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I've been sitting on an offer from my summer firm, a boutique, and the deadline is approaching. I was told that since my summer got off to a rocky start, I will have a review at some point during my first year where I'll be fired if my work is closer to the shoddy work I did in the first half of the summer than to the excellent work i did during second half.

I loved the firm, both the work and the people. No other leads at the moment. Do I accept the offer and shut down the job hunt, while being happy for the heads up that I'll be under special scrutiny? Accept it and keep hunting? Reject it? I just don't see a way to ask the firm for any concessions. I also don't see any way to accept it and keep looking.

If anyone has experience with this type of offer, that advice would be particularly appreciated.

Anonymous User wrote:I've been sitting on an offer from my summer firm, a boutique, and the deadline is approaching. I was told that since my summer got off to a rocky start, I will have a review at some point during my first year where I'll be fired if my work is closer to the shoddy work I did in the first half of the summer than to the excellent work i did during second half.

I loved the firm, both the work and the people. No other leads at the moment. Do I accept the offer and shut down the job hunt, while being happy for the heads up that I'll be under special scrutiny? Accept it and keep hunting? Reject it? I just don't see a way to ask the firm for any concessions. I also don't see any way to accept it and keep looking.

If anyone has experience with this type of offer, that advice would be particularly appreciated.

Sounds like a "cold offer."

Accept and Keep looking. Don't stop looking ever. Even if you start working.

Desert Fox wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:I've been sitting on an offer from my summer firm, a boutique, and the deadline is approaching. I was told that since my summer got off to a rocky start, I will have a review at some point during my first year where I'll be fired if my work is closer to the shoddy work I did in the first half of the summer than to the excellent work i did during second half.

I loved the firm, both the work and the people. No other leads at the moment. Do I accept the offer and shut down the job hunt, while being happy for the heads up that I'll be under special scrutiny? Accept it and keep hunting? Reject it? I just don't see a way to ask the firm for any concessions. I also don't see any way to accept it and keep looking.

If anyone has experience with this type of offer, that advice would be particularly appreciated.

Sounds like a "cold offer."

Accept and Keep looking. Don't stop looking ever. Even if you start working.

My first thought was that I had been cold offered but other facts too sensitive to be posted here make me think otherwise. PM s submitted.

I agree with DF. At best you are on probation and you on very short leash. Find a fresh start if you could. Or firm is hedging.

I would look pretty hard. They wouldn't miss ya if you get another job. The good part is that now you can go to firms and say you got an offer but u need to be in XYZ market cuz of ABC reasons......

Do you have a good relationship with any of the partners that will be candid with you? regardless, I would keep looking.

Keep looking but it's not that bad. It sounds like they're being direct and honest. Would it be that different if you had tons of crappy reviews, but they never mentioned the could be fired early part? Hopefully you figured out what you did wrong, and learned from it. If not then I'd ask some of your bad reviewers out to coffee if you started there, and gauge how to fix it. It sounds like they're more concerned about who the real you is, and the answer to that will dictate your future there.

So, it seems the credited response is to accept and keep looking. Now, my question is, how do I keep potential employers from contacting them to confirm my story?

AReasonableMan wrote:Keep looking but it's not that bad. It sounds like they're being direct and honest. Would it be that different if you had tons of crappy reviews, but they never mentioned the could be fired early part? Hopefully you figured out what you did wrong, and learned from it. If not then I'd ask some of your bad reviewers out to coffee if you started there, and gauge how to fix it. It sounds like they're more concerned about who the real you is, and the answer to that will dictate your future there.

I think you're right. They really liked me, but one bad project made them concerned. Basically I face palm failed on one project and had a creative contribution that played a big part in winning a case later in the summer. All the other reviews were typical. Good but not perfect.

Definitely keep looking. Have a good answer for "why aren't you just working for your summer firm?"

Anonymous User wrote:So, it seems the credited response is to accept and keep looking. Now, my question is, how do I keep potential employers from contacting them to confirm my story?

AReasonableMan wrote:Keep looking but it's not that bad. It sounds like they're being direct and honest. Would it be that different if you had tons of crappy reviews, but they never mentioned the could be fired early part? Hopefully you figured out what you did wrong, and learned from it. If not then I'd ask some of your bad reviewers out to coffee if you started there, and gauge how to fix it. It sounds like they're more concerned about who the real you is, and the answer to that will dictate your future there.

I think you're right. They really liked me, but one bad project made them concerned. Basically I face palm failed on one project and had a creative contribution that played a big part in winning a case later in the summer. All the other reviews were typical. Good but not perfect.

I am 95% sure they will not contact your employer when you are looking.... If they contact them you will be fired. All potential firms will know and think that. If they ask to do that then tell them that you cannot jeopardize your current employment and that you would have to turn down the job. Then you just move on.

Don't worry about that.

Anonymous User wrote:So, it seems the credited response is to accept and keep looking. Now, my question is, how do I keep potential employers from contacting them to confirm my story?

AReasonableMan wrote:Keep looking but it's not that bad. It sounds like they're being direct and honest. Would it be that different if you had tons of crappy reviews, but they never mentioned the could be fired early part? Hopefully you figured out what you did wrong, and learned from it. If not then I'd ask some of your bad reviewers out to coffee if you started there, and gauge how to fix it. It sounds like they're more concerned about who the real you is, and the answer to that will dictate your future there.

I think you're right. They really liked me, but one bad project made them concerned. Basically I face palm failed on one project and had a creative contribution that played a big part in winning a case later in the summer. All the other reviews were typical. Good but not perfect.

It's weird they would be so concerned about one early assignment then. We all have bad weeks. It might be their finances are more limited being a boutique, and they're saying you better be this guy and not that guy. If you trust that they liked you, and that you won't mess up like that again, doesn't seem so terrible. It is concerning that they would mention the possibility of being fired though. If the lawyer liked you and trusted you could do the work, wouldn't they say something like "it was a learning experience. S/he is bright, and I'd work with them again?"

AReasonableMan wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:So, it seems the credited response is to accept and keep looking. Now, my question is, how do I keep potential employers from contacting them to confirm my story?

AReasonableMan wrote:Keep looking but it's not that bad. It sounds like they're being direct and honest. Would it be that different if you had tons of crappy reviews, but they never mentioned the could be fired early part? Hopefully you figured out what you did wrong, and learned from it. If not then I'd ask some of your bad reviewers out to coffee if you started there, and gauge how to fix it. It sounds like they're more concerned about who the real you is, and the answer to that will dictate your future there.

I think you're right. They really liked me, but one bad project made them concerned. Basically I face palm failed on one project and had a creative contribution that played a big part in winning a case later in the summer. All the other reviews were typical. Good but not perfect.

It's weird they would be so concerned about one early assignment then. We all have bad weeks. It might be their finances are more limited being a boutique, and they're saying you better be this guy and not that guy. If you trust that they liked you, and that you won't mess up like that again, doesn't seem so terrible. It is concerning that they would mention the possibility of being fired though. If the lawyer liked you and trusted you could do the work, wouldn't they say something like "it was a learning experience. S/he is bright, and I'd work with them again?"

I think the limited finances piece is the real driver of the weird offer. I accepted today. It just doesn't make any sense that they would so eagerly throw good money after bad ... if they really are that concerned about my performance. This seems more like a tactic by the hiring partner to keep me on my toes than anything else.

I will continue to work my network until my start date.

Right, but if the partner really liked you IDK either it was a huge screwup or you might be overrating their feelings towards you. The partners are the owners of the whole thing, and could amend their decision whenever. They know the importance their reviews have on you, and I think the most important part of the reviews is whether the reviewer wants you to work for them in the future. From a committee's point of view, if none of the partners want to work with you then you're about as valuable as a baseball player no team wants to sign. I don't think they're expecting you to be the Jesus of paper pushing. It would almost be better if this truly was an epic fail, because that would give more credibility to the optimistic perspective.