a little emotional help?

amyg

amyg

Cathlete
Sorry to be a downer with you guys and your new workouts and barbells (which are really FUN posts to read!!! I'm very happy for you, and I love the fact that we're all just as excited as you are!), but I'm really struggling right now.
I've been working part time from home, making pretty good money for what I do, but my boss hasn't given me anything to do for the past 6 weeks. I work hourly, which means I haven't made any money! I just took another job, which was to be in addition to this one, where I am a law clerk for not very much money.
I really like the law clerk job, because of the people, but I don't think I will be able to sustain it simply because the experience I'm getting doesnt' seem to be worth the money.
I went to law school so that I wouldn't have to face a job search where I don't feel qualified to do anything, on paper. I ROCK at getting stuff done, and I am confident I can accomplish any task any employer asks me to do, and then some. My English degree and years of working for one person (I'm his right hand woman) isn't helping.
I need to quit the at home job, because it isn't healthy- he calls whenever, and expects I'll accomplish whatever he asks- I always do. He's been somewhat generous with me, but at the same time, I do a LOT for him and right now my 2nd bedroom has 8 boxes and 3 machines (fax/printer/copier/computer) of his. I've worked for him in other surroundings for a long time.

I don't know what to do!! I'm depressed at the job search, although I'm doing it anyway. I have 3 years left of school, and I need to make at least $2,000 a month. I've been making that working part time. I don't want to work full time and make $2,000 a month. I don't know what to do!!!

I guess I just need to figure something out so that I'm not so darn depressed about it.

Thanks for listening! Augh. Sorry for being a downer!
 
Sorry, but your situation is completely unclear to me. Are you a full-time law student trying to work part-time? What is your family situation? Are you married? Do you live with your parents? What kind of work experience do you have? What are your skills? Etc,etc.
Thanks!
-Nancy
 
Sorry, Nancy. I'm in school part time (evenings), which means law school will take a total of 4 years, not 3. This allows me to work full time, although last year, my first year, I worked part time. I would like to work about 30 hours a week.
I'm married to the greatest guy. He's a banquet manager of a hotel, so I don't see him much anyway, as he doesn't have a 9 to 5 job- he works weddings, parties, business breakfast meetings, all over the schedule.
I've worked since I was 14, I'm 28 now. The bulk of my work has been in medical offices. The doctor I most recently worked for is also an attorney- he started his law practice and asked me to run it. He doesn't have a separate office, so I work from home and store almost all of his material here. He's overworked and doesn't recognize it, but he is very unresponsive to me and forgets anything I say as a result. He's focusing on one project right now, to the detriment of other clients, and he can't see it. I've known him since I was 16, I've worked for him (on and off- went to college and met my husband elsewhere) since I was 17. He's very unorganized and I think has poor business sense, so he "needs" me because I'm very organized, responsive, and can get things accomplished.
I've also worked in other medical offices, mainly during undergrad. I graduated 9/13/2001, so the job market was tanking when I was looking for my first job (with a degree in hand). It took 6 months to find one, then I was laid off a few months later and started back with the doctor/lawyer because I needed to work, was planning our wedding, and couldn't face another 6-month job search.
Law school was always in the works, throughout all of this.
Anyway, now I feel like I'm back at square one because I never had a title working for the doctor/lawyer and all of my other titles were "assistant". I've applied to a few medical offices, simply because it's work I know I can do and it isn't likely an interviewer would question it- medical billing is pretty straightforward.
Yikes this is a lot of whining. Sorry! I hope that makes something more clear.
 
I'm sorry you are having a tough time. Have you tried talking to the doctor/lawyer about your concerns? It sounds like you are keeping a lot of your worries and feelings to yourself, and it is just building up and causing you stress. He may be responsive to your concerns, especially if he thinks you might quit.
 
I have told him most of them for the past 6 weeks, and have gotten nothing from him. It's personally very disappointing but not surprising in the least.
I think he would be surprised and hurt if (when) I quit, but I can't let that determine what is best for me.
It's really going to suck! ;)
 
Aw Amy you're not a downer! I'm sorry you're feeling so bad right now.

Everyone of us has times where we feel lost and unable to fix the situation! I really don't have other advice except hang in there! Things will get better!

Feel free to k'vetch, rant, dump, or brag (the time WILL come) here anytime you want to, we'll always listen!

Nadine

~~Happiness is an Attitude~~

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=6&uid=3517754&
 
Much more clear Amy! Wow, those organizational skills are REALLY going to pay off when you are working as a lawyer! As you know from working with this unorganized guy, being organized can make all the difference. Especially for a lawyer, who has so many details to keep track of.

I know how you feel. I used to work for a partner who was really smart, but had ADD and didn't know it. I wasn't nearly as smart as he was, but was much more organized. We actually worked pretty well together: he came up with the ideas, and I executed them and kept the clients happy. But his habit of waiting until the eleventh hour to do things made me so jittery all the time, I finally had to leave for greener pastures, and I'm SOOOO glad I did.

Have you considered signing up with a temp agency to work as a paralegal? Although smaller firms may not pay well, wouldn't a medium to large sized firm pay you what you need to get by? I'm sure this guy can give you a glowing recommendation. Would he object if you described yourself as a paralegal on your resume? The fact that you've worked for the same person for so long always looks good on a resume, and the fact that its legal work looks even better. You sound extremely marketable to me. Am I missing something?
 
Am: so sorry you are having a hard time. it sounds like you are in a very tough situation.

So if i get this strait, you are in school at night and work (sporadically) out of your home while also working elsewhere? I worked two jobs almost all the way through school and it is very hard and draining. I feel for ya there!

If you are in school at night, then why not work as a parallegal (given your experience)? I did that for about a year. The hours work with night school pretty well if i recall.

Are there just no jobs in your area?

try not to feel guilty about quitting. the guy you work for abviously doesn't know how weel he has got it and i would say that in the very LEAST, if you are going to continue working for him, then he needs to match your salery requirements.

good luck with your decisions and in your job search. they can be very discouraging and frustrating.


jes


;-)
 
Hi Amy! I am an attorney and I have lots of suggestions for you!

First of all, what state do you live in? What are your interests in the law?

Secondly, check at your school and neighboring schools for legal position postings. There are MANY firms out there looking for clerks. They usually dont want someone full time (40 hours) so you are in business! That is how I found several clerking positions.

Third, if you are at all intersted in criminal law, check out the local indigent attorney's counsel. I hooked up w/a private practice attorney that did indigent work in my first year. After I did a good job for him, he introduced me to several others and I would get work from several different people on a contracting basis. the nice thing was that I didn't go to any office or have set hours but I got paid rather well (the state reimbursed them so it wasn't out of pocket for them either). Basically, I would get a call

Lastly, if you feel that this person you work for now is causing detriment to his existing clients, you need to bail out. That is not something that you want to stay involved with b/c at some point, if he really does work to their detriment and is discplined, you want to be far, far away from that!

Christine :)
 
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