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Seems a lot of people on TLS discuss changing jobs quite often. How often do y'all switch jobs? How do you deal with constantly "starting over"?

Personally, I hate switching jobs. Money is not my biggest motivator and that would be the main reason I would consider a change. Granted, I love where I work so that's part of it.

Not including legal jobs, I'd say I average 2 years at any given position. I'm currently working my first real lawyer job so I don't know how long I'll stay here. My current intent is to make partner, but life happens so who knows if that actually occurs.

zot1 wrote:Seems a lot of people on TLS discuss changing jobs quite often. How often do y'all switch jobs? How do you deal with constantly "starting over"?

I think there is a limit on productive switching jobs. Firms look at you as disloyal/flighty. Better to put a lot more effort into finding the right firm from the beginning.

I think it is quite understandable for people to switch a few times shortly after graduation (how many people are lucky enough to get their "ideal" job right after law school?) as long as that eventually results in finding a job that you stay at for a reasonably long time.

I did two years at a firm, followed by a one year clerkship, and I just started at a government agency that I hope/plan to stay at pretty long term.

Not often enough.

But seriously, I have been looking for the right biglaw exit opportunity since about six months in, because I know I'm not in this for the long haul. But realistically I'm not "trying" to leave unless a worthwhile job comes up. I imagine this is true for a lot of people. The up or out model encourages you to be thinking about your next move practically from day one.

Most of the people I work with had other jobs before this one (leaving out clerkships which are of course temporary), usually one or two. I would say most had anywhere from 3-7 years in each previous one. (Keep in mind these people were mostly not at firms so there's no up-and-out issue.)

I think the boomer model of putting in your 30 years and getting your gold watch at retirement is long gone, even in law. People change jobs relatively regularly - if you've gotten the most out of a job that you can and another opportunity comes along, it's completely normal to pursue it. That could be after 5, 10, or 15 years somewhere - depends on the person and the job.

And how do you deal with this when interviewing? You're not supposed to bash any prior employer. Some interviewers accept the answer given (for example, I wanted to gain more of X type of experience). But sometimes, they don't let it go and keep pressing. You should still not give in and say anything bad right?

Obviously, if you are leaving a job voluntarily, you weren't happy there, but you can't say that right?

i've been averaging 2-3 years per job, some of it is switching to a new job within the same company/firm (where an interview is required for the new role) and some to a job at another company/firm

I'm on my 3rd job and I'm a 2013 grad. No one has ever asked me about why I left anywhere during any interview. I had no problems finding interviews when I intended on lateralling. I truly don't think the legal market, at least when you just start out, looks at job hopping as a big of a flag as TLS seems to think.

BarbellDreams wrote:I'm on my 3rd job and I'm a 2013 grad. No one has ever asked me about why I left anywhere during any interview. I had no problems finding interviews when I intended on lateralling. I truly don't think the legal market, at least when you just start out, looks at job hopping as a big of a flag as TLS seems to think.

I've had it mentioned in almost every interview.

Getting asked why you left your previous jobs doesn't mean it's a red flag, though - it's just a really typical interview question to ask someone about their experience. (Unless you mean they literally said "why did you leave so many jobs/after such a short time" or the like, of course.)

I should clarify: I have been asked why I left, I have never had an interviewer talk about duration or anything like that. So its more like "I wanted to try to shift to more of a litigation based practice so I moved on from my transactional firm for an opportunity to work in that field." No one even hints that I was @ the transactional practice for ~8 months is an issue, or asks anything remotely close to it.

Most interviewers ask and accept the answer. I have had a couple challenge it though and be like "oh then why didn't you do X" or "why didn't you stay at your firm, but ask to do X" and then it becomes difficult because there are a lot of things I didn't like about my prior employer, but I don't think it is appropriate to bash them in an interview.

Thanks for all the answers.

How about how y'all deal with starting over at each place? Is it difficult being the new guy every so often? Do you have to move for these jobs?

Its like any other new job. Yeah its annoying trying to remember everyones name, not know knew procedures or partner preferences at a new firm, doing the rounds introducing yourself, feeling like you're back at the bottom of the totem pole, etc. but thats sort of how it works with any job. You just get used to it.

I've moved for a job one time. But its by choice so you know its coming.