring potential employees when there are questionable background facts or whiffs that there may be past criminal behavior/fraud/crimes of moral turpitude. For a lifetime position on the nation’s highest court, I think those questions should be resolved in the way that favors the country, not necessarily the candidate. Are we really willing to accept that there isn’t someone else out there who is equally qualified and who doesn’t have some potentially serious skeletons in their past?

      1. +1

        “The wife of Caesar must be above reproach.” There are qualified people about whom an accusation would truly not be credible. We don’t have to settle for this guy.

    7. Well, there’s a lot of issues here. But one thing you need to do is understand that the inquiry is different depending on circumstances. You can’t lump them all together and pretend that someone getting dinged for a job (essentially what this is, just fancy) is implicating our entire due process system and basically going to lead to the collapse of procedural due process for criminal defendants as we know it. I’m so tired of hearing men, r@pe apologists, and people who are just generally confused screeching at the top of their lungs that “due process” in this country is now meaningless.

      Criminal prosecution by the state? Obviously, highest standard. Beyond a reasonable doubt.

      Quasi-judicial proceeding? Depends on the proceeding.

      Civil action? Preponderance of the evidence.

      Job interview? We know that it’s common place for people to be denied jobs based on what’s on the insta feed. This is job searching 101. It doesn’t have to be illegal behavior for it to cost someone a job.

      Start thinking about it this way. “Believing women” doesn’t just take one form. For example, in the criminal context it can mean that the police process the r@pe kit, don’t ask her what she was wearing, don’t tell her to just lay back and enjoy it. The claim is actually investigated. The victim doesn’t just assume she’ll never see justice or she’ll be mocked by the police so she doesn’t try. That doesn’t mean that the defendant doesn’t get read his Miranda rights or that he doesn’t go to trial. Remember, a jury of 12 is fully free to decide they believe a victim is credible enough that they determine her attacker is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. That’s not an aberration in the process, so long as the trial was fair. For better and for worse, that’s within the province of the jury and they can do it. (But also think, how often do you really think that a jury would convict based on he-said, she-said alone? Not often…) Also remember this: due process protects an individuals’ rights from overreach by the *state.* Believing the victim and does not necessarily require running roughshod over due process rights.

      And no, I would not want someone like him from my party to be appointed. It is really important to me that everyone on the high court respects women as equals. I also strongly dislike the idea of a privileged little frat boy up there. I’m tired of frat boys who believe the rules don’t apply to them. I don’t want a frat boy who thinks that he’s such a good person ’cause he went to prep school and then Yale and had a tremendous safety net, who never had to face the consequences of his actions, and who wouldn’t hesitate to force another 17 year old to have a baby against her will. Because only Kavanaugh gets to be let off the hook for his youthful mistakes. Everyone else gets to live with them.

      1. I agree with you on most of this. But juries convict all the time on he said/she said.

        1. Stats please and thanks, specifically focused on defendants with similar demographics as at issue here. Would be really interesting if you had them.

          1. I don’t have statistics on this. I know this from my many years of representing criminal defendants as a public defender. I have no idea about the statistics for old, rich, white men who are federal judges. Those are clearly not my public defender clients. I would guess that many of them don’t even get charged, much less stand trial.

    8. Honestly my employer would have denied him simply for the gross comments about women in his yearbook. We look at social media and deny people all the time for things that are in no way criminal. His yearbook alone is essentially an old timey FB page and FB has cost plenty of people a job.

        1. YES THIS. Especially all the stuff about Devil’s Triangle, Renate Alumni, FFFFFourth of July, and boofing. Just the stupid Yale frat picture would disqualify you for a CB … and backs up everything these women are saying

      1. “His yearbook alone is essentially an old timey FB page and FB has cost plenty of people a job.”

        This. So much this.

        Based on what’s come out so far, he wouldn’t get hired at most firms I know. He certainly shouldn’t be on the Supreme Court.

        Add in a Fox News interview in the MIDDLE of the process? More evidence of horrible judgment for a sitting judge.

    9. “Can someone be convicted just based on believing the victim without any corroborating evidence? Can someone be denied a job, like here?”

      These are two VEEEERRRRRRYYYYYYYY different things. I absolutely think someone can be denied a job for accusations of this nature (and has already been pointed out above, there is corroborating evidence). People who are merely applying for a position are not entitled to due process. You cannot discriminate against someone during the employment recruiting process, but people get passed up for much worse reasons every day (too short, not funny enough, too funny, ordered a salad at lunch, etc.). So what is the burden of proof when someone is denied a job because the interviewer didn’t like their hair color? Silly question, right? I’d view him as somebody who applied for a job, did okay in initial interviews, and then bombed in a final interview.

    10. I’m much more comfortable with this man being denied an appointment for what I view as a credible accusation than I was with the non-reason Merrick Garland was given. Point being that he is in no way entitled to this job. He got a hearing, which is more than garland got.

      1. Seriously.

        Also, it’s not like there’s a real shortage of candidates. I wonder what specific quality or point of view he possesses that make this administration so keen on appointing him…

      2. I think Merrick Garland was treated far better. We all know Kavanaugh is innocent (Blasey Ford’s best friend said the party never happened); we all know this is being cooked up to prevent Kennedy (former swing vote) from being replaced with a conservative.

        We could have destroyed Merrick Garland’s reputation just as easily, perhaps even more so, but chose to let him leave with it intact, and him a martyr.

        What is being done to Kavanaugh is sick. The man’s been through six FBI investigations already, FFS. This is all lies.

        1. Kavanaugh’s best friend wrote a whole book, published years ago, about all the parties that did actually happen, that his friend “Bart O’Kavanaugh” attended with him, and how they got blackout drunk together.

    11. To answer your explicit question:I’m comfortable with a preponderance of the evidence. “On balance, is it more likely than not that this happened?” Should be the question. If the answer is “yes,” should this be disqualifying. The answer is yes, for both the behavior and the lying about it/ lack of repentance/lack regret. As an aside I’m pretty comfortable with witness testimony as the main or sole source of evidence. I’m a trial attorney: evaluating swore testimony is literally how fact finders make decisions.

      I think what you’re really asking is: can these kinds of allegations be used against any man at any time and are we ok with that? I think the answer is probably: only if they’re true and the man is lying about them. Seems to me there are plenty of awful gop men whom no one had accused of this sort of misconduct.

      1. Yes, this! Obviously we don’t have all possible evidence, but based on what’s out there right now, I think this clearly meets a preponderance of the evidence standard. Which is more evidence than should be required to deny someone a job.

    12. People can be denied jobs at retail shops because their Twitter accounts are unprofessional. I have no problem with that, nor do I have a problem denying a job on the highest court in the land to someone who has raped/sexually assaulted multiple women, spoken publicly about excessive drinking in his youth, and written gross yearbook entries. There IS corroborating evidence and there is no reason to believe that Blasey Ford and Ramirez are anything less than trustworthy.

      It’s okay to have moral standards. It’s not a crisis that needs to be solved when rapists don’t meet them.

    1. Good idea! Here are mine:

      Instant Pot Now and Later Keto Indian Butter Chicken
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      INSTANT POT CHICKEN GNOCCHI SOUP
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      The Best Tamale Pie with Braised Skirt Steak, Charred Corn, and Brown Butter Cornbread Crust Recipe
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      Chicken and Lentil Soup
      https://www.skinnytaste.com/instant-pot-pressure-cooker-chicken-and/

  4. I recently developed a nickel allergy (I think). I have a nice watch — a Movado, so not “watch snob” territory, but I regard it as a piece of jewelry more than something that tells me the time. The Movado has a stainless steel band and back to the watch face that is bothering my skin.

    Is there anything that I can do to the watch so that I can keep wearing it? I’ve seen nail polish recommended on this board, but I’m hesitant to put it on something that cost $800.

    1. Go to a watch repair shop. My mom once got a clear cover put on the back of a watch because she was gifted a family heirloom but has metal allergies too.

    2. I have a nickel allergy as well. I would not suggest the nail polish or the nickel guard products as they can turn yellow and are often difficult to remove.

      Instead, I would highly suggest calling Movado to see if they make a nickel free back to your particular watch. My Rolex caused a rash from the first day I wore it. I brought it into the store to return it and instead, the sales person replaced the back with a nickel free back. I have not had a problem in 10 years.

    3. The nail polish is removable with acetone which won’t hurt the metal. It’ll actually clean it up real nice. You could also use a jewelers wax, like the kind people use to polish silver. But that would rub off and require re-application. Since it is so nice I would take it to a jeweler and see what they can do, whether its a new cover or a different kind of coating.

    4. Late to respond here, and not specifically about the watch, but I have a nickel allergy too and want to mention a nickel-blocking lotion that has been a godsend for me. It’s by a company called skintifique and is on ama zon.

  5. Would you send a card if you saw that a former mentor’s wife just passed away in the past six months? We’re not really in touch anymore but someone mentioned it to me.

    1. Yes, please send it. I lost my mother almost a year ago and I’m still receiving cards with kind thoughts and memories of her, and it really brightens my day.

    2. Yes, several years after I graduated, I sent a note to a law school professor after his wife died. I liked him and had dinner at his house once (due to being a member in a group he led) and met his wife, but I wasn’t particularly close to him. I also went to the viewing because it was near my house and he seemed incredibly touched that I had sent the card and went to the viewing.

  6. For those of you who’ve added arch support to your Rothys, which one fits best? Did you remove the black insole totally?

    1. I’ve struggled finding one that fits. I just use one of those small plastic arch supports from Dr. Scholl’s. They don’t really stick to the shoe, but somehow they stay in place alright over the course of the day. But if someone can recommend a more proper arch support that fits in my Rothys, I would be thrilled.

  7. Suggestions for phrasing on when you are leaving a job literally for pay? I mean there are other reasons, one of which is that the new team is in growth mode and there will be more opportunities for me to take a leadership role down the road, but it’s basically a lateral move right now. Most of the other reasons are negative regarding my current workplace politics, which I’m obviously not going to get into. Is it fair to say, “I’m looking forward to more opportunities for leadership” even though it is actually a lateral move? The pay increase is large – 170% of my current salary, and is definitely a big factor in my leaving.

    1. No! Do your soon to be former coworkers a favor and say it’s for pay! That’s a great reason to leave a job.

    2. Phrasing to whom? If to just your coworkers, I’d probably just say “the opportunity was too good to pass up” or something vague like what you suggested re “leadership”. If to your boss or HR in an exit interview, say it’s pay and tell them how much.

    3. “Opportunity for growth…of my bank account” jk jk. Just want to say congratulations!

      1. haha, right? thanks! when the hiring manager told me the salary range I think I went 0_0 for a minute

    4. If your current company underpays that drastically, hiding the fact isn’t going to help the people that follow you. They need repeated data that their employees are leaving over insufficient salary. I would word it in a tactful way, but still be clear about it. Something like “New Company has competitive compensation and sigificant room for growth.” And if they ask how much more it is, I would tell them.

      1. Thank you, that phrasing is really helpful! I appreciate the insight and I think to some coworkers I’ll be pretty frank about the pay increase.

      2. My old firm (Big 4 Accounting in a HUGE office) had an exit questionnaire. I did not hesitate to tell them I was leaving for a 120% pay raise. I had to go over it with HR (a lady I had literally never seen before) and she was like, “Wow, that’s quite a raise. Good for you.” Being Big 4 accounting, I’m quite sure my statistic got rolled into some powerpoint that some VP of something requests to see monthly about why employees are leaving.

    5. I left my former biglaw firm largely over pay (the rest was over culture). They had a policy where if you missed your hours target, they moved you to a lower hours track the next year, that came with a salary about 50k less and no possibility for a bonus. After my group was incredibly slow, and this happened to me, I left to go to a boutique that pays above market. I did not hesitate to cite the Draconian hours policy, and indicate that my base alone at my new place was a 150% of what it was at old firm.

    6. To the people doing hiring?

      “I’ve added a lot of value to my company (describe), but my company is not structured to reward that.”

  8. I have been trying to leave biglaw for a long time, and go a small firm that focuses on my practice area. I identified such firms in my city, and had been stalking their websites for many many months, and finally lost my patience, and decided to just email the managing partners my resume a few days ago, and basically asked if they would consider talking to/hiring me. It worked – I have an interview next week at the place I found the most appealing! I can’t really tell anyone irl except my husband, so woohoo!

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