Continuing my pattern of only ever posting to complain about work. I just finished a week where I billed 92 hours. I billed 933 hours since March 1st.
Let me tell you, I'm not enjoying this. Sleeping 3 hours a night, never seeing your husband and kids, skipping meals because you're too busy to eat, feeling your body ache from sitting so much... None of this is normal, and yet it has become my norm.
I haven't had time to read the Why Women Can't Have it All article yet, but based on what I have heard, I am living it. The past four months have been "great" from a work perspective, but soul crushing from a personal life perspective.
We can't afford for me to just stop working and I would need to make a pretty high salary to afford to pay for child care and our other monthly expenses so there aren't a whole lot of options at the moment. But I feel desperate to change something. Desperate enough to think being a stay-at-home mom for a while sounds good.
I am hoping work calms down enough to make this job possible until I can make a move to a better lifestyle job. I love the people I work with and am learning a lot, but this lifestyle will kill me before it helps me.
My assigned mentor when I started at the firm (who just became a partner last year) told me that those few months leading up to maternity leave were her slowest ever (at 100% of pace) because for her first 8 years at the firm, she never billed less than 150% of pace, which is essentially what I've been doing. Why do people do this to themselves?
6 comments:
I know you don't have time to do it now, but I would love it if you could do a post about working for a firm in general. I graduated in 2011 and now have been working for the federal government for almost a year. It is VERY tempting to be seduced by the large salaries at firms that tend to want my type of experience after another year. However, I can't help but worry that although my salary would triple - my ability to actually get to know my kids (that I have yet to have) would be diminished. How do you balance it?
:( That's rough and hard to sustain.
I'm working in-house right now (on secondment) where they consider a 9am - 8pm day "crazy busy" (we've been doing those hours every day b/c of a deal, so I'm not sure what a "normal" day would be). My stress level has gone way way down since the secondment started (despite my new 2hr/day commute). Without having to shift gears from one client's work to another multiple times each day (and bill the numerous corresponding time entries) things are easier. The biggest thing is that when we leave at 8pm that is it for the day. Only the GC is working from home (there are full-time AGCs in the department but they don't carry blackberries). It's still a robust number of hours and less pay (so i've been told) but a _little_ more manageable.
When/if things slow down for you, if you haven't already, check out what Lag Liv's been writing about her new gig. It's given me some hope, and maybe you'll feel the same.
I am so sorry, and this is cruel. AND unnecessary. And why I loved Slaughter's article. It is structurally impossible for two-career families these days, and it is awful that you are going through this.
Holy shit. After two days of working hours like that, I just stop functioning. A 92-hour week is just insane. Literally.
Does everyone in your practice area do that? Any alternatives within the firm (part time, different group, etc.?)
i was on this pace for the first quarter of the year and it was AWFUL. but i've found it temporary thank god. good luck getting through it. i hope your hubs is stepping up - for me that's the only thing that made it possible. good luck - hopefully one of your deals closes soon and you dont get on another one!
Your hours strain credibility--how the heck are you doing this?! You are an amazing machine of industry! I am awed and terrified. I used to work those kind of hours (pre-baby), but decided to scale-down to 70% upon returning after maternity leave. I figure, and it's pretty much true, that 70% in a biglaw firm turns into about a 40-50 hour work week, which is all I can handle. Hope you find some balance and sanity soon!
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