Salary.sg Forums - View Single Post - Lawyer Salary
Thread: Lawyer Salary
View Single Post
  #479 (permalink)  
Old 19-12-2015, 01:58 PM
Unregistered
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Unregistered View Post
I think life in Singapore and Hong Kong law firms are tough. They don't work that long hours in Europe. Just started out as a trainee and my first day of work ended at 12mn. It's overwhelming when you don't know anything. The knowledge in law school is so irrelevant to corporate work. It's like the skills set needed - a verbatim note taker and to do paperwork fast. I don't see how working so hard in law school is a promise of a future stable career. Work life balance is so much more important.
Just wanna challenge some notions that you have here and provide you with some perspective to guide you along.

a) they don't work that long hours in Europe? In top flight City of London firms, sometimes they work LONGER.

b) Nobody knows anything on the first day. Its natural, don't be too hard on yourself.

c) Long hours aren't the killer, its the unpredictability that wears you down. If I could go home everyday, 5 days a week at 12 midnight, I'll be very happy. It's planning social events for the weekend and then having to scrap them for the umpteenth time that makes you hate your job.

d) Law school teaches you to understand legal concepts, nothing more. You will pick up what you need to know on the job along the way. Don't fret it.

e) Working hard in school was never a guarantee of a stable job in any field.

f) Important for what? Balance for its own sake? How do you even define work-life balance. What is balanced to you may not be balanced to someone else. You have to find your own balance. Just be sure that you don't use this nebulous concept as a crutch to avoid the hard work that goes into starting out any career or field.
Reply With Quote