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Emily Hayes knew what she was signing up for when she became a lawyer.
Long hours, difficult clients and invoicing demands are synonymous with the job. Still, for Hayes, the intellectual challenge and the chance to help people made those sacrifices worthwhile.
What she didn’t expect was how quickly burnout would arise – or how much her work would overshadow other parts of her life.
Hayes, 32, graduated from Stanford Law School in 2019. She spent the next two years working for a large international law firm in Redwood Shores, California, before clerking for a federal district court in Portland, Oregon.
In October 2021, she joined O’Melveny & Myers, a major law firm in Los Angeles, as an associate.
After years of moving between jobs and cities, Hayes was optimistic about the next chapter in her career.
Her colleagues were supportive, the assignments were interesting, and the pay was generous. By the time she turned 30, Hayes was earning more than $300,000 a year.
Yet, beneath the surface, the grind was taking its toll.
Her “tipping point” came in April 2023. On Saturday morning, Hayes worked overtime to prepare for the arbitration, just hours after leaving the office at 11pm the night before. She was preparing for a major trial, but her stress and exhaustion had been building for months.
That morning, as she stared at her computer screen, she broke down. She recalls, “I started sobbing” because someone close to her was going through a difficult time and she wished she was in the office instead of supporting them at home.
“It felt like I had to choose between showing up at work the way I was expected to and showing up for the people I love the way I wanted to,” she says. CNBC Make It. “I panicked because of the tension between them.”
Hayes adds, “Working in a law firm can make your life so unpredictable. You can never expect to have free time in the evening or log off until 10pm, I think you have to really love the work you do, to feel worthy of your time.”
At that moment, Hayes silently promised herself to find a new job within a year.
Transition from law to engineering
That spring, Hayes began reaching out to former classmates and colleagues for advice. Through these conversations, she learned about a growing career in the legal sector: product consulting.
Product consultant roles, particularly popular in Silicon Valley, include working with technology companies to provide legal and regulatory advice on products and services.
Unlike traditional law firm roles, product consultant positions often combine legal expertise with business strategy. “You’re a little less involved in the law and a lot more involved in business strategy, which I’ve always been very interested in,” Hayes explains.
In October, a fellow Stanford student mentioned that a tech company she worked for in San Francisco was hiring for product consulting positions.
The job came with two trade-offs: Hayes would have to relocate to San Francisco, and the base salary was about $220,000 in addition to an annual bonus starting after her first year on the job. up to 15% of her total salary, depending on her performance and other company metrics.
That meant a significant pay cut at her law firm — about $150,000 less than her current salary of $370,000 (composed of $295,000 in base pay and a $75,000 bonus) and $200,000 less than her $435,000. dollars she would earn next year in her fifth year. associated with salary increases and bonuses.
However, the role promised a more balanced lifestyle: consistent 40-hour work weeks, the ability to work from home two days a week, and the opportunity to consult on cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
After careful consideration, Hayes decided lower salary was a small price to pay for her well-being and a fresh start in an exciting new field.
She applied for the position in October 2023, received an offer letter in December, and started her new job in January 2024.
Her colleagues at O’Melveny & Myers were “very nice and supportive” of her decision, Hayes says. To facilitate a smooth transition, she compiled a detailed to-do list and a proposed succession plan for her departure from the firm.
Living on a budget
Adjusting to a six-figure pay cut was “a lot harder” than Hayes anticipated.
With her previous income, Hayes says she could “spend without much thought or stress,” whether it’s ordering takeout several times a week or making hefty student loan payments without worrying about having enough money left over. for rent.
Now making about $150,000 less than she did a year ago, Hayes says she’s had to keep a closer eye on her monthly expenses and savings while keeping herself accountable to her budget.
Last year, she started creating TikToks to document her budgeting efforts and get advice from other professionals in similar situations.
“I’m very fortunate that I still make enough to live comfortably,” says Hayes, who adds that her living expenses have gone up a bit since moving from Los Angeles to San Francisco. “The biggest change with this pay cut has been changing my mindset around money – I’ve realized that I have to think carefully about my purchases, even if they don’t seem extravagant.”
“This freedom and this balance was priceless”
Now, as she approaches her first anniversary at the tech company (which she chose not to name), Hayes says she’s “really happy.”
For Hayes, taking a $150,000 pay cut wasn’t a sacrifice; it was an investment in her health, her relationship, and her future. In the first five years of her legal career, she often struggled with sleep deprivation and stress
“I couldn’t turn off my mind,” she says. “I had trouble falling asleep at night, I had constant pain in my jaw – but since I left my old job, all those symptoms have disappeared…it’s crazy.”
The hardest part of her new gig, she said, was figuring out how to spend the evenings and weekends that were suddenly freed up.
“I spend more time with friends on weekdays, I go to Pilates, I choose new hobbies, I bought a sewing machine,” she says. “This freedom and this balance was priceless.”
