Waiting For A Change of Scenery
Things at work have begun to get a bit too routine for me, but it happens in this business. Sometimes doing contract work in the same environment can get stale. When that happens, I guess I can always count on the project eventually coming to a conclusion and give me the opportunity to start off fresh again at a different location.
My Never Ending Project
It’s not easy to predict just when that will happen though. My current project was originally scheduled to be a 6 week project. That was back in the summer. Since that time, 5 months have passed and the project continues to be regularly extended with no end in sight.
But I really can’t complain. The hours aren’t as long as I’d like, but the working condition is overall pleasant. I just wish the project provided catering or at least reimbursed us for meals - that would make it even better. Our group of contract attorneys have gotten to know each other well and there is a relaxed, collegial atmosphere in our work room.
The associates are supposed to be present at all times to supervise us and answer questions but I think they’ve decided that we can handle things on our own. After all, we are all professional adults and don’t require hand holding to do our work diligently. When we are done with our review batches we simply sign out a new one from the review binder. When we have questions that require a second opinion, we solicit feedback and discuss among ourselves. When we feel like we need partner guidance on an important matter, we call the special bat phone and get in touch with the associates back at the firm. The system essentially runs itself without the need for associate or partner oversight.
But even ideal environments become routine and humdrum over time and eventually you hear tired grumbles from those who want the project to be over with. I wouldn’t mind a few more months though.
Unpredictable But You Get To Enjoy The Changes
When I first started doing this type of work, I had a hard time handling the lack of job security. It is true that even with full time jobs, any employment-at-will situation will never truly guarantee 100% job security, but with contract work, security is even more precarious. The very nature of contract work guarantees that it won’t last forever. Sometimes you will luck out and stay on a project for months and even years. Other times you will have the misfortune of only staying on for a week before everyone is released. I’ve adapted over the last few years and have actually embraced this regular changing of work location cycle.
Some people are really affected by the changes, but personally I get bored if I’m in the same environment for extended periods of time. One of the benefits (if you call it that) of contract attorney work is that you get to be rotated into different working environments and get to meet different types of people over the course of several projects. Over the last few years, I’ve begun to recognize some familiar faces, but I still enjoy meeting new people and seeing new firms - sort of reminds me of college or law school where every semester you changed classes and switched to a different set of students. It certainly helps to keeps things fresh in this otherwise everyday-is-the-same line of work.
Not Everyone Handles Uncertainty That Well
Some people have a hard time handling the turnover and I think one of the biggest hurdles is the occasional financial instability.
Everyone needs a steady paycheck, but particularly for those who have families to support or mortgages to pay, periods of transition between projects can be extra difficult to bear. I have neither of those things and I suspect that’s probably why I handle it better than most. I do have high monthly rent payments, but my contract attorney wages and savings easily pay them off. To survive in this type of work you need to have a lot of faith and a good saving mentality. If you tend to blow your savings on frivolous things rather than focus on paying off debt and monthly expenses, you will forever struggle with paycheck to paycheck living. When I work projects that have a lot of hours, I make the extra effort to squirrel away the bulk of it to tie me over till the next project in the event I am unable to roll seamlessly. Although I’ve been able to roll over consistently, I still continue to save, and things have worked out quite well financially.
November 9th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
Temp Partner,
I am between projects. You think I could borrow a few dollars? You know I’m good for it.
November 9th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
November 10th, 2007 at 4:20 am
Before becoming a Lawyer, I worked as a Contract Computer Programmer/Systems Anayst. Similar to Doc Review, I went from project to project. It paid anywhere from $25 to $50 hr + Per Diem + Perks. Sometime the project would last one month. Sometime the project would just run on and on. When the System was installed and tested the work was done, -so was your project. Most people would never made it to the end of the project. Fortunately, most people left voluntarily before the project was done.
One of the most unfair comments I would get from people was about stability of work. “At Will Employment” means no stability! I did have an advantage over Non-Contract employees in that I knew my job was not going to last. Rarely, would a headhunter roll you over to a new project. So, as soon as we started testing I was looking for a new job. I have heard Entertainment Jobs, Computer Jobs, and now Doc Review described a “feast and famine” employment. When times are good you can feast at $35 hr + OT. But, if you don’t roll over to another position and don’t have 21 weeks necessary for unemployment expect famine..
November 10th, 2007 at 4:55 am
You have a very interesting diverse set of skills. So does this mean you can qualify for computer contract work during periods when the contract attorney job market is slow?
November 11th, 2007 at 7:51 am
Right now, I am working as an Associate. I haven’t yet worked in the contract attorney field. I am still the unofficial PC/LAN support guy at the office. I am curious about two things for those of you who are working in the Contract Attorney field:
1) Most Contractors in Computers are young. They refer to our area as the Campus, very few older people stay and do Contract work. Is it the same in Attorney Contract field?
2) Most Recruiters “headhunters” in Computers will not voluntarily try to extend you a new contract. So, each new job it the same process: techn interview, regular interview, employer interview, wait, wait somemore, haggle a contract. Is it the same with Attorney contracts?
3) It ’s a big one. The Computer Recruiter can have 4 employees at the same site make differenct amounts doing similar or the same job. One person may get per diem + rate A, other rate B, or straight salary. They are fanatical about kepping your rate hush hush to the point of blacklisting. Is it the same in contract attorney field?
November 11th, 2007 at 10:18 pm
I will post more thoughts about this soon, but here are basic answers to your questions:
1. I would say the age of contract attorneys tend to be on the older side. Many have worked years in private practice and have now chosen to perform temp work. Law tends to be populated by relatively older people, quite different from computer science, which is an area more dominated by younger workers.
2. Usually contract attorneys only interview once with each agency. After registering and letting the agency know what you are looking for, you wait until they have a project for you. There is no real haggling - you can either take a pass or accept. Most agencies would prefer to roll you over onto another project if possible but if they have no additional work available at the moment, there isn’t much they can do for you. I think they prefer rolling over regulars because it’s less riskier them “trying out” new temps.
3. I have been paid a different rate from other contract attorneys on the same project before. When I discovered this I began very upset and raised this problem with the agency. The agency feigned innocence, but I think they became embarrassed and ultimately raised my rate to that of my peers.
The majority of agencies have official no-talk policies, but despite a few of the agencies’ Gestapo attempts, contract attorneys do discuss/gossip among themselves about wage rates and agency politics. Blacklisting is a remote possibility, but at the same time, this is not an area that agencies focus their blacklisting activities on. Ditching a project is.