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Q10: How do you assess a job offer?
Whether you connect with the people interviewing you
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Does it match YOUR expectations of your first legal career step? (NOT: Does it match other parties' (i.e. school peers and legal employers) expectations of your first legal career step?)
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range of articling experience -fitting in with firm
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Go with your gut. If the firm practises what you want to do (or think you want to do), and you like the people you've met thus far, and you think you'll fit in well, go for it - pay and size isn't everything and it's not for everyone.
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Assess it in terms of how many other offers you have and your interest in the firm.
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what kind of skills can i get from this position and is there any opportunity to stay on with the firm at the end of the articling term?
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If it's a job offer, you take it and worry about the details later
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The salary and billable hours target.
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Research what is available and what has been offered to you.
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by the people at the firm, and the type of law the firm practices
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Can you see yourself being like the people who work there in some way? If no, choose another job.
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Do your research to find out what the "going rates" are for articling positions in your particular city at firms of a similar size. Assess the people that you interviewed with. Do you think you would enjoy working with them?
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ask other students, look at the students they have already hired, how pushy they are
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Talk to others in the profession. Consider the market. Right now experience is more important than money.
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it can be difficult. there may not be much separating working at the various large firms. the best thing to do, is try to gauge what you thought of the people you met and whether you could work with them.
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Think hard whether you would want to work with these people. If you didn't like the way they came across at an interview or dinner etc., don't accept their offer just because they're a top firm in town. There's nothing worse than have to spend long hours working with people you dislike. Also pay attention to the firm's past hire-back ratio if it's important to you that you have a legitimate shot at staying with the firm afterwards.
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For me it was just getting the chance to meet as many people in the firm as possible and to see if I thought I would get along and enjoy working with them. If you're not going to like the people it's probably not the place for you.
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It depends on the job market.
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Get other offers (if possible) and compare pay, benefits and, most importantly, quality of articles Talk to your career development officer at law school
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Is it what you expected? Can you live on what they are offering. If it is low, do they compensate you with great experience? Ask yourself if you will be happy getting that same paycheque six months from now.
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I asked other firms where I should work if I couldn't work for them. That turned out to be a good way to figure out which are the most-respected firms in town. Talk to other students about the firms you are interested in. Take all available opportunities to meet as many people at the firm as possible when you are there.
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benefits - chance of working there again (some firms actively over-hire, some will not hire back articling students) - chance of working with another, similar firm if not hired back
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Before assessing any job offer, I think it is very important that you do a self-assessment first. You really need to figure out what you are hoping to get out of your articles. The experience you get from your articles is your responsibility. Don't expect the firm to ensure that you receive a well-rounded article. The firm provides you with opportunities, but you need to be proactive in seeking out these opportunities.
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Is this what I really want and how will it fit in to my values?
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personal judgement
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I would look and see how many women/men are partners. Ages. Diversity in fields. Are the partners possessive of their fields. Is it a happy environment or is there camaraderie among the partners? Do the partners help each other? Are the physical facilities large enough to hold more partners? Who is the managing partner? Is it an innovative person with an open mind? Does this person encourage growth?
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This is a personal matter. Where do you want to work? How large a firm? What kind of salary? How intense a workload? What are the associates like? Keep in mind, generally, the higher the salary, the greater the risk of burn-out.
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Do you like the people? Do they do what you want to do? Did they make you laugh? Do they treat staff well? Do they offer anything special? Do you know anyone there you want to work with? Will they take you where you want to go?
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Most big firm articling positions pay roughly the same. Speak with as many people as possible. It is better to speak with other associates rather than students in upper years, b/c students still all think that their firm is the best. They have yet to see the bad side of practicing law. Do a lot of research in advance, so that you'll know a good offer when you see it. Speak with Judy at UBC (or your schools advisor)
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You'll probably work long hours at about the same rate of pay at most firms, so don't use that as a criteria. Look at the work experience: if you want broad variety, go to a full-service firm. If you know you want to do something specific, a firm with experienced lawyers with industry-specific clients will be a better fit.
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Depending on your finances partly based on how much they will pay you/ whether there will be benefits/ if they will pay for your PLTC. What hours you will be expected to work (if you have children or other special considerations). What sort of work you will be doing. If you have had other job offers/ if it is almost impossible to find other offers be more willing to accept the offer.
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It depends if you have choices or not. Try to have choices.
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how did comfortable did you feel with the people interviewing you? How did people look when you toured the office? Talk to people who have articled there and get their insight? More money does not mean it is a better firm to work at.
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Ask to speak to other articling students or junior associates in the firm: they will likely give you useful information.
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If you like the firm, you should take it. You should have decided in advance which ones you like. And, by the way, if a firm is your first choice and you would accept a job offer immediately if one appeared, TELL THEM!
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Is it a good fit with you? Do you like the lawyers who work there? Can you see yourself working with the lawyers?
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It depends on you. Consider whether you like the people you met on your interviews. Can you see yourself enjoying working there? You may also want to compare salaries with other similar employers.
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based on what you want to do
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Take it! Prospects for hire-back, salary, benefits, location, colleagues
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Is it the right "fit" for you Are the areas of practice of interest Do you meet the firm's expectations and visa versa
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go with your gut
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Mostly gut feeling about the firm and whether it fits with my personality.
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Gut feeling that you are going to enjoy working at the place.
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Expectations, salary, benefits, possibility of associate position afterwards
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Will it allow you to do the law you want to do.
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fit with the firm, likability of lawyers, interest in practice areas, wage, size of firm
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Think long term - does it add the most to what you want to end up doing. And do you feel comfortable there and will you learn there.
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First you have to determine if the firm does the kind of work that you want to do. You should ask yourself if lawyers at the firm are living the kind of lifestyle that you want (ie are they all there until 10pm every night, and is this something you want to?). Salary and benefits are also important.
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Decide what you are in it for. If it is just for a year, to get it done, then most offers don't really matter. If it really matters to you, are you willing to take less to start in the anticipation that it will change. Always think about whether it is truly a "fit" for you. Remember everyone is on best behaviour at an interview. Always check out the staff's faces when you are in a firm, it tells a lot about the environment.
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It's about fit with the firm. Between the large firms, the job offers are very similar in terms of salary, benefits, etc. It's whether you want to work with these people on the weekends or late at night, under stress, etc (and whether they'd want to work with you on that basis). Do you get a good feeling about the environment? You'll be spending a lot of time with these people. You want to like and respect each other.
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[posted June 3, 2005] |