When I interview potential applicants for the Legal Placement Service applicant pool, I remind each one that no law firm, no in-house counsel, indeed, no place of legal employment will be Utopia. In the same breath, I also have to inform each one that no attorney is going to be the perfect boss.
Most applicants seem to understand the facts of law-firm life.
When an applicant agrees to interview with or, later, accepts an offer from a BAEC member employer, he or she speaks candidly regarding the perceived negative aspects of the job. He or she is equally quick to balance those perceptions with upbeat, positive facets of the position. Ultimately, of course, the decision whether or not to accept an offer is based on an applicant's chosen career path, and how closely the proffered job hews to that path. The Legal Placement Service attempts to provide applicants who most closely fit the job descriptions provided by BAEC member employers. Bear in mind that even with years of experience there will always be a period of adjustment when a new employee starts a job.