First Year Missed Bonus -- Should I Be Polishing Resume? Forum

[Br3v]

Related question: 3L, and going into a field that has a lot of slow times (for juniors especially.) In a similar situation, is the solution pro bono? CLE? If you're not getting work what can you do to look "productive" and keep this kind of thing from happening?

EDIT: assuming that the problem isn't a total lack of work or shitty work product, but instead deal flow/other structural issues with getting you work

Just ask for work from any of the people who you'd fear would hold your slow hours against you. If they know you are looking, it's hard for them to hold it against you.

[RaceJudicata]

Related question: 3L, and going into a field that has a lot of slow times (for juniors especially.) In a similar situation, is the solution pro bono? CLE? If you're not getting work what can you do to look "productive" and keep this kind of thing from happening?

EDIT: assuming that the problem isn't a total lack of work or shitty work product, but instead deal flow/other structural issues with getting you work

Just ask for work from any of the people who you'd fear would hold your slow hours against you. If they know you are looking, it's hard for them to hold it against you.

And don’t worry about this yet. Enjoy 3L

[Tls2016]

I don’t understand why you weren’t getting staffed though? It’s odd if you were the only 1st year in this position. It’s odd too that you weren’t paying attention to your hours.
Were you trying to coast?

[Tls2016]

You worked a full year and they aren’t giving you anything? I’ve honestly never heard of that happening.

Many (most?) Biglaw firms have a minimum hours target you have to hit to be eligible for a bonus.

Yes I do know that. I just know that it’s usually not as issue. I think somethings off about this situation but you guys know better about the current market than I do.
If I saw a junior with those hours I would assume they are not good at their job and wouldn’t want them, whether or notit’s true. If no one is staffing you in multiple groups I think there may be something else happening here. But maybe some firms are slow and overhired as someone else suggested.

[Anonymous User]

I went from glowing review (with 2000+ hrs on the year) to "the talk" a few months later after a slow period as part of a group of juniors who were all let go around the same time, so things can change fast. If the firm determines they've overhired and need to cut weight, they'll probably have you at or near at the top of the list if you're still slow. And unfortunately these things can often become vicious cycles - you become known as a low biller so some people won't touch you, bad luck with staffing means you get fewer opportunities to become someone's go-to, etc. Then again, maybe your firm picks up and you never experience a slow period again.

At some point you also have to consider missing bonuses and not getting good experience as points for leaving, if the lack of hours includes a lack of good work instead of a lack of filler hours.

Overall I don't think you need to sound the alarm just yet, but it's not a bad idea to field calls from recruiters here and there and find out if there's another firm that might be an upgrade or a better situation for you.

[jbagelboy]

1350 hours at a V10 corp?

I am insanely fucking jealous. Even without the paltry first year bonus, your actual pay per hour is out of this world. There are people working literally twice as much as you making the same paycheck. Whether you look for new work or not, I hope you treasured this time as #winning

[Yugihoe]

1350 hours at a V10 corp?

I am insanely fucking jealous. Even without the paltry first year bonus, your actual pay per hour is out of this world. There are people working literally twice as much as you making the same paycheck. Whether you look for new work or not, I hope you treasured this time as #winning

Yea but anyone can coast for a year and get stealth layoffed. You too can be #winning

[spyke123]

Being low biller as a junior is not winning... I’d be scared of losing my job/not building marketable skills.

[star fox]

1350 hours at a V10 corp?

I am insanely fucking jealous. Even without the paltry first year bonus, your actual pay per hour is out of this world. There are people working literally twice as much as you making the same paycheck. Whether you look for new work or not, I hope you treasured this time as #winning

Disagree, it's hard to enjoy low hours when any day could be your last, unless you're at a point where you don't care and are ready to move on.

[Anonymous User]

Whats your total with non-billable?

[Desert Fox]

How busy have you been lately OP.

[mvp99]

Being low biller as a junior is not winning... I’d be scared of losing my job/not building marketable skills.

"Skills"

[runinthefront]

1350 seems incredibly slow, especially given that all of the firms in the NYC "V10" seem to be very busy and you were in a "run of the mill large corporate/transactional group." You also never really sought out work during the times you were really, really slow; and all the other first years seemed to make (or come close to) their hours.

I'm going to go against the general optimism on the first page and recommend that you polish the resume.

[jd20132013]

1350 seems incredibly slow, especially given that all of the firms in the NYC "V10" seem to be very busy and you were in a "run of the mill large corporate/transactional group." You also never really sought out work during the times you were really, really slow; and all the other first years seemed to make (or come close to) their hours.

I'm going to go against the general optimism on the first page and recommend that you polish the resume.

Ya I meant to bring in some negativity byt forgot. I aheee

[sublime]

I agree to the extent that it may or may not be a problem, so polishing your resume, which shouldn’t take that long, is probably a good idea.

[BlendedUnicorn]

I agree to the extent that it may or may not be a problem, so polishing your resume, which shouldn’t take that long, is probably a good idea.

Certainly should have time for it

[RaceJudicata]

I agree to the extent that it may or may not be a problem, so polishing your resume, which shouldn’t take that long, is probably a good idea.

Certainly should have time for it

I lol’d

[Johann]

1350 hours at a V10 corp?

I am insanely fucking jealous. Even without the paltry first year bonus, your actual pay per hour is out of this world. There are people working literally twice as much as you making the same paycheck. Whether you look for new work or not, I hope you treasured this time as #winning

Disagree, it's hard to enjoy low hours when any day could be your last, unless you're at a point where you don't care and are ready to move on.

V10s aren’t laying off any juniors right now. It’s def winning.

[Anonymous User]

1350 hours at a V10 corp?

I am insanely fucking jealous. Even without the paltry first year bonus, your actual pay per hour is out of this world. There are people working literally twice as much as you making the same paycheck. Whether you look for new work or not, I hope you treasured this time as #winning

Disagree, it's hard to enjoy low hours when any day could be your last, unless you're at a point where you don't care and are ready to move on.

V10s aren’t laying off any juniors right now. It’s def winning.

My V10 just shit canned a junior When the rest of us are working nuts hours.

[Johann]

Yea but this one just got a glowing review while yours probably got borderline for caused

[trebekismyhero]

Low hours your first year, especially with good reviews is not a big deal. I was in the same boat, though not 1350, but not much more. If you are still way off pace in 6 months then that would be a different story.

[sbalive]

There are two reasons why you should be "polishing your resume." (1) You were in a situation where you only managed to get up to 1350 hours at your firm, and (2) despite good reviews, you didn't get a bonus at all. That suggests that the firm may have too many associates at your level, and they aren't all that worried about keeping you. While they may not have anything against you personally, these are danger signs, and you should at least start getting a sense of what other options might be out there. There might not be any worthwhile, in which case you will probably be ok (low hours aren't that abnormal and they seem to like you) -- but there is cause for concern.

[Anonymous User]

billed 1200 as first year at nyc v5 corporate and got glowing review (except for the hours part, which they said I had to improve on but otherwise was told I had "good judgment" and "potential for a great midlevel." I didn't make many mistakes and I know the people I worked with were happy with my work. nothing became of it. I left voluntarily about 1.5 years later.

[onionz]

I'm always curious in threads like this--are people posting hours based strictly on "paid" work, or anything the firm considers billable from an associate perspective? (i.e., pro bono work, writing alert memos or other biz-dev-y stuff). I assume it's strictly "paid" work, as the 1350 figure would be super low all in. For example, about 1/5 of my total hours are for pro bono and other biz dev items. As far as I'm concerned, if a partner asks me to do something, I'll do it and it's immaterial to me whether it's for a paying client or something else. But my firm also doesn't have any sort of target billables of any sort so maybe that's part of my misunderstanding.

[jkpolk]

I'm always curious in threads like this--are people posting hours based strictly on "paid" work, or anything the firm considers billable from an associate perspective? (i.e., pro bono work, writing alert memos or other biz-dev-y stuff). I assume it's strictly "paid" work, as the 1350 figure would be super low all in. For example, about 1/5 of my total hours are for pro bono and other biz dev items. As far as I'm concerned, if a partner asks me to do something, I'll do it and it's immaterial to me whether it's for a paying client or something else. But my firm also doesn't have any sort of target billables of any sort so maybe that's part of my misunderstanding.

Alot of corporate juniors dont do any of that pro bono/biz dev stuff. biz dev at v50 corporate as a junior is not happening unless you're coming from a business career or are otherwise connected as fuck (you went to an M7, your parents are rich/famous, etc.). pro bono is a tough sell because you can go 0 to 100 so quickly on actual work - biting off serious pro bono and then getting fucked when a few deals hit at once is a mistake you only need to make once.