Neeti Shastra’s Post

Should you take a low-paying job as a fresher lawyer? One mentee of mine joked on this topic - "beggars can't be choosers, ma'am". I get it. Opportunities limited h, salary offered usse bhi limited. So I have two sides to present to you here, as a recruiter and career coach. ▶️ One - If you have a salary of Rs 15k when you start, the next salary you can get will be between Rs 18k-25k. If you start with Rs 30k, the second job will get you between Rs 35k-40k. Imagine the long-term effects of this. ▶️ Second - You get selected for a job but you reject it because it pays peanuts. What happens next? You may or may not get another opportunity. You may end up having a career gap that negatively impacts your application in the future if you don't. It's a tough choice, right? In the end, it's all about your priorities, but over the last couple of years, there are some factors I strongly urge my mentees to consider before making this decision - 1. Analyze the company culture and talk to ex-employees. You would not want yourself to be burned out or get traumatised by the toxic culture. 2. Look out for how the opportunity can help you grow professionally. Is it able to provide you with valuable skills and experience that can be useful later on? I’ve seen fresh graduates who start in small firms but quickly move up due to the broader responsibilities they handle. One of my mentees transitioned from a boutique office to a top-tier firm after 3.5 years. 3. Does the job allow you to connect with clients, senior lawyers, or other professionals who can open doors? Building the right network can lead to more lucrative opportunities down the line. 4. Always assess if the opportunity aligns with where you see yourself in 5 or 10 years. One of my mentees joined litigation chambers at a low salary, but within 2 years, he was able to transition to a corporation because of his skills in a niche area of law - a role far more financially rewarding. In my opinion, if you are looking for fulfilment through your job and the current role has the potential to do that, salary should not be a factor in your way. We all need to start somewhere, so better to start at a place where you can get valuable and much-needed exposure that can help your career in the long run, right? Hope this post helps! #lawyer #legaljob #advocate #law #hiring Neeti Shastra ________________________________________ 📍 I help lawyers secure their dream jobs. 📍 I assist lawyers and firms in generating high paying leads.