I resigned from a summer job. Was this a bad decision? Forum

[grand inquisitor]

on the spectrum of bravery & speaking truth to power this is right about even with sally "i can't enforce policy i don't agree with" yates

[1styearlateral]

This was a great story.

[Minnietron]

This was a great story.

Agreed. I'm waiting for Chapter 2: The Phone Call of Support. Here, our protagonist learns they became a shining example for others to follow. Will they answer the call from like-minded SJWs?

[sparty99]

This is an obvious flame because internships with the DOJ are unpaid and if you got a clerkship then you were top of your class and would have done a summer at Big Law instead of 3 summers at a government agency.

[globetrotter659]

This is an obvious flame because internships with the DOJ are unpaid and if you got a clerkship then you were top of your class and would have done a summer at Big Law instead of 3 summers at a government agency.

SLIP

[top_gun]

I don't think this is a flame guys. I know a person that's resigned from an internship

[Ohiobumpkin]

If true, it was a bone-headed move. Even if a left leaning administration comes into power (Bernie 2020?), they will look at you as an unreliable and possibly unstable person to hire. Also, an intern quitting in protest has zero effect on anyone in the office/department/government. Why didn't you just finish your last week? You worked there all summer for crying out loud! It would be like a mobster saying "Whoa! I signed up for racketeering, not murder! I quit!" Enjoy the clerkship and maybe pursue a career in state government, because your chances in a federal career have been sharply reduced.

[Wipfelder]

God, this is the most spineless, bourgie thing I've ever read. Did you borrow your dad's BMW to commute everyday?

Millennials are the worst, they've even ruined the revolution.

Millennials > other generations

Amen and no judgment on OP. Better late than never. (Of course the idea of an intern doing a noisy resignation is funny.)

That said, half of what the Justice Department does during Dem administrations is also morally objectionable, OP.

I was joking about the millennial thing, I am one. But this dude claiming to be "far left" and acting in such a meek, watered down way would make those boomer-Red Brigades cringe.

OP left a note at least. Imagine how angry the Boomers would have been if he sent an email.(once they figured out how to turn on their computers and access the email)

I bet their assistants would be shaking as they printed it out for them.

[Barrred]

It would be like a mobster saying "Whoa! I signed up for racketeering, not murder! I quit!"

I agree with your overall point, but a criminal drawing their personal line of immorality at racketeering and refusing to murder someone seems entirely reasonable.

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

Op the only way we can really assess is if you post the content of the letter.

[Nebby]

If you quit OSG early, then yes, it was dumb.

[BasilHallward]

OP, you clearly know the answer decision. This whole post is flame or one of the most ridiculous thing I've heard in a while. OP, nobody gives two shits about the point you were trying to make. Lawl

[Taco]

"I'll take things that never happened for 500, Alex"

[elendinel]

If not flame:

One of my partners once showed my colleagues a hilarious resignation letter from an associate two firms back who left the firm to "follow their dream." It was both a joke and a warning that we're going to be considered crazy people if we do the same thing. I've probably also shown it to other people because of how hilarious it is. I don't know that any of us would remember the name of the guy who did it, but the partner probably did and if we looked at a resume that seemed to track with this dude's letter, we'd probably take a quick look back at that letter out of curiosity. So these kinds of things can and sometimes do get around, in ways you may not be able to imagine.

It doesn't always happen though, so hopefully your bosses just read it and discard. Make sure you don't do anything similar in the future.

[stego]

If not flame:

One of my partners once showed my colleagues a hilarious resignation letter from an associate two firms back who left the firm to "follow their dream." It was both a joke and a warning that we're going to be considered crazy people if we do the same thing. I've probably also shown it to other people because of how hilarious it is. I don't know that any of us would remember the name of the guy who did it, but the partner probably did and if we looked at a resume that seemed to track with this dude's letter, we'd probably take a quick look back at that letter out of curiosity. So these kinds of things can and sometimes do get around, in ways you may not be able to imagine.

It doesn't always happen though, so hopefully your bosses just read it and discard. Make sure you don't do anything similar in the future.

A person quitting big law to "follow their dream" is per se hilarious, or was there more to it than that?

[Alt123]

Y'all takin the bait

[Miss Trial]

I don't see why so many people think this is fake when so many people have actually resigned over Trump/Sessions. This seems legit.

[landshoes]

The fact that people find this so obviously ridiculous / hilarious / stupid / worthless because...~it could go in your file~

is basically everything you need to know about the type of person who goes to law school.

[Alt123]

The fact that people find this so obviously ridiculous / hilarious / stupid / worthless because...~it could go in your file~

is basically everything you need to know about the type of person who goes to law school.

Oh damn this is a good one too

[stego]

The fact that people find this so obviously ridiculous / hilarious / stupid / worthless because...~it could go in your file~

is basically everything you need to know about the type of person who goes to law school.

I think people are finding ridiculous and stupid for a lot of reasons tbh

[landshoes]

The fact that people find this so obviously ridiculous / hilarious / stupid / worthless because...~it could go in your file~

is basically everything you need to know about the type of person who goes to law school.

I think people are finding ridiculous and stupid for a lot of reasons tbh

WHAT IS THE POINT IF IT WILL NOT BRING YOU CAREER SUCCESS???

[xRON MEXiCOx]

man do you really need to write a letter of resignation as an unpaid intern?

[BlendedUnicorn]

This is tough for me because I do think at a certain point civil servants have an obligation to walk away from a regime they think is unconscionable and the people telling you otherwise are simply wrong and/or trying to justify their own uneasy relationship with their own work right now.

On the other hand, I'm also a huge fan of knowing where you stand in the system. And, as others have pointed out, a resignation that came with an over the top letter and only came after you'd been working for the regime for a while and shortly before you were leaving for another gig wreaks of self aggrandizement.

You have to choose between martyrdom and collaboration. They're both justifiable, but splitting the difference just gets you the worst of both worlds. Luckily, your clerkship will probably be enough to soften the blow here.

[jd20132013]

If not flame:

One of my partners once showed my colleagues a hilarious resignation letter from an associate two firms back who left the firm to "follow their dream." It was both a joke and a warning that we're going to be considered crazy people if we do the same thing. I've probably also shown it to other people because of how hilarious it is. I don't know that any of us would remember the name of the guy who did it, but the partner probably did and if we looked at a resume that seemed to track with this dude's letter, we'd probably take a quick look back at that letter out of curiosity. So these kinds of things can and sometimes do get around, in ways you may not be able to imagine.

It doesn't always happen though, so hopefully your bosses just read it and discard. Make sure you don't do anything similar in the future.

The partner keeps that letter to remind himself of what he could have been if he'd had the guts btw

[A. Nony Mouse]

The fact that people find this so obviously ridiculous / hilarious / stupid / worthless because...~it could go in your file~

is basically everything you need to know about the type of person who goes to law school.

I think people are finding ridiculous and stupid for a lot of reasons tbh

WHAT IS THE POINT IF IT WILL NOT BRING YOU CAREER SUCCESS???

Sure, except for the part where 1) Trump and Sessions took office long before the OP started their internship, and 2) they only felt compelled to resign one week before the end of their internship with all their major projects done? I'm all for people following their conscience damn the consequences, but this particular example of standing up is SUPER unconvincing to me.

(Besides, their original question was, did I fuck over my career, so people are answering in that vein. The OP ASKED about the impact of their action on career success. If they'd asked something like, at what point do you resign in this situation? or the like, your comments would be more pertinent.)