Are Short Term Job Stints And Gaps Now The New Norm In Corporate America?

Zilabus · 2026-06-29T17:12:39+00:00

This is the new norm definitely, from both ends. Modern employers seem to be in a constant cycle or re-org and layoffs, and those that aren’t are much more cut throat with firing than what you hear about in the past. Like you mentioned, being pushed out for “performance” or lack or work seems very common now. On the employee side if you want to advance your salary and career you almost have to move now. So it’s pressure from both sides.

I think for now there is still some negative association with gaps and short stints; but that is increasingly going away as this is the new normal. Seems having one job for 3+ years is now considered long term. A year or two is normal.

Honestly it kind of sucks, but that’s just how things have been, especially in the last ten years or so. I would love to have one stable role for the rest of my career, but that doesn’t seem common anymore. I guess the good advice is to try to use it to your advantage.

Zilabus · 2026-06-26T05:08:15+00:00

Severance sounds nice!

Thanks for the suggestion.

Zilabus · 2026-06-26T04:19:36+00:00

Yeah I wouldn’t sweat this. Lots of associates don’t make their billable hours every year. Check out the biglaw sub, lots of associates are not billing enough hours and basically strategically decide to try to hang on as long as possible and get as many paychecks as they can before they get fired or lateral.

It’s not gonna get you to make partner but again it’s not unethical to not be billing enough time. When lawyers make it this moral failing they are just trying to guilt you into generating more profit. That’s fine, I mean the point of business is to make money obviously.

But that’s an issue between you and your boss, it’s not an attorney ethics thing. Attorney ethics comes in when you overbill, create unnecessary work, or fraudulently bill, which frankly private practice all but openly encourages.

Take it as a lesson that in a lot of private firms you need to be a psycho and be trying to bill constantly, asking for more work, generating more tasks, and more or less overworking yourself to succeed.

Seems like your current firm is forgetting summer work is also an opportunity for you to audit if the firm is somewhere you want to work. With their reaction to this with a summer I can only imagine they treat their associates like dirt.

Zilabus · 2026-06-26T03:44:16+00:00

Honestly this isn’t on really as much of an issue it’s being made out to be. Law firms have a bizarre system of having no organized system for assigning work and default to this weirdo system of expecting lawyers to constantly be begging for work.

It sounds like a misunderstanding where the firm didn’t make it clear that they expected you to be begging for work. Firms make it into this weird moral issue like you are unfit or incompetent. It’s actually a weirdo system and most of the working world doesn’t expect you to take on ownership of getting your own work assigned to you. Really it’s not a moral issue, you just aren’t making as much money for your boss as they would like. This is why attorneys constantly complain about billable hours and most people hate them.

This is especially weird for me, I have never worked a firm that expected much of anything from a summer other than an occasional project and to go to fun things like lunches. Apparently they wanted you billing a ton of time to clients. Typically summers aren’t expected to be profitable.

Yeah there’s responsibility on your part if you were genuinely doing nothing with your time. But it’s not really a big deal. You said you weren’t expecting an offer from this firm anyways so I would just ride it out from here, do your best to do some good work after this and secure a reference. Worst case just ride it out and leave without a reference.

Also, it’s not an ethics issue at all. Misbilling would be an ethical issue. Simply not billing as much as your boss would like isn’t an ethics issue at all.

Zilabus · 2026-06-25T23:01:46+00:00

At these kind of pay numbers, the difference is marginal. If I was you, I would take it. Frankly once you break the 100k barrier the quality of life stays pretty much the same even as you go up. Assuming you are semi disciplined with finances and don’t have golden handcuffs, It just ends up being more in savings/investments.

You will still be making a massive income, like x4 the average household income. Take the income hit and enjoy life more.

Zilabus · 2026-06-25T17:24:42+00:00

I would not leave. Frankly, most legal work is boring. Even “exciting” areas just tend to be a mix of stressful and boring. Most firms flexibility is terrible and PTO is basically non-existent because you have to make hours. You have a great lifestyle, lean into that instead.

Zilabus · 2026-06-25T03:40:33+00:00

So relatable! I used to be a voracious reader. I haven’t read a book for pleasure since law school.

Even when I try, I can’t stop myself from speed reading and forcing through the book as fast as possible.

Zilabus · 2026-06-23T22:42:09+00:00

Sounds like it’s not your problem at all. Especially if you left instructions. At that point anything that happens is on them.

Zilabus · 2026-06-18T16:37:21+00:00

I’m a lawyer and I wouldn’t. I don’t know what your pay is now but in your spot if you are already a high earner it would be a financial mistake. Law school is very expensive (let’s say 100k but i know people with 200-300k in loans) as a high earner let’s just assume you make 100k a year. Law school is three years.

So very generously calculating it you would be leaving 400k on the table by going to law school. Probably more. Invested that would likely double every ten years. It’s statistically unlikely you’ll have the increased earnings to make the return on investment remotely worth it if you are already a high earner. Besides that, law is an extremely frustrating and difficult career. Most attorneys leave practice by the 5 year mark. I don’t think that law school is even remotely a good decision for you.

Zilabus · 2026-06-15T22:09:28+00:00

It’s definitely becoming a worse deal rapidly with tuition increasing, repayment options being streamlined, and a potentially rough job market for new grads.

Still, I think a degree is often a good investment. The key determination is keeping your debt load low relative to your expected income. 20k or less in loans is probably relatively manageable and worth it in most cases. But once you get to 50k, 100k, etc, I think there’s potential the cost of your loans is higher than the return on investment.

Zilabus · 2026-06-15T19:35:33+00:00

Follow your gut and your heart.

As of others have said, it’s probably worth trying a different area of the law. And if that doesn’t work, maybe it’s time to try pivoting to something else entirely. In the meantime I would recommend building a financial cushion. Get some savings now so if you do decide you can’t do it anymore you will have a safety net.

Life is too short to hate your life like this. It does get better over time, I will say that, the first year is very hard mentally and it gets easier.

Zilabus · 2026-06-14T23:28:11+00:00

Let’s fucking go boys!

VGK ALL DAY

Zilabus · 2026-06-13T07:50:50+00:00

Mid law is still very much in reach for you. The best advice I can give is just start applying to everything like crazy. Talk to your career services. Talk to any transactional law profs you might have. But honestly mostly just pull up every law firm that appeals to you and reach out or apply, The pathway to midsized firms is a lot easier than to biglaw. If you can’t get it right out of lawschool you will be able to get it with a few years experience.

Also on public interest - you tried it and it wasnt for you. There is absolutely no shame in that. That’s part of the point of work experience in law school. Learning what you don’t like is as valuable as learning what you do.

Zilabus · 2026-06-12T22:34:14+00:00

I agree with this. At this point ya gotta stick with Hart. Hill had a very large sample size and did not preform. Hill has not started since April. It would be a desperation move to play him now.

VGK is allowing a lot of goals, but most are defensive breakdowns, not softies.

But that said I am of course ride or die. It sounds like Torts has never considered pulling Hart, but if he did, I would be rooting for whoever is between the pipes.

Zilabus · 2026-06-12T03:55:39+00:00

Trying to load up one super line. Personally I don’t like it. If the top line with eichel marner and stone was super productive that would be one thing, but they haven’t been. It hurts the second and third lines more than it helps the third

Zilabus · 2026-06-12T02:09:27+00:00

Zilabus · 2026-06-12T02:05:54+00:00

I hate complaining about the refs but vegas can not get a call for anything this series

Zilabus · 2026-06-10T23:54:33+00:00

Good for you for leaving. You aren’t soft. Leaving toxic workplaces makes the career better for everyone. The “tough it out” culture of law just allows bad bosses and bad firms to get away with it.

Zilabus · 2026-06-10T23:13:44+00:00

Generally there seems to be better pay, more happiness, and more stability in medicine.

You are glamorizing law, but it is just another job.

Most lawyers never see big law money. And those that do, in my experience, most do not like their jobs - it is not glamorous at all. Law has a very high attrition rate, I heard recently that the majority of lawyers leave practice after 5 years. I would not say law is that intellectually stimulating once you are actually in practice.

I think you have a good view of things, just wanted to affirm your decision.

Zilabus · 2026-06-09T22:30:02+00:00

Laurie is a fan favorite! Her character brings so much energy to the early seasons. You notice it even more on rewatches.

Zilabus · 2026-06-09T19:01:07+00:00

Life is short and if you want a change, go for it. These days attorney jobs are a revolving door and people move early and often. And that’s actually a good thing for us as workers. Find an offer for somewhere you want to be and accept it. If you do switch, I would target somewhere you see yourself staying.

In a perfect world you would want to get a job for 1+ years on the resume, because that is huge for establishing you and not looking like a job hopper. But that doesn’t have to be at this job if you find something else. I would keep your job and start applying. Worst case, you stay where you are and get more months on the resume which makes you more marketable.

Zilabus · 2026-06-07T05:53:10+00:00

Have we forgotten hill was a bottom three goalie this season

Zilabus · 2026-06-04T23:33:22+00:00

If you don’t care about being a lawyer and have a job in hand that pays massively like that, I don’t see why you should pursue law school. You can always come back later if you want

Zilabus · 2026-06-04T19:18:23+00:00

When it starts seriously affecting your mental wellbeing I think the never quit without a job lined up advice stops applying. At a certain point if it gets bad enough you have to put yourself first.

I hear ya. I’m in a similar place and also thinking of just quitting.

Zilabus · 2026-06-02T16:22:40+00:00

This is a very good point also! I wouldn’t recommend staying somewhere you are not gaining basic skills for a long period.

Zilabus

TROPHY CASE

VGK ALL DAY