Career Clinic: How can I look busy when there's nothing to do?

Try not to worry too much about it. You won't do yourself any favours by constantly asking for work when it's obvious that there isn't enough for everyone to do. Just be as helpful as you can and always be the first to volunteer where there is an opportunity. Always attend know-how and training sessions and contribute if possible. You could also look to get involved in firmwide initiatives such as the CSR programme. Most importantly, in the current market try to arrange future seats in counter-cyclical areas such as insolvency and litigation so as to improve your marketability on qualification.

Associate -06 Nov 2008 | 00:44

To be honest, its difficult for most people in the current market. There is only so much reading and online training to be done without it becoming so irritating that one lacks enthusiasm.My view is that everyone knows it's quiet, the partner knows that you are there, if you have asked and have received no positive response, I would take it for granted that there is nothing they can give you.Perhaps have a chat with the associates, see what they are doing, but dont be surprised if you find they are also doing very little.If you haven't already exhausted your enthusiasm with learning materials and online training, get going on them and hope its all gets better soon!No-one in living memory has seen a market like this before!

Anonymous -06 Nov 2008 | 01:27

Spread lots of paper of the desk, leave your jacket on the chair and enjoy the cruisy six months!!Lets face it, as a trainee in a large corporate dept the only other thing you would be doing is photocopying.

Sheldon Levene, Mitch & Murray -06 Nov 2008 | 01:28

Your job as a trainee is to do as you're told and be your immediate supervisor's b*tch, whether that is the partner, associate or a low-life NQ. You're paid well to take all the sh*t that will be coming your way in the two years - if there is work for you to do you will be given it. You come across as way too keen, and that's just by reading your query, god knows what you're like in real life. Don't draw unwanted attention to yourself, asking around for work will do just that and make you look like a tw*t in the eyes of the partners.

Investment Banker -06 Nov 2008 | 01:46

Walk around very briskly with a frown on your face and a bundle of papers in your arms - it'll be months before anyone realises you're doing nothing...Seriously though, continue letting people know you have capacity to take on work but not constantly. The partners and solicitors who can delegate work to you know you're there and able to assist and will give work to you as and when they can. If it's quiet for extended periods, don't complain about it (I'm not suggesting you are presently) but look for ways to be productive - read up on developments that are relevant to the practice area and look for opportunities to write journal articles, get involved with pro bono work (if your firm is supportive) or look for opportunities to assist other practice groups that might be busy e.g. litigation.

Anonymous -06 Nov 2008 | 02:05

You could ask associates for work, or consider getting involved with the business development team (if your practice area has one).

busy associate -06 Nov 2008 | 09:20

Not an easy position to be in - you need to try to strike a balance between making it clear to the partners you're an asset and 'adding value' and making your colleagues think you're a get-ahead-at-all-costs brown-noser. Do you have a work allocation partner? If so, speak with him or her to let them know you have capacity, or fill out your report accordingly. If your firm doesn't have such a system, is there any partner with whom you've developed the sort of relationship that you could speak to them about looking for work/having capacity? Ultimately, you're their 'resource', it's in their interest to make sure you're utilised appropriately. If there's no billable/client work in the offing, what about speaking with your PSL/knowledge management lawyer (assuming your firm has one) - I'm willing to bet they'd be quite happy to have you involved in either updating (or maybe even developing!) standard forms, maybe helping someone in preparing an article or client publication. Bottom line, you need to take the initiative in a measured way - just enough to make it clear you're prepared to pull your weight, but not so much you're colleagues will identify you as a work-hogging, try-hard shark!

Dorothy Gale -06 Nov 2008 | 09:42

I started this September as a trainee and have similar experirences at my firm (mid-sized regional). In my view most of the comments so far are very helpful, I tend to try and do the work I am given to a very high standard, let my supervisor know that I am willing to work hard without pestering or complaining that I am bored. I do find it worring though that maybe I am not getting as comprehensive training as I would have done a few years ago and this could negatively affect my career progress in the furture? I guess lots of people are in the same position and that the best advice is to ride it out?

Anonymous -06 Nov 2008 | 11:49

I wish you could come and help me! Seriously, there is some good advice above. Follow it and try and keep your morale up. You will spend most of your professional life being rushed off your feet, so at least take comfort in the fact that, due to the current climate, you are being eased in.

Inundated Litigator, National Firm -06 Nov 2008 | 12:17

Have you considered going on loan to busier departments? If there is really nothing to do in your department check to see if there are any other practice areas that can use you ...e.g Inundated Litigator could easily be a lawyer at your firm. If you can help elsewhere then tactfully bring it up with your current supervisor or better yet, get the department that needs you to do the asking. If that fails, there are always articles to be written and research to be done so get involved in those non-chargeable aspects if you can.

Anon -06 Nov 2008 | 14:04

You are certainly not the only one... where I am the associates, having worked extremely hard for eight months, are watching their bonus target disappear into the distance as work dries up... so are not passing the bits of work that do come in down the food chain. The hardest bit is keeping up morale all day... time passes slowly when there is little to do!

Me too! -06 Nov 2008 | 14:10

Why don't you get involved in non-billable yet valuable contributions to the department/firm? Perhaps think of articles that the department can contribute to legal publications and run your ideas past an associate/partner (and offer to help out with the research & drafting!). Helping to tidy up the knowhow could be useful as well - my experience at several firms is that finding an appropriate precedent is still harder than asking around who's had experience with a certain advice/transaction and wait for them to dig out the relevant precedent from the email files.

Anonymous -06 Nov 2008 | 16:58

Education (client-focused and in-house) often becomes popular in less busy times. True, we are past the annual end of the CPD year panic, but the people you work for might still be planning talks for clients, so see if you could help with those. You don't have to speak, but you can certainly research and turn yourself into a PowerPoint whizz while you're at it - a useful skill for later on when you're trying to put urgent presentations together for your own clients. Also think about other training you might have missed and could usefully catch up on - it doesn't have to be legal training. Did you go to all the IT training on the various packages and programs when you started? If not, now would be a good time to catch up.

Anonymous -06 Nov 2008 | 17:28

It sounds like you're doing the right thing - I wouldn't push for work that isn't there, but as above make it known that you're ready willing and able, and do a good job on what you get! I'd be a little cautious about looking to work in other departments unless it's requested, particularly if anyone has been made redundant, but a suggestion to HR/your supervisor that you'd be willing to wouldn't go far wrong. Don't worry about the quality of your training - proper training only really begins at qualification, up to then the most important thing is to make yourself generally useful and, if you get the opportunity, research how to get your supervisor off a speeding ticket. Fitting in with the firm and team is the most important aspect of being a trainee.

Anonymous -06 Nov 2008 | 17:32

If there's nothing for you to get on with under your own steam, see if you can shadow someone who does have something.Even if you haven't been involved in the case before, you can still benefit from observing meetings as a fly-on-the-wall and, if the opportunity arises, discussing the outcome with whoever you're shadowing.The interaction itself (whether with clients or opponents) is something to learn from (what worked, what didn't, why etc)

Anonymous -06 Nov 2008 | 18:14

Be really careful for your health and wellbeing. It can be very very stressful having no or little or undemanding/unfulfilling workload, especially if work goes to others and a sense of isolation occurs. Try speaking to other fee earners at partner level in other departments to see if they have any files that you could read or bring up to date - I used to pop round to the Environmental Law chaps. If you can keep out of sight of your own team if there is a low workload it does not make it so obvious - the library is a really really good source of "knowledge" and chat as you meet the most intelligent people in the firm there! Better than isolated in a pod. However, if you really are doing nothing - I used to have one of this weeny radios and earphones put it on the rock channel, legs up on desk and sometimes I could even fall asleep - those non-chargeable units just put down to Dept Admin. Reading legal tomes cover to cover is not riveting either so you could ask partners who are not your immediate bosses for suggested reading material - sometimes works. Or just update those looseleaf journals when they come in, circulate those journals/newsletters on topic having read them cover to cover first - you might spot an opportunity to co-write something! Or you could suggest rewriting company department brochures to relevant legislation - Landfill Tax must be a hot topic about now.

ANON -06 Nov 2008 | 22:06

Do some canvassing on a topic of your choice; ask for day release to your local Citizen Advice Bureau and do some at-the-coalface work; see if there are any technology exhibitions you can have some playtime in,or Feng Shui your department. Have fun.

ANON -06 Nov 2008 | 22:16

Maybe it's time to rename this Career Panic.

Anonymous -07 Nov 2008 | 08:08

www.bbc.co.uk

Anonymous -07 Nov 2008 | 10:23

Why not try playing Rastamouse? http://www.rastamouse.com/

Anon -07 Nov 2008 | 16:11

Try to work on know-how. Can you assist in any research? Assist in updating current practice notes and standard forms. What about graduate recruiment and CSR opportunities? Make yourself an asset to the firm and use the time to raise your profile.

Magic Circle -07 Nov 2008 | 16:11

I agree with Investment Banker. People are being way too nice to you on this .. I know it's your first time working etc but, seriously, if you have to go online to find out whether you should annoy partners who obviously have no work to give you, else they would be busy making your life miserable, then you may be in for a shock when the market recovers. I think the loans to other departments, learning etc are all great advice but you need to chill and not be such a brown-shnoz.. Law is a marathon not a sprint.. You were good enugh to get into the firm you are in so unless you make a total twit of yourself, not just in front of partners, but your colleagues (who will view you as a brown-nosing doodle-whacker, instead of the ernest and concerned chap/chapette you probably are) who will forever hate you well into when the work starts. Hang back, do what they do, watch learn and above all shut up!! Right now people don't really know you exist, keep it that way (except when given the opportunity to work). Think of it this way, have all these people working 2-20 years longer than you really got to know you are young and keen? Must you prove how 'dedicated' you are? If you make it through 5 years of practise without whining off in-house or other such then by all means gob off on the net and otherwise as I'm doing (given I'm bored sh*tless myself). To be honest I would have been just like you in first job in the same circumstances, so this IS actually well-meant, but I think the BEST legal/career advice ever is 'when it's quiet, head to the pub'. That doesn't mean clients for you yet ;-) but take some numbskull NQ out for a drink, get involved socially as a fun person if you want to get noticed, but go door-to-door around the office more than once at your peril.. You'll look back on this as the nicest time in your career so enjoy it, work always comes again..

CEE Senior -08 Nov 2008 | 07:00

Ask for work, but not too often. That's annoying. As a trainee, you need above all to be helpful and enthusiastic for whatever comes in. Don't hassle people for work all the time. Don't worry about it all too much! If you have potential, it will come out.

In-House -08 Nov 2008 | 19:47

....and last, but certainly not least, be grateful you have a job in the current climate and don't worry about such daft things! If you used your common sense then you would not have had to post on here.

MC Chris -09 Nov 2008 | 11:43

I've just found an online version of the classic bbc game Chuckie Egg.Downturn... I wouldn't know!

Anonymous -09 Nov 2008 | 23:53

You should rof, obviously.

Roffer -10 Nov 2008 | 15:25

Download a web browser that isn't subject to IT restrictions and get on Facebook!! You'll probably find that the trainee in the office next to you has done the same thing.Alternatively, go back to 'that file' that you never had the time to read in full and go through it. And copy documents that you think you'll be asked to draft in the future - then you can use them as templates when you're called upon. You'll also get a feel for how your supervising partner likes to set out his/her arguments.

annonymous -11 Nov 2008 | 17:04

It is a bit obvious - but even if you have no work, you are a trainee and should therefore be being managed and supervised by your line manager/partner, as should all staff. The law does provide for a "duty of care" breach of which and a foreseeability test has legal consequences. You could always put in a response to any legal reviews/consultations if you are not too busy.

ANON -11 Nov 2008 | 18:40

The set of comments posted over here are very helpful for young people like me.... I dont come from a Law background , I come from a consulting industry, which is also a service industry and has almost similar structure. But I am surprised to see this parallel being faced by trainees there.Though my job pays me extremely well, I am suprised to see how boredom out of having no valid billable work can kill you. This not only pisses me off in the shorter term, but in the longer term, I am afraid this might also be wrongly inferred as incapability by other employers or different bosses in the same company. (they dont know that there was no work to offer me).... Sometimes I wonder, why I was recruited in the first place ?But back to the solution, some comments here are really valuable and applying them is one reason for me to go to work tomorrow (:))

Sash , Consultant, Oil and Energy -17 Feb 2009 | 18:13