1247.
The number of times I've mentally pondered standing up, pushing myself away from my wooden desk, walking out of those law firm doors, and quitting my gig as a paralegal. (Oh, who am I kidding? That number is light.)
I’m sure it was far more times than that over the past 2 decades in the legal trenches. Just last week I wanted to quit twice in the same day. It’s entirely normal, I assure you. Yet, here I sit—a paralegal.
As a newbie paralegal and even a seasoned “lifer,” there are many, many things that will make a paralegal
person, such as you, ponder quitting her day job. The short list looks a little something like this:
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In the early years of my career, I experienced every one of these. It depended what day of the week it was as to what the pressing problem was, but I lived through every one of them. I lacked confidence and skills for a while as a newbie paralegal, as we all do in the beginning. We find our-selves cloaked in uncertainty, feeling like a hot mess of confused action, standing in the midst of the gauntlet of legal hell, attempting to “suit up” for the career race. (I take my suits black and designer these days.)
So why in the heck do we stay? That’s a great question.
Truth is, I wanted the career. I wanted money. I wanted prestige. I wanted more, so much more. And so I stayed at my desk every single time I wanted to get up and walk away. I never kicked the heels off. I never ran out the doors, tempting as it was.
I stayed. Every single time I wanted to quit—I stayed. Because I had a lot to learn. Because I had much to attain by way of personal growth and professional accomplish- ment. Because that seemed to elude me so easily in the beginning. I had something to prove—to myself, more than anyone else.
14
take This Job and Shove It
By Jamie Collins
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"It depends what day of the week it is as to what the pressing problem is..."