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This might come down to personality. I was happy to tell everyone who I was friendly with that I was leaving, and it didn't feel awkward to me, but I guess it comes down to team culture and such. I had a zoom meeting with the partner I was closest to about giving notice. HR was in touch with me within the hour and random partners were e-mailing, so clearly the first one just blasted off an e-mail to the corporate partners to let them know. Maybe it's all just a case of "it's not awkward if you don't let it be awkward."Definitely Not North wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:01 amGonna disagree and say you should almost certainly call (or at least IM) everyone you had any significant relationship with. Pretty cold to just fire off some form e-mail letting them know. Lower threshold for your Farewell email on your last day, that one you can blast off to everyone whose name rings a bell (including the people you called)
OP here - What do you say in your calls?Definitely Not North wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:01 amGonna disagree and say you should almost certainly call (or at least IM) everyone you had any significant relationship with. Pretty cold to just fire off some form e-mail letting them know. Lower threshold for your Farewell email on your last day, that one you can blast off to everyone whose name rings a bell (including the people you called)
But you had a zoom meeting first with the partner you were closest to. This sounds exactly like what Definitely Not North was suggesting. I agree that you should call your practice group head and/or whoever you work with most - once one person knows you may not have to tell anyone else, but phone is best, since presumably you can’t do in-person right now.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:07 amThis might come down to personality. I was happy to tell everyone who I was friendly with that I was leaving, and it didn't feel awkward to me, but I guess it comes down to team culture and such. I had a zoom meeting with the partner I was closest to about giving notice. HR was in touch with me within the hour and random partners were e-mailing, so clearly the first one just blasted off an e-mail to the corporate partners to let them know. Maybe it's all just a case of "it's not awkward if you don't let it be awkward."Definitely Not North wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:01 amGonna disagree and say you should almost certainly call (or at least IM) everyone you had any significant relationship with. Pretty cold to just fire off some form e-mail letting them know. Lower threshold for your Farewell email on your last day, that one you can blast off to everyone whose name rings a bell (including the people you called)
That you’re leaving to do X, you’ve really enjoyed working with them and will miss doing so (even if not true), they’ll generally be excited (or pretend to be, if you leaving is going to result in more work for them) and ask questions about what you’re headed to do. It’s usually a really nice conversation that you both will remember. I’ve been on the receiving end of a lot of them and all but one (where i was getting screwed) was a really nice conversation. One guy didn’t do the rounds and a number of people were pretty miffed (particularly partners). Never had anyone try to just shoot me an email—and if they did I would probably pick up the phone and call them as soon as I read it anyway.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 2:31 amOP here - What do you say in your calls?Definitely Not North wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:01 amGonna disagree and say you should almost certainly call (or at least IM) everyone you had any significant relationship with. Pretty cold to just fire off some form e-mail letting them know. Lower threshold for your Farewell email on your last day, that one you can blast off to everyone whose name rings a bell (including the people you called)
OP here - Thank you! If they ask you why you decided to leave or where you are going, how is that best handled? Obviously, the why you are leaving can't be the real reason I imagine as that would turn the conversation sour.Definitely Not North wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 8:55 amThat you’re leaving to do X, you’ve really enjoyed working with them and will miss doing so (even if not true), they’ll generally be excited (or pretend to be, if you leaving is going to result in more work for them) and ask questions about what you’re headed to do. It’s usually a really nice conversation that you both will remember. I’ve been on the receiving end of a lot of them and all but one (where i was getting screwed) was a really nice conversation. One guy didn’t do the rounds and a number of people were pretty miffed (particularly partners). Never had anyone try to just shoot me an email—and if they did I would probably pick up the phone and call them as soon as I read it anyway.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 2:31 amOP here - What do you say in your calls?Definitely Not North wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:01 amGonna disagree and say you should almost certainly call (or at least IM) everyone you had any significant relationship with. Pretty cold to just fire off some form e-mail letting them know. Lower threshold for your Farewell email on your last day, that one you can blast off to everyone whose name rings a bell (including the people you called)
All due respect, I can't think of why someone should care if partners are miffed. In a secondary market, sure, but you're disposable in NYC and they let you know that every day. They don't call us before ruining our weekends with a Friday afternoon email, so I wouldn't feel compelled to extend them any greater courtesy.Definitely Not North wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 8:55 amThat you’re leaving to do X, you’ve really enjoyed working with them and will miss doing so (even if not true), they’ll generally be excited (or pretend to be, if you leaving is going to result in more work for them) and ask questions about what you’re headed to do. It’s usually a really nice conversation that you both will remember. I’ve been on the receiving end of a lot of them and all but one (where i was getting screwed) was a really nice conversation. One guy didn’t do the rounds and a number of people were pretty miffed (particularly partners). Never had anyone try to just shoot me an email—and if they did I would probably pick up the phone and call them as soon as I read it anyway.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 2:31 amOP here - What do you say in your calls?Definitely Not North wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:01 amGonna disagree and say you should almost certainly call (or at least IM) everyone you had any significant relationship with. Pretty cold to just fire off some form e-mail letting them know. Lower threshold for your Farewell email on your last day, that one you can blast off to everyone whose name rings a bell (including the people you called)
1) the OP didn't say they're in NYC, andLesion of Doom wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:18 pmAll due respect, I can't think of why someone should care if partners are miffed. In a secondary market, sure, but you're disposable in NYC and they let you know that every day. They don't call us before ruining our weekends with a Friday afternoon email, so I wouldn't feel compelled to extend them any greater courtesy.
Scheduling a video call to give notice entirely unnecessary, even to the partners you're closest with. A simple cold call will suffice in the virtual environment to partners and any associates you've worked with recently. You can choose whether you want to IM or call any friends or support staff. Then you send a farewell email on you last day that includes all of the above + anyone else you think would be interested in hearing about your departure. For example, I included a few partners here that I didn't call because they weren't in my homeroomed group/we hadn't worked together in 2+ years.OutoftheWoods wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 4:43 pmIn normal times you would actually meet face-to-face with these people, so imo video calls to the closest partners to you is the way to go (or phone call if you are truly afraid to do that). As an above poster said, it's like a half-a-day process but it's worth it because you don't want to burn bridges. Just email/IM them asking if they have time to talk about X case and other things and take it from there (the X case discussion will be anything you actually have to discuss plus giving notice and offering your help with onboarding new associate(s)). Yeah it's awkward but you'll get a lot of respect doing it as close to face-to-face as possible. Definitely save the emails for those who you don't really have close relationships with. This worked for me in the pandemic quite well, I think, and I believe the partners responded very well.
I didn't quote OP, I quoted DNN (who appears to be speaking generally).nixy wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 4:53 pm1) the OP didn't say they're in NYC, andLesion of Doom wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:18 pmAll due respect, I can't think of why someone should care if partners are miffed. In a secondary market, sure, but you're disposable in NYC and they let you know that every day. They don't call us before ruining our weekends with a Friday afternoon email, so I wouldn't feel compelled to extend them any greater courtesy.
2) the point isn't to be courteous to partners, it's to stay on good terms in case you need the connection some day.
I mean, the calls may not further cement any future connections, but if a partner is miffed, it could hurt future connections. Someone who thinks an email is fine isn't going to be offended by a call, but someone who thinks you should call might be peeved by just an email.Lesion of Doom wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 7:48 pmI didn't quote OP, I quoted DNN (who appears to be speaking generally).nixy wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 4:53 pm1) the OP didn't say they're in NYC, andLesion of Doom wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:18 pmAll due respect, I can't think of why someone should care if partners are miffed. In a secondary market, sure, but you're disposable in NYC and they let you know that every day. They don't call us before ruining our weekends with a Friday afternoon email, so I wouldn't feel compelled to extend them any greater courtesy.
2) the point isn't to be courteous to partners, it's to stay on good terms in case you need the connection some day.
I question the value in these calls for any future connection. Quitting via email is fine and you can follow up individually as desired. There's no need to make it a bigger deal than it is. If it's a senior associate, then okay, but most associates obviously leave prior to that point. To each their own.
You should at least call the chair of your group or, if it's a very large group and the chair doesn't know who you are/you haven't worked with them, then probably the equity partner you've worked with the most.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 8:51 pmA twist. What if you’re a first year leaving before a year is up? With remote starts, it’s plausible to have formed no real connections with anyone
I agree with all of this.nixy wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 8:45 pm
I mean, the calls may not further cement any future connections, but if a partner is miffed, it could hurt future connections. Someone who thinks an email is fine isn't going to be offended by a call, but someone who thinks you should call might be peeved by just an email.
Obviously know your own office (maybe your office culture is such that only email is fine) and your own level of giving a fuck (you may not care either way, which is totally fine), and I don't think it's remotely the end of the world to buck convention on this. But since the OP asked, every time this subject comes up, consensus is to reach out at least to the superior(s) you're most close to in person first.
(You say you've seen emails to the partners in the group - would you even know if that person had reached out to one/some of them by phone first?)