I work for a nonprofit law firm, and I used to enjoy working with them because my co-workers were easy to get along with, and I felt like my work was meaningful. I wasn’t just filling the pockets of some rich guy who wanted more money, I was helping low-income people in the right direction to obtain an attorney when no one else could help them.
Ever since new upper management took over, things only went downhill from here. More than half of our staff is gone ever since our new managing attorney showed up, yet she still insists on blaming us instead of taking responsibility.
My new manager has loathed me (and my co-workers) since day one. She’s constantly looking for small non-issues to blow out of porportion and act like they’re a big deal.
I already know I’m getting fired. They haven’t told me, but it’s obvious they want me gone. They put me on probation because I “followed the directions of my old supervisors, and my new one didn’t like it”. Whenever I express my concerns, she plays the “Nuh uh, I don’t wanna hear it!” card.
Where am I supposed to go from here? I wouldn’t mind making less money than I currently make, which is $43,000 per year.
Start calling in. Use absolutely every minute of any accrued sick time. Use that time to job search and interview.
Start job hunting now. Half ass your job until they fire you.
Not a great idea for lawyers to do that. Your boss gets the fees whether your client wins or loses, but your client could lose their entire case. Law is kind of messed up that way.
To be clear, I’m not a lawyer.
Have you kept in touch with your old coworkers who have left? They might have positions.
My former managing attorney is looking, actually.
Call them today. Don’t wait
Bingo
I write software and I’m in the same situation. My goal right now is to focus on companies that have been there a long time (20/30 years old, I shun startups).
Better if they work on an subject that is the most boring ever, stuff that will be stable for a long time.
It is subjective but I’m fed up with crazy managers who harass people because line must go up.
How do I make sure my next job is a better place to work?
By not getting nervous. Keep your calm.
Finding a new job takes it’s time. Maybe half a year, I don’t know. There are statistics that answer this for your region and your field. Grant the time to yourself.
Stay there if it is still bearable, but start your looking around now in all earnest, as if you were free already. If the money reservoir’s are running low, make reasonable decisions, not fearful ones.
You should have started prepping to leave when the problems started. IDK anything about your line of work, but most jobs are basically the same at the social level. Find a place that has a good vibe. If the atmosphere turns to shit move on. Don’t feel you power loyalty to your employer - they’re just another source of income, you don’t owe them Jack shit.
Talking to other people who work there and reading reviews can help. But the real issue is hierarchical management style is always going to be vulnerable to abuse by bad actors because your managers have near total power over you.
In the private sector the solution is worker’s coops. I’m not sure what it would be called in the nonprofit world but there are likely more democratically run organizations in a similar vein.
Another alternative is finding somewhere with a strong union. Unions can also be toxic in some ways but usually far less so than normal work power dynamics.
Anything that feels like a red flag, probably is, but you never know for sure until you get into it.
I worked with the nicest manager ever. He turned into a red flag 5 minutes before firing me because his boss decided that AI is good enough.
Red flags are invisible most of the time.
You could look for another job in the nonprofit sector. Your past experience will help you. You’ve not said what your specialisation is or what exactly you do—if you’re a lawyer and want to keep lawyer-ing, I suppose you could look for another nonprofit law firm, or something like a human rights law firm.
I’m not a lawyer, I’m a receptionist/legal assistant. There are no other non-profit law firms in my area.
Your course is clear: choose the timing of your firing.
- if you are doing well in intervoew, ask why the position is vacant. If they say the old guy was bad that could be a red flag.
- talk to coworkers. See if there is anyone they know at another place doing similar work. References to good positions is key.
- don’t limit yourself to what you currently do. Think about what transferable skills you have and what job that might relate to.
- customize resume to the job you want, not the job you have.
How do I talk to co-workers of a job that I don’t have?
probably also look on reviews for those jobs too try tto fish any common behaviours that are alarming, aside from the astroturfign.
They are not hiring an employee, you are hiring an employer. Interview them.
We used to have a print news sheet for job listings in the non profit sector, which is very large in my home city. It would have one or two articles as well but was mostly job classifieds. Wish I could give you a specific recommendation, but I guess I’m saying just find another job?
It sounds like you want to be in that job sector, but you experienced a disastrous turnover in management at one organization. To be candid it’s a mild story compared to many I have heard. Tyrannical EDs or crazy founders with too much authority, big funding swings, politics up the wazoo… the non profit sector seems to be particularly drama-laden. I’m not sure why. But take the hit and move on. It doesn’t sound like it was about you personally.
maybe it take a certain kind of attitude(ego) to be in a non-profit thats probably why they all act very differently than a for-profit.
Make sure? Impossible.
All jobs are an experiment and a guess. Interviewers are often on their best behavior, just like candidates are. There is no way to know. Hope for the best and be ready to leave, to the best of your ability.
I’m really very sorry that the situation isn’t better for you. I believe I’m facing similar issues.
Good luck. Peace.
How many times have you changed jobs?
My first Adult Job (not a teenager job) lasted 4 years and ended in 2001. After that I became a freelancer. Since then, the longest gig I’ve had is 11 weeks or 1-2 weeks every 4-6 weeks for about 4 years. Otherwise, I have worked with clients 2 hours to 5 days at a time.
I got away with that for 25 years and now I’m struggling to figure out what happens next.
Sounds quite fun. You were able to live off of freelancing, too? Not to mention, shorter gigs means more skills for your resume and more connections!
How were you able to get your start freelancing?
It has its moments, but it also led to significant terror every year, wondering whether this would be the last year people would hire me.
I started accidentally. I stockpiled cash from my IBM job, then I wrote some things about a topic that was becoming popular. Then people noticed me. Since I didn’t have to settle for another crappy job, I could take a chance on doing a few gigs that paid good money.
Two years later, somebody identified me as The Person to write The Next Book on that topic. And then a few influential people amplified me.
And then a few more.
That was the luck I needed.
idk, but if you aren’t already, make sure you’re documenting everything you can, saving any communications you can, you never know when you might need that kind of stuff
It’s not just useful for lawsuits (creating them and defending against them) — it also helps you identify early if a new job is going down the same path.
Start looking ASAP.
Thanks, Captain Obvious.
Nowhere in your post did you mention that you were already looking, Captain Jobless.
