15 months ago I scored a job I half wanted but was on the fence about. Once I walked in I thought I would work there forever. Hired to assist an attorney in the trusts and estates dept. Along with the job came a very naive paralegal just this side of a shiny certificate from community college. Yes, she had the paperwork but lacked more common sense, drive and raw talent than anyone I had ever met. Many say she is part of the “everyone gets a trophy” generation, couple that with the inability to speak knowledgeably and the fact that she probably never took a ball of any kind to the shin or chin. Then along came Sandi….
The young lady had more dizzy days and magical migraines than a housewife on crack. Her passion included free donuts and coffee in large mugs. Her duties slowing became my duties, all of them. Including speaking to all clients, attorneys, actually anyone that needed to be part of the work process. She threw it in my face over and over “well you are just the assistant”. Now the so called assistant became the legal expert upon the only attorney in the department jumping to the competition and leaving the paralegal without a leg to stand on.
I lasted almost a year. It was a hard job to quit. I was “in”. People loved me and I loved them back. I could come and go, not fill out paperwork for days off or early release. I write that because I once worked in a public school and time off consisted on paperwork and forms being signed. Seriously people… They left a crap load of responsibility up to the girl with the high school education….shhhhhh I always had every tiny step reviewed by an attorney. Generally I was told “go ahead, you got this.” But I wasn’t going to practice law. God only knows how much liability insurance they held.
So I gave the notice and took the heat. People cried, threw chairs, and tried holding my notice longer in hopes I would change my mind. I walked out knowing I gave them my all. They let me walk knowing I could always return on a moments notice. I miss my job, not the headaches, Saturday hours and surely not that know it all child in her bathroom stall sized office. I tried helping her the best I knew how. My job here was done.
Life is too short to drink burnt coffee or eat burnt toast. Throw that shit in the trash and make more, recreate yourself and move on.
It was fun while it lasted my corner office friends. Maybe we will see each other again. Hell, I’ll bring the donuts!!