Stupid Question Re: Firm Issued Blackberry Forum

[iheartmonkey]

Sorry for this inane question. I have the option of using my personal iPhone or receiving a firm issued a blackberry for the summer to receive work related emails. I would prefer to use just one device so I'm leaning towards just using my iPhone but I'm wondering is there a benefit in using the blackberry that I haven't thought of... So, is there?

[09042014]

I got dirty looks for choosing IPhone. They want to have a backup phone to reach you. My partner has his email on both.

[El Pollito]

I got dirty looks for choosing IPhone. They want to have a backup phone to reach you. My partner has his email on both.

On the other hand, if you don't combine they'll think you're a sexual deviant.

[iheartmonkey]

I got dirty looks for choosing IPhone. They want to have a backup phone to reach you. My partner has his email on both.

Backup phone. Genius. Thanks for weighing in!

[westphillybandr]

I got dirty looks for choosing IPhone. They want to have a backup phone to reach you. My partner has his email on both.

From whom did you receive dirty looks?

[IAFG]

i combine and so does almost everyone who started with me. carrying/charging two devices is beyond annoying.

[westphillybandr]

i combine and so does almost everyone who started with me. carrying/charging two devices is beyond annoying.

Yea. I find it hard to believe that anyone would care enough to give dirty looks. Maybe the guy above me was trolling.

[Anonymous User]

I went with the blackberry last summer and hated it. Blackberries are old (nearly obsolete at this point) and very difficult to type on, and cannot do anything other than email and basic calendar. I hated having to carry around a second device, and since it wouldn't fit in my pocket along with my personal cell phone I had to keep it on my belt clip and look like a dork. That's fine when your in the office, but not when you want to go out after work.

On the other hand, some people like the idea of keeping their personal / work lives separate, which is easier to do with 2 devices.

[NotMyRealName09]

Personal preference, but just give in now, your life is over and has merged with your job. Besides, two phones are for philanderers only.

[NYC2012]

.

[de5igual]

I've got two devices. It's nice to not have to worry about emails being sent from the wrong account, browsing certain NSFW sites/apps, etc. As a summer, I don't see why you'd want to have the firm email sent to your personal phone. For one, you're not expected to answer emails after business hours so you can just leave the blackberry at your desk. I just don't like the idea of every text, call, pic, and app usage being logged in some firm hard drive.

[UMich11]

Worked in IB for 2 years and did both. Kinda a pain taking 2 phones out at night or with friend, but then again it it nice to have a backup.

[horseradish]

I've got two devices. It's nice to not have to worry about emails being sent from the wrong account, browsing certain NSFW sites/apps, etc. As a summer, I don't see why you'd want to have the firm email sent to your personal phone. For one, you're not expected to answer emails after business hours so you can just leave the blackberry at your desk. I just don't like the idea of every text, call, pic, and app usage being logged in some firm hard drive.

While you likely won't receive many emails after business hours that require you to respond, it is most certainly not advisable to leave your blackberry at your desk. There are people at the firm who will expect a response regardless of the fact that you are an SA. On the off-chance you get an email from one of them, its probably better to not piss them off.

Generally, firms vary in their expectations of summer associates. While the summer is generally light on work, i know many people, including myself, who had a late night here or there.

[middlemarch]

I used two devices, my iPhone and a firm-issued Blackberry, for my 1L summer (wasn't given the option) and merged on my iPhone for my 2L summer.

As a guy, merging was a major plus for me for the simple reason that carrying two devices is a huge pain during the summer when I don't carry around a bag, and I don't have any coat pockets. I definitely felt the need to bring my work phone that first summer even after business hours (that is, after all, why it's given to you) and on some occasions had to write quick e-mails while away from my computer. There are some/many partners who will at least value your fast responses to their emails; you might not have to complete a project as soon as it's given to you, but it's nice to be able to reply promptly to confirm you're on it.

Another benefit is that the firm will typically pay for all or part of your phone/data plan if you merge devices. And since it's not the firm paying for a phone, but instead the firm reimbursing you, I never felt that I had to censor my phone/social media usage--the way it worked for me was there would simply be another folder in my e-mail app that exclusively received work e-mails.

[lizaregina]

I am going to be using one phone as well but the only drawback is that if your work email gets subpoenaed they can take your whole phone to make sure that there wasn't a work/personal crossover. The chances of that happening are small but just throwing that out there.

I only know about this because it happened at my dad's firm and then checked with my firm to verify if it was accurate info.

[RedGiant]

Sorry for this inane question. I have the option of using my personal iPhone or receiving a firm issued a blackberry for the summer to receive work related emails. I would prefer to use just one device so I'm leaning towards just using my iPhone but I'm wondering is there a benefit in using the blackberry that I haven't thought of... So, is there?

I'm gonna tell you right now that most firms give summers BB-type devices to make the summers feel like they are real employees and important, but you will rarely have urgent work as a summer, so you'll rarely need to be tied to your firm-issued device. It's done for show. That said, the responses below pretty much sum it up--annoying to carry/charge two devices, some people like to keep their personal stuff personal.

[thirtyandseven]

Can't you just take the BB to make them happy, and then just leave it permanently charging at your desk and have it forward all calls/emails to your personal iPhone/android?

[bk1]

Can't you just take the BB to make them happy, and then just leave it permanently charging at your desk and have it forward all calls/emails to your personal iPhone/android?

Why would taking the BB make them happy?

[IAFG]

Can't you just take the BB to make them happy, and then just leave it permanently charging at your desk and have it forward all calls/emails to your personal iPhone/android?

Why would taking the BB make them happy?

DF inexplicably implied they want us to take BBs. They don't.

[bk1]

DF inexplicably implied they want us to take BBs. They don't.

Oh I forgot he said that. Thought thirtyandseven was responding to a more recent post.

[aces]

Can't you just take the BB to make them happy, and then just leave it permanently charging at your desk and have it forward all calls/emails to your personal iPhone/android?

Even if this had any benefit, it wouldn't necessarily fly with the firm. They might have some concern over how secure your personal phone/email client is. If you get firm email on your iphone/android, you have to hand over your phone and have the firm install some security stuff on it.

[dixiecupdrinking]

Can't you just take the BB to make them happy, and then just leave it permanently charging at your desk and have it forward all calls/emails to your personal iPhone/android?

Even if this had any benefit, it wouldn't necessarily fly with the firm. They might have some concern over how secure your personal phone/email client is. If you get firm email on your iphone/android, you have to hand over your phone and have the firm install some security stuff on it.

Yeah the only wrong answer here is "forward all your work emails to your gmail account."

[thirtyandseven]

Can't you just take the BB to make them happy, and then just leave it permanently charging at your desk and have it forward all calls/emails to your personal iPhone/android?

Even if this had any benefit, it wouldn't necessarily fly with the firm. They might have some concern over how secure your personal phone/email client is. If you get firm email on your iphone/android, you have to hand over your phone and have the firm install some security stuff on it.

Yeah the only wrong answer here is "forward all your work emails to your gmail account."

haha yea, actually, I retract my prior suggestion. Although I was thinking more along the lines of forwarding calls and logging into your work email on the personal phone, but that still leaves the security concerns that aces raised.

ETA: If the only reason they would want you to take a BB (in the unlikely event they even do want that--see IAFG above) is as a backup in case your personal device gets stolen/flushed down the toilet/etc., they might not mind setting up security on your personal phone too, because you'll still have the BB at your desk if anything happens to the personal device.