I have been reconnecting to SG lately and I must say that I do like it... it's nice to know that I can go away for a while and that when I come back, the folks that I like most are still around.
So I've got two weeks left as an attorney and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it. I posted something to this effect in the legal peoples group, but as I have spent a total of six hours sleeping this week because of all these freakin' deals... and as it doesn't look like I'll be sleeping much tonight thanks to all of the work that I have to do, I've been thinking a lot about the upcoming change.
On August 4th my legal career will end. On August 1st, I will start my new career as a banker.. except that I'm not really going to be a banker, I'm going to be an advisor to the bankers... but I won't be a legal advisor as my position is not an in-house counsel position, it's a transactional position..... so what does that make me?
Technically, I will be a "Transaction Manager" and my title will be "Vice President." (I think) For my relatives, saying that I'm a vice-president of a major commercial finance organization is a big deal -- for anyone in the industry, however, being a VP is no big deal. Everyone is a VP.... so what do I do, then? Who am I? For the past five years, I've been defined by the fact that I was or was going to be an attorney. Even though I often denied it and tried to hide it from folks (and TheYerg and I certainly did a good job at that), I still thought of myself as an attorney. I had worked hard to get through school and I worked hard at my job... and while I don't particularly care for social status, internally I was proud of the fact that I could call myself an attorney... in the same way that I'm proud to say that I've played the Georgia Theater and the 40 Watt and the Masquerade (all clubs in the Athens/Atlanta area). Sure.. there are plenty of people who have played all of those places and there are plenty of people who are attorneys.... but both of those accomplishments were major goals of my life -- and I did them.
Now, however, I'm just a quasi-banker. I'm an advisor.
In the end, however, being an attorney cost me a lot -- I've given so much of my time and have spent so much effort trying to do well and to keep all of my clients happy that I've neglected to take care of myself and to pay attention/spend time with the people I care most about. So maybe it's a good thing that I'm not going to be an attorney anymore. My hours will be much better, the pay will be more than double what I'm making now, and I'll be living in L.A. (which is fucking awesome). The people aren't quite as neurotic and the job is one that is designed to let me grow. It's really an all-around better situation (but it just happens to be a situation without a clearly defined sense of self).
So what does that make me?
... a whole lot happier
You guys will come visit me, right?
So I've got two weeks left as an attorney and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it. I posted something to this effect in the legal peoples group, but as I have spent a total of six hours sleeping this week because of all these freakin' deals... and as it doesn't look like I'll be sleeping much tonight thanks to all of the work that I have to do, I've been thinking a lot about the upcoming change.
On August 4th my legal career will end. On August 1st, I will start my new career as a banker.. except that I'm not really going to be a banker, I'm going to be an advisor to the bankers... but I won't be a legal advisor as my position is not an in-house counsel position, it's a transactional position..... so what does that make me?
Technically, I will be a "Transaction Manager" and my title will be "Vice President." (I think) For my relatives, saying that I'm a vice-president of a major commercial finance organization is a big deal -- for anyone in the industry, however, being a VP is no big deal. Everyone is a VP.... so what do I do, then? Who am I? For the past five years, I've been defined by the fact that I was or was going to be an attorney. Even though I often denied it and tried to hide it from folks (and TheYerg and I certainly did a good job at that), I still thought of myself as an attorney. I had worked hard to get through school and I worked hard at my job... and while I don't particularly care for social status, internally I was proud of the fact that I could call myself an attorney... in the same way that I'm proud to say that I've played the Georgia Theater and the 40 Watt and the Masquerade (all clubs in the Athens/Atlanta area). Sure.. there are plenty of people who have played all of those places and there are plenty of people who are attorneys.... but both of those accomplishments were major goals of my life -- and I did them.
Now, however, I'm just a quasi-banker. I'm an advisor.
In the end, however, being an attorney cost me a lot -- I've given so much of my time and have spent so much effort trying to do well and to keep all of my clients happy that I've neglected to take care of myself and to pay attention/spend time with the people I care most about. So maybe it's a good thing that I'm not going to be an attorney anymore. My hours will be much better, the pay will be more than double what I'm making now, and I'll be living in L.A. (which is fucking awesome). The people aren't quite as neurotic and the job is one that is designed to let me grow. It's really an all-around better situation (but it just happens to be a situation without a clearly defined sense of self).
So what does that make me?
... a whole lot happier
You guys will come visit me, right?
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let me know, i'd hate for you to move away without hanging out once.
xo