I have an attorney interviewing right now in a common dilemma. Because his first Associate position is making him very unhappy, he is starting down a rabbit hole of questioning every aspect surrounding his career choice. Is it the firm? The area of practice? Maybe he shouldn’t be practicing litigation? Would a transactional practice be a better fit? And worse…. should I have attended law school in the first place? This can quickly get overwhelming and self-defeating. My advice is to take things one step at a time as you consider a series of questions to help get to the heart of the problem. What is working for you about your current position? Which tasks do you enjoy? Which tasks are frustrating? Tell me about your interactions with clients. What are your working hours versus your hours billing? How are you managing your time?

The issues will emerge more distinctly and some of the complaints will smooth over given time. You will become more efficient. You will find methods to better manage your time. The partners may warm up to you with some effort to investigate how you may better communicate with them… Like anything in life, devoting attention and asking the right questions of yourself will put you on a path of discovery and growth. Most importantly, understand that this is not at all uncommon and you are not alone… : )