Pros
This whole situation has gotten way out of hand. I’m not going to completely “bash” the people leaving the one star reviews because we have to validate their experience. Maybe they do feel overlooked and unappreciated, but it’s not really as horrible as they portray this practice group to be. Yes, there are “favored” employees in the group, but when you take into consideration that the “favored” ones are also the ones filing the most (complex) cases, answering emails in a timely, manner, and taking on more than their fair share, can you really blame management for favoring them? They have managed to be with the firm for years so that should tell you something. Remember that this is a corporate environment - that means your effort and work ethic will need to shine through in order to rise through the ranks. I’m not saying you need to kill yourself and put in tons of over time, but keep in mind that minimal effort will only get you minimal recognition. The firm as a whole is very diverse and everyone is so willing to help. This applies to the practice group as well. I have never felt stupid or looked down upon for asking questions. There are great options to build your career in the immigration field and the salary is pretty competitive in comparison to other firms in the area. Bonuses are great too with this group! Just put in the work. Immigration isn’t for the faint of heart and many people don’t make it in the field and that’s okay!
Cons
Although new training plans have been put in place, these have only recently been put in place so the people leaving the bad reviews didn’t really get to experience the new trainings which take a full week instead of the 1.5 orientation day we used to have. Currently, a great amount of the cases are assigned to a few paralegals and this places a lot of pressure on them. Please help them get the help they need!