Those Prestige Jobs: Coal in Their Stockings, Too

Those prestige jobs such as being employed by a big law firm aren't turning out to be so rosy after all. Staff at Jones Day Law Firm will get coal in their stocking.

Jones Day, with offices around the world, is often thought of as carrying plenty of status. Well, status doesn't pay for the kids' braces, the mortgage, or credit card balances. At Jones Day, the head of administration told staff there will be no bonus this year. There's more. Everyone, including the bigwigs with their law degrees, were informed that the entire Year End Payment Program was being deep-sixed.

The lesson here in job hunting and in deciding to stick with your current job is clearly this: Don't ever ever, ever assume the grass is greener somewhere else. The grass may be just different. Or, horrors, the grass might not even be as green as your little patch. The reasons for taking a certain job and building a career with a certain organization are changing. That means being willing to approach decisions about your work life in fresh ways.