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(L-all)Sales of note for 10.24.24
- Nordstrom – Fall sale, up to 50% off!
- Ann Taylor – Friends of Ann Event, 30% off! Suits are included in the 30% off!
- Banana Republic Factory – 40-60% off everything, and redeem Stylecash!
- Boden – 10% off new styles with code; free shipping over $75
- Eloquii – Extra 50% off a lot of sale items, with code
- J.Crew – Friends & Family event, 30% off sitewide.
- J.Crew Factory – 40% off everything
- Lo & Sons – Fall Sale, up to 35% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Neiman Marcus – Up to 30% off on new arrivals
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – 40% off entire purchase, plus free shipping no minimum
- White House Black Market – Buy more, save more; buy 3+ get an extra 50% off
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
- What to say to friends and family who threaten to not vote?
- What boots do you expect to wear this fall and winter?
- What beauty treatments do you do on a regular basis to look polished?
- Can I skip the annual family event my workplace holds, even if I'm a manager?
- What small steps can I take today to get myself a little more “together” and not feel so frazzled all of the time?
- The oldest daughter is America's social safety net — change my mind…
- What have you lost your taste for as you've aged?
- Tell me about your favorite adventure travels…
Anon
I’m actively job hunting (lots of “doctor’s appointments” lately), but I’ve just been given an opportunity to speak at multiple client-facing seminars in November/December. The requester gave me an easy out by saying I could check with others on my team.
Ordinarily I’d jump at the chance to speak, but I’m afraid to agree to it because I don’t want to leave anybody in a lurch if I do get a new job. With the jobs I’m looking at, delaying a start date until after the seminars wouldn’t be feasible, nor are the seminars important really important enough to delay a start date for. But if I am still here, I’d like the opportunity. (But I really, really hope I’m not here.)
Insight? It would be easy enough to decline without raising eyebrows, though I’d like to speak.
Anonymous
Speak. They’ll find a way to cover it if you do leave.
Bonnie
Don’t leave before you leave. November/December really aren’t that far away.
Stormtrooper
Exactly. Don’t leave before you leave. Definitely speak.
S in Chicago
You can always negotiate the days when an offer comes. Most employers will see that as a validation you are star quality rather than a negative.
Brooklyn
Posted here last week about a $500 Home Depot charge on our cc, and how we thought it was erroneous. We went to the store to get the receipt and…man…we bought a new dishwasher a few weeks ago and completely forgot. All the talk lately of privilege and wealth – yikes – for so many people, this would have been a major family expense (and a pretty unnecessary one at that). Feeling embarrassed, but also relieved. Just a Monday afternoon reminder of how fortunate we are if we are reading this site!
Anonymous
I read this s!te and a $500 dishwasher would absolutely be a major expense for me that would require going without refraining from some other spending. I’m glad you are so fortunate but please don’t assume everyone reading here is similarly wealthy or privileged.
Anonymous
+1
Sydney Bristow
Home renovations can be so overwhelming! I’d start saving receipts or using a budgeting app that lets you add a note for each transaction and make a quick list of what you bought.
Hope the renovations are coming along nicely! Enjoy the new dishwasher!
Blonde Lawyer
You just reminded me that we ordered and paid for a $25 shelf we never received. Not the same as a $500 dishwasher but I hate throwing money away so I need to follow up!
Yup
For the last 10 days or so, I have wrote down every expenditure in my planner. I find the process of physically writing expenses down with a pen and paper to be much more powerful than inputting on a spreadsheet. What was astonishing is that there has only been 1 day in which I spent $0. Every day, it is always something or another — trip to CVS, kids’ school uniform, swimming lessons for kids, etc. I don’t see myself as a big spender, but it all adds up.
My new game is to see how many days I can go in a month without spending anything.
anon
I’m intrigued by this. I have enough cashflow that I can make big purchases like OP’s and not really think about balancing the books (though odds are I obsessed about whether to make the purchase for months), but I fear my bigger problem is at dropping $20 on this or that, $60 here, $100 there. Even if it’s all “needs,” it still adds up. Or doing stuff like buying a coat and then the next month a plane ticket and some how not reconciling that I spend Xhundreds of dollars two months in a row. It seems crazy to me because until recently I was very frugal. Maybe writing it down really would put it toward the front of my mind. I’m already playing a game where I don’t buy more work clothing in 2016.
Home Improvement
This may be too late for you to see, but if you are spending substantial money on improvements that will stay with the house when you sell it, you should not only be keeping your receipts but tracking the expenses. These can be added to the cost you paid for the house which can reduce the taxes you owe when you eventually sell the house.
Anon for this
Gross problem and I’m unsure how to handle it: I own a small office building. I have two tenants, both female. We share one restroom with a single toilet. One of the tenants has a real problem using the toilet without leaving behind pee on the seat, etc. How in the world do I or should I, as owner and co-tenant, make this grown woman aware that she needs to use the bathroom like an adult? We have a cleaning crew, but I would estimate that 8/10 times I use the restroom after her, I have to do some legit clean-up.
Anonymous
Post a sign in the bathroom that says “please clean up after yourself” or something like that. Might not solve the problem but could be a starting point.
long time lurker
Ugh. We had this in my office but I noticed it went away when toilet seat liners (that can be pulled one by one out of a tissue box contraption) were installed. I think the seat-pee-ers may be squatting to avoid sitting on the seat. Good luck with this. It used to irritate me horribly and I had it down to two suspects.
Anonymous
+1 to toilet seat liners. I squat when there are no liners (but I wipe it up if I get anything on the seat). But I think liners might solve the problem.
Huh
Doesn’t everyone squat? I always do and wipe up after if needed. Can’t imagine sitting down unless absolutely necessary!
Baconpancakes
There are basically no diseases spread by toilet seats.
Anonymous
I know this but I think it was maybe less well-known 30 years ago? At least, I was told by my mom not to sit on public toilet seats when I was growing up. and it’s been a hard habit to break.
Anonymous
Well yeah, but you’re still sitting in a stranger’s urine.
Anon
Huh? Why is sitting on a dry toilet seat sititng in a strangers urine?
Anonymous
Dried urine is still urine. If I don’t wash my hands after going to the bathroom and then shake your hand, you’re still going to think it’s gross even though it’s probably not going to give you a disease.
sit on the seat, you heathens
You’re only “still sitting in a stranger’s urine” if people like you break the social compact and pee all over the seat that the rest of us use to, you know, sit on.
Anonymous
Absolutely not. Explain what actual bad might happen by something touching the back of your leg/tush skin.
Anonna
As I say all the time, this is why we have skin.
Anonymous
Nope. And my thighs are blissfully undiseased.
nona
Uh, no? Squatters are doing more to contribute to unclean toilet seats than anyone that actually sits down on them.
Anonymous
+1
It’s pretty much impossible to pee on a toilet seat while sitting on it. Also cannot understand why if you squat you wouldn’t simply lift the seat up first!!! There is just no reason for the mess.
AIMS
@anonymous at 3:52 – because then they’d have to touch it and they are not going to do that in a “gross” bathroom, never mind that it’s gross mainly from them peeing on it. Same reason they won’t wipe their mess.
I totally get this in a random dive bar or airport, but I can’t wrap my mind around this sort of behavior in an office bathroom, esp. if you share it with just 2 other people.
Anonymous
Nope
Please stop doing this.
Yup
I do. I can’t imagine sitting on a public toilet just to pee, ewwww.
Anonymous
Do you sit on public toilets to poop? How is it any different…?
Anon
I sit. My mom told me to squat but I literally can’t flex the squat muscles and release the pee muscles at the same time. So I sit. And it’s never done me any harm.
CountC
No. The back of my legs are not going to catch anything from a toilet seat and urine is mostly water anyway. I just can’t be bothered to be grossed out by pee.
Anonshmanon
most people sit. The seat is one of the ungermiest places in a bathroom.
Also, an office building where three women share one bathroom to me is not really a public bathroom, like in a train station.
Anonymous
I’m a squatter in truly public bathrooms, but I agree with your last sentence. If I shared a bathroom with only two other women, I would sit on the seat.
Anonymama
I think it’s way grosser to wipe up pee with toilet paper than it is to sit on a clean toilet seat. You do know there are germs everywhere, right? Your phone is probably way dirtier than the toilet seat, and your desk as well.
Anonymous
No. God, I hate the pigs who sprinkle.
Anonymous
Why do you think wiping up your pee with toilet paper makes it clean? Just everyone stop squatting like freaks and we will all be fine.
the gold digger
Nope. No squatting. I figure after two years of living in South America where I often had no access to water for washing my hands after using an outhouse that I am immune to everything. No squatting and I really do not worry about germs much at all.
Anon for this
I don’t know how I didn’t think of this! Great idea!
Anonymous
FYI – most places don’t use toilet seat covers anymore, as people are pigs and don’t throw away the covers appropriately or flush them and the toilets get backed up.
Please stop squatting. If you feel you must, lift up the toilet seat like we all ask men to do and then squat. And then clean up any mess. You can use a piece of toilet paper in your hand so you don’t have to touch the toilet directly.
I am tired of sitting in your urine when you don’t clean up after yourself. Squatters in your attempts to be cleaner for you, you make it dirty for the rest of us.
Please stop teaching your children to do this too.
Anon
Do all of you squatters also squat when it’s not just pee? And do any men squat in that situation?
Anonymous
Presumably yes, or so my travels in parts of the world that have squat toilets have taught me (I hate those things).
Anon
I guess I was more wondering about whether American men, or men who live in countries with toilets like ours, also do the hover thing or if that’s a specifically female thing (I feel like guys just don’t get grossed out as easily, as a rule).
Anon
Who’s watching the debate tonight? Predictions?
I’m feeling really anxious about it.
Anonymous
Predictions: Trump will sound like his typical idiot self (“we will win bigly” etc) and will tell lots of lies that won’t be fact-checked, but he will be declared the winner and people will be talking about how “presidential” he was because he managed not to say anything blatantly racist or misogynistic. People will say Hillary Clinton should have smiled more.
AIMS
But is Gennifer Flowers going to show up in the front row?
(As an aside – joke or not – how is that not disqualifying on its own???)
consultant
Apparently not but also apparently Bill may not sit in the debate
Bonnie
The bar has been set really low for Trump. Someone will also say that Hillary was “shrill.”
Love the desk set but in clear.
Sydney Bristow
I was surprised to read that 1/3 of voters are looking to the debates to help them make a decision. I know there is always undecided voters but I really thought most people had already made their choice.
I’ll probably try to watch it but get too frustrated and give up. I’m sad that Gary Johnson and Jill Stein don’t get to participate. I’m comforting myself by figuring that they wouldn’t get much chance to talk anyway. I’m guessing most people don’t remember a single thing Lincoln Chafee and Martin O’Malley said during the primary debates.
Sydney Bristow
I wonder what made this go to moderation. Can anyone eagle eye one of the mod words?
Anonymous
I wonder if it’s Johns*n because it’s slang for a male body part?
Anonymous
I would like them to participate, but at the same time, would they be prepared to do so? Gary Johnson didn’t even know where Aleppo was. He doesn’t seem very serious about his candidacy.
Anonymous
I’m not a Gary Johnson fan, but c’mon, he knows where Aleppo is.
I wouldn’t vote for him, for other reasons, but he was caught off-guard, admitted that he’d had a brain fart, and then provided an answer. I wish more candidates would do that.
Baconpancakes
Ugh. Feeling wildly out of control of my time and behind on everything these days, so naturally I spent three hours at Ulta this weekend, buying three new lip colors. Retail therapy, I guess?
Anonymous
Eh, sometimes you need to take some “you” time so you can ultimately be more productive when you’re working on doing chores or whatever. If shopping is rejuvenating for you, it probably wasn’t the worst idea in the world to carve a little time out for some retail therapy.
Anonymous
We met with a contractor yesterday to kick off a $75k home renovation project, and he was shocked that we didn’t need/want a loan (“but 90% of people finance!”) Don’t get me wrong, we’re not 1%ers and $75k is a huge amount of money to us, but we’ve been saving for this project for years. I can’t imagine doing a just-for-fun home remodel if we didn’t have the cash on hand, but I guess a lot of people can. I understand a bit better now how so many high-earners have no savings.
Anon
We’re doing renovation/addition that will cost somewhat less than that and we did a cash out re-fi for it. Totally worth it. Interest rates are so low that our monthly payment is actually less than it was (although of course we restart the 30 yr clock; we were 4 yrs into our mortgage). The increase in our utility is massive compared to the increase in cost. No one thinks of taking out a bigger mortgage to move to a new, bigger/better house. Why is doing a re-fi for a renovation different? Also, please restrain your judgment. You can do a loan like this responsibly.
Anonymous
You’re not going to get a lot of support for the idea that this can be done responsibly if you admit that you have a 30 year (really a 34 year) mortgage.
Anonymous
Colossal eye roll to you. A 30 year mortgage is not an inherently bad or irresponsible product.
Anon
Except that close to 90% of home owners use 30 yr mortgages, and take out a new 30 yr mortgage every time they buy a new house. There are massive problems with our country’s housing finance (including the national obsession with owning vs renting, and the policies that play into that obsession), and I agree that from a policy standpoint a 30 yr fixed is crazy, but given the state of the sector, it’s equally crazy to claim that no one uses a 30 yr mortgage responsibly. In fact, I think the crazy part of the 30 yr fixed is the burden it places on the rest of the economy. Combined with the mortgage deduction it’s frickin brilliant for the middle class. And with current interest rates, you’d be crazy not to max out your leverage and free up cash for new investments when rates (finally) start to rise again.
Anonymama
Wait, why on earth wouldn’t you get a thirty year mortgage? Especially with how low interest rates are right now!
anon
Exactly. I’m better off paying the minimum on my mortgage and investing my money where it will make more than the 3% I will lose to mortgage interest.
Anon
Also please realize there ARE plenty of high earners who DO having savings and would still take out a loan bc sometimes loan rates < the return you can generate on savings depending on how the market is doing. So maybe check your judgment.
And please realize you aren't the only ones who CAN pay for a 75k renovation outright — you make it sound like no one else can . . . .
AN
I think her contractor made it sound that way and she was surprised.
OP, I’m with you. No judgment on others, but I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable taking out a loan for a home renovation.
Anonymous
+1
Erin
We’re doing a $150k and financing the whole thing. We have 300k in the bank with which we could pay for it.
We knew we’d be doing the Reno when we bought the house, so mentally, we consider the house + reno the cost of the house from when we bought it.
We are also spending less than if we bought a different house and didn’t do the Reno.
I think there are reasons to pay cash and reasons to finance- good and bad on both sides.
Anon for this
This is strange. A childhood friend of mine just plead guilty to doing something… bad. He’ll spend about a decade in prison. I feel so strangely about this. What he did was objectively bad, but he didn’t hurt anyone… Think like… a drug dealer who sold to people who wanted drugs… Or a prostitute who sold services to those who wanted to buy. But yes objectively bad. To put it lightly, I don’t think he will manage well in prison and I struggle with wanting to think he’s terrible because of what he did, but also sort of justifying it in my head as him not hurting anyone and I feel badly that this has happened. And I’m genuinely not sure he will survive prison. I don’t want him to die. Not sure I’m looking for advice but I’m just all tangled up on this.
Anon
Why is participating in a transaction where everyone was a willing adult objectively bad?
Ellen
When there are law’s against it, it is BAD, even if peeople consent. Witness what the OP wrote about — drugs=bad. Prostitutes=bad. The fact that people want to pay for drug’s or sex does NOT make it right. Otherwise, we are no better then animals, w/o law’s. They are changeing laws, but until those things are legal, people should NOT be doeing them. If peeople are in HOLLAND, they can get both drug’s and prostitute’s WITHOUT breakeing the law. But we are NOT HOLLANDERs, we are American’s. So go lobby to change the law and then AND ONLEY THEN should peeople be able to get drug’s and sex for free. YAY!!!
Nati
I assume she means that it’s “bad” because it’s illegal, whether or not she agrees that it’s bad or not.
Bewitched
Ugghh. I hate your two examples. Selling drugs to people who want them is not without harm. Addicts are rarely unable to rationally decide drugs are bad for them and just stop. So, it’s preying on someone with a disease. Prostitution is also harmful to the prostitute, mentally, physically and financially. I can’t imagine a crime that carries a decade long sentence which is victimless, but I do understand your concern for your friend.
Anonymous
Disagree with broad statement that “Prostitution is also harmful to the prostitute, mentally, physically and financially.” But it is impossible to know if someone is truly willingly providing those services so it is wrong.
Anon
Prostitution is objectively harmful and exploitative unless you think it’s nbd that prostitution is the most dangerous “profession” for a woman to be in.
Anonymous
Prostitution is not objectively harmful and exploitative. Illegal prostitution is objectively harmful and exploitative.
Sydney Bristow
The show Firefly had an interesting take on this. “Companions” as they were called on the show had full decision making power on who they would accept as a client and when. They also had regular physicals to make sure they weren’t spreading disease.
Anon
Being pro-prostitution seeks to enshrine men’s “right” to purchase female bodies to use, abuse, and discard. The fact that there are some male prostitutes does not negate this. Are you going to raise your daughter to be a prostitute? Encourage it, finance it, tell all her friends about it? If not, why not?
Anonymous
But assuming that women who choose to be prostitutes can’t be trusted to make decisions about their own body isn’t it’s own form of misogyny?
Anon
Anonymous at 7:15 pm, by that logic, one would have to defer to domestic violence victims to “make decisions about their own bodies” and “choose” to stay with the abuser. I prefer to recognize a coercive situation and offer assistance to the victim. It’s also okay to recognize that some women choose to do things that are bad for them; we don’t have to argue that prostitution is good because it’s a choice any more than we have to say that shooting up heroin is good because it’s a choice.
Anon
There are plenty of crimes on the books that are victimless. And oftentimes criminalizing behavior makes more victims than the behavior itself (drugs and prostitution are prime examples).
anon
My guess is that this is some sort of white-collar or financial crime (gambling, smuggling otherwise legal goods, bribery, etc)
anon-oh-no
disagree 100% with this.
bosstown
totally disagree as well. There are certainly people who ARE victims to prostitution but there are also sex workers who do it who make the choice and don’t necessarily suffer “trauma.” Of course it’s super hard to get stats on how that actually falls down, but empowered sex workers absolutely exist.
Anon
Nope. You might want to start here – pretty easily accessible reading. http://www.feministcurrent.com/category/prostitution-2/
Trish
People are not their worst act. Your friend will literally survive through the lives of his pen pals. Write to him often, and visit when you can. The guards know when a person is cared for so they have a better chance of being protected. Send money for the canteen because most prisons have inmates on starvation diets. Find pen pals for him. You can care about someone in prison. It isn’t up to you to judge or not judge – that is up to his God.
Two Cents
Any suggestions on good brands for a classic pant/skirt suit for a curvy hourglass? I’m really struggling to find a suit to wear to court. The basic issue is that the jacket pulls every time.
Also, are 1 or 2 button blazers better on curvy gals? I’m a 32D.
Would like mostly wool, in navy/charcoal. I’m striking out with Hugo Boss, Lafayette and Classiques.
BabyAssociate
I am bustier and definitely favor 1 button blazers, or ideally open collarless blazers, but that might not be formal enough for your purposes. I find that 2 button blazers looks very boxy on me.
JuniorMinion
I can rarely button blazers (32DD) – what brands do you favor? I am not a lawyer but in finance and have done a lot of open collarless / unbuttoned blazers (cause when I button them they look weird – especially the more casual knit ones). I find often if I get the size that will button its too big everywhere else.
EM
I am your shape. I favor St. John knits precisely for the reasons you articulated.
When it comes to non-knit bottoms here is what I do: I choose something in a beautiful material, and make sure it fits at the widest part of my body. (I like Boss and adore shopping at Nordies.) And then I have the alterations department MAKE the bottom fit my body. They may have to re-do every seam but hey: the finished product is amazing. And they can do it.
Jackets are harder, and again, I prefer St. John as they are just so much easier to move in. One button blazers (non knit) generally fit better and while the alterations department can do amazing things…I really can’t remember buying a non-knit blazer because, even altered, they just don’t seem to be as comfortable.
Lorelai Gilmore
I made partner!
I’ve been reading and commenting here since I began at my law firm, under various names. You guys have counseled me through job opportunities, litigation mistakes, some relocations, learning how to be a working mom, and the occasional sob-fest. I’m so happy to report that it’s paid off. Thank you to Kat for this amazing community and thanks to all of you for your support to anonymous strangers on the Internet. You all are the best.
Anonymous
Yayyyy congratulations!!!
(Former) Clueless Summer
Congrats! I have also been around for a long time and love hearing about everyone’s successes!
Sydney Bristow
Congratulations!!!!
MNF
Congrats! How will you celebrate?
NYNY
Congratulations!!
I nominate shots shots shots to tell you how to celebrate.
Legally Brunette
CONGRATS!!!! It’s a ton of work to get where you are, you should feel so proud!
emeralds
All the congrats in the world!
Anonymous
CONGRATS! I’m in awe of all women who make partner in law firms, but especially so of women who are also moms. You’re an inspiration!
Huh
+1 This. I don’t know how partners who are moms do it.
Congrats, huge huge accomplishment.
Anonymous
Congratulations! This is like that time Lorelai graduated from business school except that Seth McFarlane isn’t here to make sarcastic comments!
Anonymous
OMG that was Seth McFarlane? I remember that ep but had no idea it was him until you said that. My mind is blown.
Betty
CONGRATS!!!!
Coach Laura
Congratulations!
Anon in NYC
Congrats!
Baconpancakes
That’s awesome! Congrats!
January
Congrats!
Celebrate with coffee, like your namesake would. ;)
Shayla
Actually, I think she’d also take shots, shots, shots’ suggestions :-)
Lorelai Gilmore
All of the above!
Jules
Whoo-hoo!
cbackson
Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyy!
Meredith Grey
Congrats!!!
MU JD
Fantastic! Congratulations!
Anon for this
I am sort of desperate and I was wondering if I could ask for some good vibes from the Hive. I may have a potential pregnancy complication and right now my career is in shambles. I think I may be let go soon. I am just sort of asking people to put out some good thoughts for me.
Anonymous
Sending good vibes your way!
Anon
+1 for the good vibes! Hang in there.
Coach Laura
Sending extra good vibes for both scenarios.
Maddie Ross
Make sure you take care of yourself and your pregnancy and put that first in this. I know career stuff is hard. And it only feels so much harder (and sometimes actually is harder) during pregnancy. But please put your health and baby’s health first. Career stuff will work out.
MKB
Absolutely sending you good vibes for both.
Maizie
One more set of good vibes going out to you. Take care.
Hollis
I saw some posters recommending eye cream this morning and I’m looking for one. If you have one that seems to be performing miracles, please share!
TO Lawyer
What kind of skin do you have? I like one by Tarte – it is a bit illuminating so the light reflects off of it and I feel like it makes my dark circles look less visible.
Anon
Origins Ginzing Refreshing Eye Cream. It’s a little pricey ($30 or something like that), but the full-size pot lasts forever and it has a little bit of illumination to brighten up your undereye area. I also pat what’s leftover on my fingertips my brow bone for moisture and the teensiest bit of highlight after applying underneath my eye.
Am I Crazy?
I have an easy in-house gig that pays well and I want to leave. I am so bored. I went from negotiating multi-million dollar complex customer facing contracts and doing M&A and IP work (with some travel) to redlining various vendor and customer agreements worth maybe 1/10th of the value and much easier (ex. NDAs and hotel contracts). I would leave in a heartbeat except in-house jobs are hard to find and we have two young children. I can’t afford to keep our nanny in the event of an extended job search, and putting our kids in daycare in short notice is not an option in my city. Not to mention, using the “doctors appointment” excuse for job hunting would be difficult as I legitimately need to take my kids to doctors appointments (one baby and one kid with asthma/food allergies) frequently.
This job started out as contract to hire, but I have not yet been converted to fulltime. I found out I was pregnant the week I started (unplanned) and my supervisors were very understanding about my absences due to doctors appointment and leaving three weeks early for bed rest plus an 8 week maternity leave (unpaid, but I did receive short-term disability from the staffing agency). I can take my kids to their doctors appointments as needed. This is ideal for a family, but professionally I am going crazy. I am never included in anything around the office. The attorneys barely speak to each other, let alone me. The office is four male attorneys and myself. I know my work product is not an issue because I have heard from several people that the GC has said (unprompted) that I do good work and the staffing agency has heard nothing but good things from my boss (when they manage to get him to return a phone call). The whole company has a “good ole boys” culture and I am not the only woman working with the leadership team who feels this way. How long should I stay and put up with this given my family obligations? I’m happy to take an easy paycheck, but I fear that having “Contract Attorney” will not help my job search when I look for other opportunities. At the same time, given the age of my kids, I hate to leave when the schedule works well for my family.
TBK
Why is this an either/or? You could put out job hunting feelers without committing to anything. You can apply to jobs that are appealing. Are you regularly getting together with former co-workers and other contacts? Just grabbing lunch or whatever? If not, can you start? If they hear you saying “ugh, I love the hours but wish there were more challenge!” you don’t know what might come your way. Also, I feel like employers are much, much more open now to mothers saying “I took this job for a bit because it worked for my family, but I’m at a place where I’m looking to step up again” so I wouldn’t overly stress about the contract thing.
Bottom line, you sound like you’re trying to solve your entire problem at once and are giving up because you don’t have an immediate answer. There’s no harm in doing some research and keeping your network active. Even if you can’t see the solution right now, you don’t know what might come along. And none of that involves quitting your job. At least, not without something else lined up.
Am I Crazy?
Thank you! I am looking into job opportunities online and I have personal deadline for getting in touch with a recruiter (after a scheduled vacation and my husband’s final interview for a new job). Part of my networking problem is that I work in an industrial area 30 miles away from downtown so lunches are difficult and I like to get home to my children after work. I’m also stuck on a time card with this job, so doing anything outside of short lunch is extremely difficult. I am looking for relevant (and free) CLEs for in-house counsel groups.
Anonymous
Since you’re not finding your job challenging, how about co-authoring a cle presentation or journal article with a colleague. Resume builder and gives you contact with colleagues.
Anonymous
In-house here.
I was ready to quit 6 months in because I was so bored, and felt that way for another year. About to hit my 2 year anniversary and have _finally_ started getting put on new and more interesting projects that require my actual brain power. Find a way to look for those opportunities at your company. If you haven’t given it a couple years, you haven’t given it a chance. It’s taken me this long to really understand how my company works both as a business and as a political space (i.e. who do I need to know to get good work).
Anonymous
I am the managing partner of a small Canadian law firm. At the moment we do not especially need more staff or support but we have space and could find work for other people to do. I have consistently been receiving resumes (our website makes it clear we aren’t looking) and calls about employment. Last week we had an articling call from someone who lost her prior articling placement (she wasn’t at fault, firm went under) and someone who needs to complete some sort of free legal assistant term (to graduate from her program). They are both a bit desperate because their first options fell through. The assistant is required to work for free, the articling student can’t find paid work that would start this articling round so she would rather work for free than sit out a year.
The men I work with have no misgivings about acquiring one or both of these people. We certainly could find work for them and they might come in handy and there is potential for the assistant to be hired by us. I don’t see any possibility of hiring the lawyer once she is done.
I have a lot of concern about hiring a legal assistant or an articling student for free though. Thoughts?
Anonny
I’m not a lawyer but even I know it’s illegal to have unpaid interns with the exception of school credit where payment is strictly forbade. There was just a government scandal a week ago about unpaid interns at different agencies. So you can take on the assistant but not the articling student. But also its skeevy to make someone work for free when they have bills to pay. Unpaid internships are the height of privilege.
Anonymous
If you were a lawyer you would know that lawyers are exempt from a lot. Free articling is common in Ontario and British Columbia.
Anonymous
Hire the Articling student even if you can’t afford to hire them back as a lawyer. Easier to get a job when you have a job and even if they can’t find a job, once they are called they can go into solo practice. I would pay at least minimum wage for the articling clerk and I suspect your law society rules may not allow you to have them clerk for free. For the legal assistant, even if unpaid internships are legal when she gets course credit – I’d so a big ‘honorium’ when she’s done.
TorontoNewbie
A little late, but (as an articling student), if it’s a question between not working and not getting called to the bar and unpaid articling, I’d take it!
If you’re in Ontario, maybe look at the LPP to see if there are any resources that this person could use?
I’d also really encourage them to meet with lawyers that you know, get involved in the law society sections, co-author papers, and help defray their conference costs, so that they can start making connections and have a chance of getting hired elsewhere once they’re called.
I’d also like to second the Anon at 8:30 that reasonable and consistent hours would make a huge difference. Long and erratic hours are part of the gig a lot of the time, but chances are good they’re going to be working somewhere on the side in order to pay rent. Is there any way you could pay even a modest honorarium? Or subsidize a metro pass?
Anonymous
Assuming that unpaid internships of this nature are legal where you are, I wouldn’t have any concerns. It’s a lot better for both of them to have unpaid work, instead of No experience. If it worked with their requirements, I would consider offering that they could work less than 40 hours a week. It would be significantly easier for them to find another job to cover bills if they only were working at your firm for 30 hours a week
Lishan
–this item seems to be more or less a straight-up copy of Poppin’s All Bundled Up set, other than color, down to the arrangement of the items in the pictures.
http://www.poppin.com/mint-super-stacked-102974+%3A+101693.html#start=61
So uh, if someone wants another option with generally better ratings, I can speak to the quality of Poppin’s stuff, even if I don’t love their pens.