Monday, April 04, 2005

Another Brick in the Wall

Well, I just gave two weeks notice to the firm for which i intern. The school year is winding down (or up in terms of work load) and if the firm isn't going to make me an offer (which they ostensibly will not), there's little reason for me to stay on any longer.

Very short backstory. There were two of us interns, both of whom had worked for the firm for approximately 1.5-1.75 years. The firm made an offer to the other intern who turned them down to work for another firm that had a department for the intern's preferred specialty. The firm did not make me an offer, as noted earlier here on this blog.

Today I did inquire why I was not extended an offer. The reason given was my background. They made an offer to the other intern due to the intern's bio-chem background. At the moment, the firm is seeking an experienced EE (Electrical Engineer) and doesn't have the time (or apparently the desire) to train anyone (namely me). One might argue that I'm actually a decent bargain considering I would take a lower salary and, by virtue of my two years with the firm, have already received a good amount of practical training. My learning curve would be much shallower than an equally unexperienced law school graduate. But nevermind that. Obviously my theory is fundamentally flawed in some nonobvious manner. Obviously.

No, no, my B.A. in Physics and soon-J.D. are not enough for me to get a job with the firm with whom I have worked interned for two years. Nope. I do need to pass the Patent Bar, without question, but it's difficult for me to believe that I'm non-credentialed to work for the firm with whom I've been an intern. There's just something counterintuitive to that. Something ill-fitting or misplaced.

Also, I've never given two weeks notice before. Only once before did I leave a job before circumstances forced me to (e.g. school, end of summer, end of break). That one time I was temping for a hotel in Stamford. My job was to sit at a desk and look busy while not being caught surfing the web and not reading a (my) book. After 1-3 hours of this, I decided that my time, although otherwise unutilized, was worth more than being paid to do nothing. I called up the Temp Agency and told them I wasn't going back the next day. I'd rather be paid less to actually do something rather than be paid a little more to do nothing and look busy while I do it.

Anyways, in 16 days I am done with the firm. I've learned a great deal. I can research like it's my job, which it will probably be at some point. I know a good deal about various aspects of intellectual property law and feel confident that I am capable of profficiently working in the field. Too bad the firm disagrees with me.

I suppose I'll have to find a firm or law office that doesn't disagree with me. Then I would have a job. And that would probably be a good thing. Because then I could probably afford a new computer. And maybe a new car next year. And I should probably consider paying back my law school loans. And I have some credit card bills that merit attention if not payments. And there's also the BarBri and PMBR fees. Yeah, a job would be a good thing. Probably.