Family get-together

We had the entire extended family on my side together for the first time since my sister's wedding reception last night. Everyone went to my older sister's house for dinner and a family picture. Unfortunately, we didn't have too much time to visit, because our kids had school today, so we had to get them back home before it got too late.

During dinner, I ignited a firestorm by mentioning that a friend at a big firm had just called about an in-house job at the extended family business. It is one of the largest companies in the state, and my mom's brother is the CEO, but I got no traction in my inquiries about essentially the same position last year. The position is still open, so there was a big discussion over whether I should contact my uncle again about the job, attempt to go through other channels, or let it be and continue to make my own way. It's a family legacy, so I would be interested in working there, but I'm not interested in slamming my head against a brick wall if I won't get serious consideration. All I want is to be treated on equal footing with other applicants, and the fact that the job has been open so long suggests that perhaps they haven't gotten the kind of applicants they want, at least not at the price they have been willing to pay. The flip side of my having somewhat less experience than some candidates is they can actually afford me. Plus--and this is where I disagreed with my uncle last year--I think the kind of legal experience I have would transfer quite well to the most significant aspect of the company's business, contract drafting and negotiation.