1st Year Associate Hours Forum

[Anonymous User]

First year at a V100.

I am 6 weeks in and I am a bit worried about the lack of work I have received. It’s not like I am hiding from work. I offer to help. But I have not received many assignments. My group, however, appears to be very busy. Is this alarming or normal?

[Anonymous User]

enjoy the slow times

6 months from now you will miss them. when you're a few years in, you'll realize that it takes a lot of effort and time on the part of your midlevels and seniors to train you up and give you instructions. staffing and acclimation is a gradual process.

[Anonymous User]

Agree. Enjoy the slow times while they last. I had the same worries when I started. Trust me, you'll get busy eventually, and no one cares if your first few months are relatively slow.

[UnassumingUsername]

Agree. Enjoy the slow times while they last. I had the same worries when I started. Trust me, you'll get busy eventually, and no one cares if your first few months are relatively slow.

This. Every first-year has these feelings. Don't worry be happy.

[Anonymous User]

First year at a V100.

I am 6 weeks in and I am a bit worried about the lack of work I have received. It’s not like I am hiding from work. I offer to help. But I have not received many assignments. My group, however, appears to be very busy. Is this alarming or normal?

I just became a 2nd year. I asked this exact question a year ago. I received a comment from someone saying essentially “I know you won’t listen, but just relax and enjoy having no work while getting paid.” I didn’t listen. I continued to stress. Then I had my first rough week, which turned into 9 months of nonstop work.

Please just don’t care or worry about this. Looking back, no one cares about me as a 2nd year really and certainly no one is paying attention to a first year who just started. When you get an work, take care of it diligently, but please don’t just sit at your computer waiting for work to come in. Once you get busy (especially in this market), you’ll never slow down.

[Anonymous User]

I just became a 2nd year. I asked this exact question a year ago. I received a comment from someone saying essentially “I know you won’t listen, but just relax and enjoy having no work while getting paid.” I didn’t listen. I continued to stress. Then I had my first rough week, which turned into 9 months of nonstop work.

Came to say exactly this. Barely billed 20 hours a week during my stub year, and just hit hours for the year last week as a first year. You WILL get staffed and you should enjoy every slow week without any guilt.

[nls336]

I just became a 2nd year. I asked this exact question a year ago. I received a comment from someone saying essentially “I know you won’t listen, but just relax and enjoy having no work while getting paid.” I didn’t listen. I continued to stress. Then I had my first rough week, which turned into 9 months of nonstop work.

Came to say exactly this. Barely billed 20 hours a week during my stub year, and just hit hours for the year last week as a first year. You WILL get staffed and you should enjoy every slow week without any guilt.

You ABSOLUTELY should not worry about having a slow few weeks to start. But, to use this time productively would be my advice. I started virtually last year and really regretted how much of an imposter I felt myself to be because it hindered me in building relationships in my group. I didn't use the time effectively because I just wasn't that worried about not having something to do but was very worried someone would figure out that "I wasn't supposed to be there," or so I thought. The first few weeks I could've been using that time to reach out to mid-levels / schedule virtual meet-ups with new people. Definitely use the time to network productively to the extent you feel able to!

[texas1100]

Echoing everyone else. Enjoy your stub year and network. Enjoy not working past midnight routinely

[breadlaw]

Not OP but thanks everyone for their confirmation that I am not a failure for not having much of anything to do a few weeks in