Drop or keep Research Assistant job? Forum

[Anonymous User]

.

[madame defarge]

I would drop the RA position. The worst thing you can do is keep it and do a crappy job, thus alienating the professor, who could be a valuable future recommender. I don't think any future employer will care if you only RA'ed for 1 year, especially since you are also TA'ing and doing the journal gig. Moreover, an RA position doesn't do much for your resume unless the prof is someone really famous. The journal gig is far more important to future employers.

[NotMyRealName09]

I would drop the RA position. The worst thing you can do is keep it and do a crappy job, thus alienating the professor, who could be a valuable future recommender. I don't think any future employer will care if you only RA'ed for 1 year, especially since you are also TA'ing and doing the journal gig. Moreover, an RA position doesn't do much for your resume unless the prof is someone really famous. The journal gig is far more important to future employers.

Yeah, because bailing after you've committed won't alienate you from the prof at all....

Alternative perspective - 10 hours a week? Buck up and commit to both. You are in law school once, don't waste it. You read like a gunner, so gun.

[monkey85]

Yeah, because bailing after you've committed won't alienate you from the prof at all....

Alternative perspective - 10 hours a week? Buck up and commit to both. You are in law school once, don't waste it. You read like a gunner, so gun.

It's unlikely that OP will be able to gun properly.

EIC, SME and other similar law review leadership positions take up incredible hours (40, 50, even 60 hours a week). Doing the RA position on top of that would be way too much.

Drop the RA position.

[NotMyRealName09]

Yeah, because bailing after you've committed won't alienate you from the prof at all....

Alternative perspective - 10 hours a week? Buck up and commit to both. You are in law school once, don't waste it. You read like a gunner, so gun.

It's unlikely that OP will be able to gun properly.

EIC, SME and other similar law review leadership positions take up incredible hours (40, 50, even 60 hours a week). Doing the RA position on top of that would be way too much.

Drop the RA position.

Did I leave out the part about not doing bullshit law review journal positions because of the incredible time sink and diminishing rewards? I guess I did. I'm a cynic though, so ignore me.

[Anonymous User]

I would drop the RA position. The worst thing you can do is keep it and do a crappy job, thus alienating the professor, who could be a valuable future recommender. I don't think any future employer will care if you only RA'ed for 1 year, especially since you are also TA'ing and doing the journal gig. Moreover, an RA position doesn't do much for your resume unless the prof is someone really famous. The journal gig is far more important to future employers.

Yeah, because bailing after you've committed won't alienate you from the prof at all....

Alternative perspective - 10 hours a week? Buck up and commit to both. You are in law school once, don't waste it. You read like a gunner, so gun.

I wouldn't be bailing after committing. I haven't committed to a second year, and the professor hasn't asked me to yet (and might not -- that's part of the reason for thinking about getting out before I'm potentially pushed out). At my school, RA positions are year to year things, but most people do the second year of it.