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Suit of the Week: Burberry Brit

Burberry Brit Leather-Detail Blazer & Pencil Skirt For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits for women, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional. Happy Wednesday! I'm liking this dark gray stretch melange suit from Burberry Brit. The leather details are really cool — the back collar, the elbow patches — to say nothing of the five buttons on the cuffs and the nice seaming details in the back (pictured below). I'm not sure how I feel about the vertical leather pocket on the skirt (it kind of looks like she's wearing her skirt backwards, right?), but I love the inverted pleats on the back. Both are available for preorder at Neiman Marcus — the jacket (Burberry Brit Leather-Detail Blazer) is $665, and the skirt (Burberry Brit Pencil Skirt) is $395.
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(L-5)

Sales of note for 12.3.24 (lots of Cyber Monday deals extended, usually until 12/3 at midnight)

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

99 Comments

  1. If anyone orders the new Everlane Sandal please report back on how they are! I am super interested but I hate to order shoes online without knowing how wide they are. I love all my other Everlane products so I am hoping these are winners too! FYI for anyone who hasn’t shopped Everlane before, the french terry sweatshirt is literally the most comfortable item of clothing of. all. time. https://www.everlane.com/n/86pa5n

    1. ordered them today– couldn’t help myself, and I was super happy to see that they were made in the usa (so few shoes are!). will report back. and now I also want to order a sweatshirt.

    1. Those things on her feet are right up there with socks with sandals.

      1. Yes, but I think she look’s JUST like Linsey Lohan! I could use a pair of those shoe’s for NYC walkeng b/c I have a bad habit of steppeing into dog poop and Frank and the manageing partner are MAD when I wash my shoe’s off in the sink. FOOEY!

        Dad has been a real pain today. The manageing partner took us to the LAMB’s CLUB, but DAD did NOT like anything on the menu. I had a Cobb Salad. YAY! He said he was lookeing for LAMB Chop’s but they were NOT on the menu. The manageing partner said that next time, HE could take us out to some place that had what HE wanted. It sounded a little testey between the two of them b/c Dad was askeing alot of question’s and Frank did not know the answer’s, according to Dad. The manageing partner said he would talk to Frank to help him with the answer’s but DAD said that these were ACCOUNTEING Question’s that Frank was suposed to know without the manageing partner telleing him the answers. FOOEY the manageing partner said, b/c the manageing partner also sign’s off on the firms financieials.

        Any way, Dad left on the train b/c he is takeing Mom to Roozevelt Field and PF Chang’s. I like the MOO GOO GAY PAN but realy think there should be better CHINESE places out there, but she likes it there, plus she can also make DAD go shoppeing with her. YAY!!!!!!

        1. it weirds me out when Ellen makes on-topic comments (the model looking like LiLo). Ellen is a real person, people.

          2. What do you mean? Obviously she is real- she’s just not a woman named Ellen. She’s a parody account

          3. For dummies (but not meant in a mean way)…is Ellen an inside lawyer joke that non-law people just don’t get? I’ve seen people respond as if she was a real individual and then also as a parody character.

  3. The pocket’s placement and design kind of looks like an inappropriate lady part, no?

    1. Agreed, the pocket is hideous. Plus the skirt is way too short on her and NM has no measurements for the length.

  4. I got my pretty blue shoes today! They went on sale last week and then I had a coupon code, too. http://www.yoox.com/ca/44499376PV/item?dept=shoeswomen#sts=sr_shoeswomen80&cod10=44499376PM&sizeId=
    They fit perfectly and look very well-made. I’m not sure they’re a great match for what I’m wearing (dark green lace sheath dress and black blazer), but today I don’t much care. I’d rather admire them.

    But I’m also cranky because our fencing contractors are forcing us to cut down our lovely big lilac tree because they claim it’s too close to where they’ll be building the fence. We’ve had the company come and survey our yard a few times and no one mentioned it (they’re three weeks behind at this point already – grrr). Now we’ve been told we have until Monday. I like my lilac. It smells nice. :(

      1. I may ask the tree people I reluctantly called if this is possible and/or affordable.

        1. I’m sure you can do it. I think it’s silly that the fence people would say you had to get rid of it at all, but no way would I give up an established lilac.

          If for some reason you can’t move it, at the very least take a cutting and start a new one from the same shrub. My grandparents did that for me and as a result I have a lilac from their house (an old variety, not easy to find) in my own garden.

    3. I’d move the fence before I’d agree to chopping down a lilac, but I am very partial to lilacs.

      1. I’d be game for trimming it back, or relocating it. Or taking cuttings to put in multiple spots. Lilacs usually bloom on the new growth, so if you have to trim back, that means potential for more blooms in future years…

    4. Keep the lilac! My fondest childhood memory is the smell of lilac in our front yard from a row of lilac bushes. To this day I love the smell and it brings me back to when I was little.

    1. Thank you for posting that. I found it quite interesting as well, and I’m interested to see how this professor’s research develops.

    3. Fascinating that only 9% of them give the baby up for adoption. Logically, you’d think that number would be MUCH higher.

      1. I’m not sure. I’ve known 4 couples who were going to give the baby up for adoption (all young, between 16 and 24), and 0 of them went through with it once the baby was born. Must be heartbreaking for the potential adoptive parents.

      2. I live in a poor area with a lot of teen/young pregnancies and all I ever hear is “I would NEVER give my baby away. That’s just wrong.” It drives me crazy. Especially since there are plenty of other couples in the area who are financially stable, but in no position to pay for IVF and would love to raise an infant. There is absolutely no one telling these girls that sometimes doing the right thing by your child means letting someone else raise it. It might not be the right option for everyone, but I wish more people encouraged these girls to at least look into it and stopped making them feel like they are bad people if they do choose to put their child up for adoption.

    4. That article is so so sad and makes me beyond angry. I hope she continues to do her research, which is really interesting, but I can easily see people discrediting it (no matter where it falls).

  6. I have a question ladies.

    I was hired for a position a few years ago. During my time in this job, it evolved into something that is definitely not in my comfort zone, or my skill set. I was temporarily transferred into a different area; that I’m really good at. Unfortunately, there isn’t a high likelihood of a permanent position here, so I’ll be transferred back into the other position at some point.

    Husband says he would suck it up and learn to be good at the other job, even if he wasn’t ever comfortable in it. I want to look for another position that is better fitting for my skills, even if I take a pay cut.

    I struggle with depression, and being horrible at my job, under stress to meet quotas, fear of being fired for doing horribly, etc., exacerbates that, but he doesn’t understand that part of it.

    What would you ladies do? I get that this is a personal decision, but I’m curious to know what others would do.

    1. I don’t get it — what’s the downside of looking for a new job? Or is it just a given that there would be a pay cut? Can you afford the pay cut? If not, can you take steps to make it affordable? How does husband feel about his own job? If he hates it, does he maybe feel that if he has to suck it up, so should you? Your mental health is important. If your husband is resistant to you changing jobs because of a pay cut, you might need to do a better job of explaining to him just exactly how harmful the current job is. Then commit to making a plan, together, to address that — which might mean you sucking it up for a defined period while you make the necessary adjustments to take a pay cut. If the pay cut isn’t a 100% given, then I don’t understand why you don’t just start looking.

    2. I’d definitely look for a new job, and, yes, I’d consider a pay cut. You may be able to find another job that was similar to what you were hired for at your current job (that later changed into something else) and not take a pay cut. If you know you don’t like it and that it really stresses you out and contributes to depression, check out as many avenues as possible to get out. Swim to shore instead of sinking with the boat!

    3. I’m sorry you are in that position. I think these are 2 separate questions. First, should you look for a new job? I would say, yes. Downside is that you may not find one right away, or maybe have to take a paycut, but it sounds like your current situation has lots of downsides too.

      The second question is your husband’s reaction. Hopefully he is supportive of you looking for a job. Just because he would suck it up, doesn’t mean that you have to do the same. It may help to explain it in terms of your emotional well-being, and how your position currently does not work for your emotional health, and that means that you are not at your best not only at work, but with life in general, and who would want that for you?

    4. I’m not sure from your post whether you hate the work or just hate being not great at it. I would never try to shame someone into doing work she hated and that made it miserable, but I would have a hard time if a friend (much less a spouse) said she didn’t want a particular job because she wasn’t good at it. I agree with your husband that I would try to become good at the job — but only if it is something I would enjoy once I became good at it (and found it to be meaningful or valuable, etc etc).

      So essentially — if it is fear of failure that makes you not like your job, I would work on changing that. But if there is no set of facts under which you would enjoy the job, find a new one. Life is too short to be miserable for a paycheck.

  7. Wanted to get the hive’s advice on an issue I haven’t had much luck sorting out myself..

    I’m in my late 20’s not enjoying my career. The problem is that I have so many different interests that I cannot decide which one to pursue so I end up not pursuing any of them and then am unhappy and disappointed in myself for not moving forward. I have been stuck in this cycle for years and at the end of every year I beat myself up for not making any changes and wasting time. I am not sure how to resolve this – every time I think I have settled on something, I start to think of reasons why another choice would be better and then I am back to square 1. All I know is that I am not happy with what I am currently doing and I want to make a change once and for all but I guess I don’t know how to do it. I am so, so frustrated and I desperatly want to change I just have no idea how.

    1. No life changing advice here, but your use of “once and for all” makes me believe you are putting too much pressure on yourself to make the one right choice. It’s okay to make a move in a different direction and change again later if you don’t like it. Promise!

    2. When you say interests, do you mean personal (hobbies) or professional? If personal, why not sign up for something now and then reevaluate in a year? If professional, frankly, the same advice applies. (But maybe see if you can also pursue one of the other interests as a hobby.)

    3. The Defining Decade addresses this. Basically her advice is, now that you recognize what you’re doing, to pick one of those directions and go in it. You can always make a new decision if you aren’t happy, but you’re absolutely going to be unhappy if you keep spinning your wheels.

    4. I find that writing down my goals really helps them to come true. Sometimes I forget I even wrote them down, but then when I look back over my journal I see that so many of the things I listed as goals ended up coming true. It can be a little crazy to see that! It’s kind of magic. Taking the time to think about what you really want (not what you think you should want, or what other people expect of you) and then writing your goals down can make a huge difference. Pin point where you see yourself and what you would be doing. Think about all aspects of your life – not just your career, but your friends, your family, your hobbies, etc. This helps you to remember that your life isn’t all about achievement, which is key. Then break your goals into smaller steps and start working on them. But just start with thinking about what you really want for yourself in a positive, fun way, not a “I never get my act together and now my life is a disappointment” kind of way. You can do it!

    5. Take career out of the picture for a minute. What do you want your life to look like? Do you want to be home every night for dinner, travel the world, have 5 houses, etc. I say this because when you’re unhappy in your current career, everything sounds better. But then you hop into something else and may regret it, if it doesn’t jive with your desired lifestyle. For example, if you’re in law and hate it because of the unpredictable hours becoming an ER doctor is not going to be a good fit. I know it sounds dumb, but when you realize the other parts of your life that actually matter to you, you can help sort out what type of career will give you those things.

      Another thing; build up things you value outside of work. I was my career and I didn’t realize how much of my self-worth was being/doing X. Not doing X anymore sucked because all the sudden I didn’t have anything to justify the fact DH and I sit at home and watch tv. So now I run, travel, volunteer; it’s perfectly fine to have your self-worth be a balance of both, but you have to give yourself the chance.

      1. L – you make a really great point. I think it’s common for so many of us to have been good students, enjoyed learning, etc. Then we get out of school and there is this pressure to have the same level of enjoyment, security, identity out of work, even though it is not the same things.

    6. i have no advice, because Um, Are You Me??? no kidding, I could have written your post word for word.

      I know that’s not helpful, but just so you know you’re not the only person in the world who is running around that same cycle with you. If you want to create a support group of two, let me know ;o) Otherwise, Good Luck!!

      1. Ha! Sometimes I feel like I am the only person struggling with this!! We do need a support group!!

        1. I think zora and I had this conversation a few months ago. What really helped me was coming up with small projects and completing them. I felt like I was constantly getting bored with whatever I decided to do so I’d lose interest and never complete it. Ex. Cooking – recipes are to the point and generally have a start and finish and you get to eat at the end! Maybe your hobbies are too much and you need to break them down into more manageable parts? Have something to hold you accountable (group, coach, teacher, etc.).

          Hang in there, just create smaller, more realistic goals for yourself.

        2. :) yes, eek and i have talked about this a lot. Seriously, if you want to chat more about this stuff, email me: zoradances at the mail service by google. I’m always happy to have more c r e t t e pen pals.

          I do the same thing, and then get so mad at myself. But I think what I am a banana said above was really good: each decision doesn’t have to be FOREVER. It’s just one decision for now. You CAN change your mind again in the future. I think a big part of it is putting pressure on myself on every single decision I try to make. And then I freak out and go watch some Arrested Development until I fall asleep ;o)

          1. There was an article in yday’s WaPo about binge tv. That’s totally me. It’s no joke an accomplishment to watch the entire series of Friday Night Lights in 3 weeks. Dedication, yo.

  8. HI all,
    Thoughts on an work conundrum. I’m a law student, interning at a trade association in a highly technical area that I have no background in, but am interested in. They were aware of this whent hey took me on and said I could learn as I go. So far, I feel like i’ve been holding my own, but there is one person here (not my direct supervisor, but someone who can and does assign me work) who will just start talking to me about an issue/project and i have NO IDEA what he is talking about. It’s highly technical stuff and i think he forgets/doesn’t know that I don’t have all the background. I try to just smile, nod, and ask either my supervisor/google as much as I can, but it’s getting to the point where I feel bad bothering my busy supervisor with “teach me” time, and google just isn’t cutting it. Any way I can tactfully say, “hey…slow it down for me?”

    1. Ask a lot of questions when the person is talking to you. It’s ok to interrupt or go back after the conversation and say, “How does X work? What do you mean by Y? I understand A, but where does B fit in?” etc. The person will probably appreciate it, to be honest, and it’s probable that you’re not fooling him. By asking questions, you’ll show that you’re paying attention and are starting to truly understand the subject matter area.

    2. Any ability to buy a book in that subject matter and study it on your own, or take a CLE seminar? Maybe ask the assigner person which journals or website he regularly reads as resources? this will allow you to learn more about the area – if it’s too painful to read a book on the subject then that will be telling as well.

  9. Does anyone have any advice for networking at a CLE course? I occasionally go to CLE classes at my bar association offices in the evenings after work. I would like to strike up conversations with people but it feels really awkward to do so with strangers at an event that is about education not mingling. How can I break the ice in such as way as to make useful contacts?

    1. I think it’s easier/better to network at a committee meeting or some other type of event where there is some networking, but it’s not the ONLY thing.

      As for CLEs, most people are In/Out after work, for credit and so not as useful.

      If you have an area of specialty, that may work better since others in your field are inclined to attend and sometimes they have the fancy label “conference.”

  10. Have any of the runners here used compression socks? Do they really speed recovery? Do they help prevent shin splints? Suggested brands?

    1. I have several pairs, and I would say that I could take ’em or leave ’em. They are comfortable and kind of look cool so I like wearing them but I can’t necessarily comment on their actual effectiveness. There’s definitely a placebo effect for me – I run faster when I wear them because I feel cool..

      I did ask my sports massage therapist his thoughts recently, and he said he would recommend them to someone who had issues with their calves. No mention of shin splints though.

      Take a look at ProCompression. They do a sock of the month that is generally free shipping and 40% off full price.

    2. I have not used them myself, but a friend ran a 10-mile road race wearing them and said the helped reduced muscle fatigue. He thought it was because they were preventing his calves from moving around/jiggling.

    3. I have had terrible shin splints in the past and compression socks did not help one lick. However, I do like to use them after distance runs. Theoretically, they are supposed to reduce the swelling, but I just like how they feel – I feel like I am pampering my poor abused calves.

    4. My husband is an experienced, very fast marathon runner. He swears by his compression tights. He puts them on after every run–and looks utterly ridiculous–but he thinks they’ve made a tremendous difference for post-run recovery. He also swears by kinesiology tape on his knees. He thinks that helps more than knee braces.

    1. I like it. You could make it look more special for the wedding by adding a jeweled belt or pin to the dress.

    2. I have to admit that I’m not sure. It depends on how formal the wedding itself is, but when I picture this on an attendant next to a bride in a full, traditional wedding gown, I think that it looks out of place and not formal enough. But I think that it could probably work if the bride is wearing something less formal.

      2. I don’t like it, especially the back – it looks like it’s on its way to a big wedgie. I think you could find much prettier and more flattering dresses, especially at that price point. There are even probably much prettier and more flattering dresses at far lower price points too.

    3. I am not sure about the tulip hem–it would really depend on where it falls on you. I really like Nicole Miller dresses, and this is not my favorite, TBH.

    4. I like this! I think its really pretty and can be easily dressed up (for the wedding) or down. The only caveat I would add is that I don’t think it’s that formal so if the wedding is really fancy, you may need to reconsider. But if it’s not a super formal wedding, go for it!

    5. How formal is the wedding? If the wedding is anything but really casual I wouldn’t wear this dress. It’s way to casual for a dressed-up affair.

      1. even a belt or pin won’t hide the fact that it is jersey (nothing wrong with jersey, it’s just not a formal material)

    6. I like it, but you might want to try sitting down in it first. That kind of hemline has the tendency to reveal more of your upper thigh than you wanted to share with the world.

      1. I think almost any of the Adrianna Papell dresses that Nordstrom is carrying right now would be better than that NM.

    8. Sorry – should have clarified more! It’s a small (35 people), not very formal wedding. It is an evening event, though. My sister is wearing a wedding dress, which is lovely but very simple – no huge poofy skirt or massive layers of tulle or explosion of sequins.

      I do get what you guys are saying about jersey though. I liked the cut of the dress, but hadn’t thought much about the fabric! Off to look for more options (and am open to other suggestions).

      1. I’m very neutral on the NM dress – it doesn’t wow me and it doesn’t bother me.
        If you’re looking for alternatives, I really love this one (can’t even explain why because I am not normally a fan of peplum).

        http://tinyurl.com/k3kv2e6

        1. That is absolutely gorgeous! However, I am one who cannot pull off peplum (I have a very small waist & not so small hips/butt), sadly. But I can see why you’re so drawn to that dress.

  13. Has anyone ever done an offroad triathlon (i.e. Xterra)? I regularly run and mountain bike, and I am a swimmer from way back, so I am thinking about entering one. I’m having trouble finding training ideas, and I wonder if I should adapt a “regular” tri schedule. Would love to know about a first-hand experience, though!

    1. This is not directly on point, but in case no one else chimes in: There are two differences for me training for a road or soft trail marathon (or any distance over 10 miles) and for a proper trail marathon.

      When I’m training for a proper trail (read: quite technical) race, I expect that my race time will be much longer and train accordingly. My best road 10K is about 53 minutes, but I’ve never broken 70 on trail, for example. That means longer cardio sessions, with less emphasis on training being contiguous. When I ran with a trail running group, we would often do 6 miles of rough hills on road, break for water and food, pick up some more people, do 6 miles of pretty technical trail work, break for water and food, and then do another 2-15 miles of trail work. I don’t think ten minute breaks really affect your long slow cardio, and it allows you to get in proper food and maximize the amount spent moving. I always found 6 hill miles + 6 trail miles +6 trail miles easier than 18 miles straight through, and it didn’t seem to affect me on race day so long as I ran at least a few runs straight through.

      The other big difference for me is more emphasis on injury prevention, mainly through increased strength training. I don’t swim, but at least for trail biking and running, you’re much more likely to use the sides of your body than you are in road biking and running. So in addition to training on trail, I find strength work helpful in preventing injuries.

      Good luck!

  14. Was ready to love this suit then I looked at that really unfortunate front pocket. REALLY unfortunate. What were they thinking? It would be so much better if there were pockets on either side. The single kangaroo pocket is terrible.

  15. Might be a bit late in the day for this, but does anyone know what the grooming protocol is for professional men with hairy hands? As in, a lot of hair on the backs of their hands and fingers?

    I ask because I went on a date with a guy who seems nice but is very hairy, and I’m wondering whether he’s out of touch with personal grooming standards, or if men with hairy hands usually just don’t do anything about it. In all of the networking events I’ve been to over the years, I’ve never shaken hands with someone and felt like I must’ve accidentally reached into a bear skin rug or something. I would think by now I would’ve run into men with hairy hands if it’s the normal protocol to not do anything about it, but maybe I just haven’t or haven’t noticed. Anyone have any clue about this? Thanks, all.

    1. I remember just one occasion where I’ve met a man in a professional setting and his hairy hand was very apparent. I get the sense that most men just don’t have this problem and haven’t heard of any treatment/grooming for this.

      1. +1. Not a very common problem afaik, though I have met men with forearm and toe hair. I’d give him a pass on this grooming issue if he seems otherwise groomed.

    2. I don’t think there’s a “grooming protocol” for this – they’re men, they’re allowed to have hairy hands.

    3. Uh maybe I just come from a culture of hairy people (okay, I do — are people really actually weirded out that men have forearm hair? Or women, for that matter?) but I think it would be a super odd grooming standard to suggest people shave their hands. There are plenty of guys with hairy hands – including Simon Cowell.

    5. I honestly don’t understand the hair-hating trend, for men or women. It’s just hair. It’s natural. It doesn’t bite. It’s not poisonous. It’s not unsanitary unless the person doesn’t bathe. The decision to depilate is purely cosmetic. So why do we care so much when people make one choice over the other?

  16. I’m interning in an office for the first time, and I just find that I can’t focus all day. I work from 9-5, and by 4/4:30, I just can’t pay attention. My office doesn’t have a culture of lunch breaks – everyone just gets food and eats it at their desk, sometimes working, sometimes not. During college, I can’t focus for 8hrs straight either, and when I study I have to take account of that. Web I’m studying, I change locations every couple hours, change topics completely, study at weird hours – obviously not things I can do at work. Any tips for how to deal with this?

    I’m not trying to make excuses, I do good work and tend to do it quickly (but accurately). I just get so distracted that I cannot focus on the task at hand (know this from school).

    1. I think there was a post awhile back about how to focus when you’re really tired, and I think that a lot of those tips (e.g., take a walk, drink lots of water, etc.) are applicable here. Also, you recognize this issue and can plan around it — can you leave some mindless or particularly interesting work for 4 p.m. each day? I posted on a different thread that I like to leave editing for first thing in the morning, so print out a copy of my brief at the end of the day and leave it on my chair so that when I come in with fresh eyes, I can edit it the next morning.

      By the same token, I’m a lawyer in practice for nearly 10 years and my Fridays are always, by far, the least productive days because I have trouble focusing. So I file, deal with minor issues, etc. on that day.

    2. I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Everyone has a hard time focusing at 4 pm! Everyone! Try to schedule mindless, easy work for that time of day. But as long as you are keeping up with your projects and staying on top of things, it’s okay if you aren’t 100% every moment of every day. Honestly, just try to look busy and plug away at things, knowing that even if you are only 50% productive, it’s better than being 0% productive. Every bit does count, even if it’s not your fastest, most effective work. Just stick with it and cut yourself some slack.

    3. Try to schedule meetings during that time, which may make you more focused. For example, if you tell your supervisor that you will get back to them on x issue at 4:30, then you will experience a burst of energy before that ‘deadline’ and will be talking to her after.

    4. Sounds like you’ve got a little ADD, just like me!! ;o) I can’t do 8 hours straight on the same thing. Although, according to research most humans can’t, but that’s beside the point. I have learned some great strategies over the years for over-structuring myself to keep on track, or refocusing after I’ve gotten distracted. Since you are noticing this about yourself now, you have plenty of time to learn some of those and get great habits in place early!

      I’d recommend looking around the internet for tips for ADD/ADHD adults, there are lots of free things out there. A lot of it has to do with figuring out how to break things up even within your 8 hour work day to make it easier to focus on one thing at a time. I’m old-fashioned, so I actually like to buy books (i know, books!!) Judith Kolberg’s ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life is one I go back to all the time, it’s full of extremely helpful and useful things I can actually do, not just vague advice.

      Also, it’s true, if you aren’t extremely productive at 4pm, but were all day, don’t worry about it too much. ;o) But there are good techniques to help if it frustrates you.

      1. +1 to all this. I also really like using a timer method to help me stay focused. I’ve used Pomodoro timers and an app called Timebar. The idea is you set a clock for a certain amount of time– I usually do 30 or 60 minutes– and work super hard during that time– no facebook, gchat, thissite breaks. When the timer goes off, you set another timer for 5-10 minutes (I do 5 for 30 mins of working and 10 for 60). Pomodoros usually have the 5 min break built in. I don’t know why this method makes such a difference for me but it really does!

    5. I take micro breaks. My least productive times are 10am and 2pm so that’s when I plan on trolling blogs like this one for five or ten minutes. Also, I will get up and take a short walk around the office. Gets the blood pumping and helps me focus. And for those days that nothing works, I forgive myself and promise to work hard tomorrow.

  17. I posted here about a week ago. My review has gone… I cannot even decide what is the right word to describe it….
    I started at this firm in February, (small med mal practice, interesting, complex cases) thought things were going quite well. As always there were things I didn’t like, but last week they called a meeting saying things were not going as well as they would like and we were not moving forward with cases fast enough. Then I talked to the partner alone, asked specifically if he had anything specific to say to me and he said ‘you are doing a good job just continue like that and you will be fine…’ Two days later we were reviewing a specific case and he got upset with me (I think for no reason, I have been chasing him to sit and discuss this and other cases for weeks) and became very aggressive. The next day the other partner (who is his SO) called me into her office and said they may decide to let me go because another attorney is coming back from her maternity leave is coming back and I do not justify my higher salary… (and I were expecting a raise…). When I interviewed nobody mentioned this was a temporary position or or an attorney being on maternity leave. Had I known I am not sure i would have taken this job or quit the search. I started looking but was not at all prepared for this. any advice how to handle the situation things to learn from this?

    2. It’s small comfort, I know, but these people sound like terrible managers. I don’t think they know how to run their business, and you are paying the price. My sympathy on your situation.

    3. Not sure if you’ll see this response, but wanted to let you know I sympathize. My first job out of law school I worked at a small firm run by two partners who were related. One of the reasons I left was I didn’t feel much opportunity for advancement – this was their family business and I would never be an equal.

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