I'm not the greatest technological person there ever lived so I'm having a bit of trouble wrapping my brain around technologies that could prove helpful to me:
RSS Feeds--I understand that it's a way of getting information updated from websites automatically. I just don't understand it and need to find an explanation approximately on the level of a kindergartener;
Google Analytics--I understand what it's supposed to do but haven't quite figured it out;
Google Reader--scares me. I read an article and clicked on a website. The next thing I knew, I had a list of jobs and could see what one of my friends had been reading. Until I realized that my job search didn't appear in the shared area, I was a bit disconcerted. Nobody needs to know anything definite about my job search!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Fireworks Season
Driving home yesterday, I noticed that the annual fireworks sale tents are up. I had already seen fireworks in the discount stores. This is a relatively new phenomenon around here, as fireworks were illegal a few years ago and had been my whole life. We went to my mom's hometown for 4th of July every year when I was little. And always had sparklers, provided by my mom's uncle. Who must've bootlegged them from another state. They were legal in at least three surrounding states. My uncle and sister used to bring fireworks across state lines for my brother when he was in junior high. One year, he was in the backyard with bottle rockets and my mom. A cop stopped by to see what was going on; he had seen one of the rockets flying. Because he had adult supervision, the cop left with no problem. Illegal must be relative.
A couple of years ago, I had gone outside to get something from my car and unknown to me a cop I knew had pulled up; he asked what I was doing and I told him and returned the question. He was on his way to the park at the end of the street, checking on reports of gunshots and figured he had time to stop and chat. He correctly expected that the gunshots were firecrackers because it was the season.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Avoiding Bitterness
I could be bitter about so many things right now but am doing my best to move forward. Bitterness won't help me at all and could hurt me in the long run.
I read part of Deepak Chopra's The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire: Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence, which I have been reading bit by bit; for those of you who can't stand the thought of new age books, sorry! My yoga teacher periodically reads short excerpts at the beginning or end of class, usually consisting of a paragraph that goes with the theme of that day's class and a mantra. I found my copy at a thrift store for $2.
The relevant passages?
Imagine that you're detached from the outcome.
Imagine that a deeply profound ocean of calm exists in you that is not affected by any turbulence.
If I can imagine detachment, I'm less likely to take it personally that I was cut from a project about which I had received good feedback and that the next project was canceled.
If I can imagine a place of calmness, I'm more likely to move on without bitterness. My tactic is to remember that contract work is variable. No matter the original plan, something else is likely to happen.
Meanwhile, I contact agencies weekly, send resumes to suitable jobs and network.
I read part of Deepak Chopra's The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire: Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence, which I have been reading bit by bit; for those of you who can't stand the thought of new age books, sorry! My yoga teacher periodically reads short excerpts at the beginning or end of class, usually consisting of a paragraph that goes with the theme of that day's class and a mantra. I found my copy at a thrift store for $2.
The relevant passages?
Imagine that you're detached from the outcome.
Imagine that a deeply profound ocean of calm exists in you that is not affected by any turbulence.
If I can imagine detachment, I'm less likely to take it personally that I was cut from a project about which I had received good feedback and that the next project was canceled.
If I can imagine a place of calmness, I'm more likely to move on without bitterness. My tactic is to remember that contract work is variable. No matter the original plan, something else is likely to happen.
Meanwhile, I contact agencies weekly, send resumes to suitable jobs and network.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Diverse Philosophies on Sending Resumes
I was too complacent on that last project so not nearly paying enough attention to sending resumes and networking. I've sent a few resumes today and started thinking about attitude. If there's a reasonable way to follow up, I do; if not, I don't worry too much about it. My resume is in as good a state as I can get it right now. I need to revamp it and create a functional resume, which will probably take awhile. Meanwhile I have a fairly decent resume.
Everyone has a different philosophy about applying for jobs; one of my friends views it as a hobby. She's in a position where companies will fly her in for an interview, so she gets a free trip to wherever, a good dinner and gets to learn about a new job and corporation. Since she has a job that she likes pretty well, she doesn't have to worry about whether they actually make the offer. Wouldn't it be nice if it was like that for all of us?
I've known others who are pretty much opposite of that; first, is the person who sees an ad for the perfect job and applies. While she follows up on that job, her mistake is in focusing on that job to the exclusion of all else. Until she receives a response on that position, she doesn't even look for other options. On average, that wastes at least six weeks. Assuming you receive a response at some point. We all want the perfect job, but meanwhile, what about the job that isn't perfect but would put you in a better position to obtain the job of your dreams? Not all dream jobs can be attained in one step. Many of us forget that.
Still another example is someone who applies for jobs and is way overqualified. That happens. But is it any reason to send a rejection letter telling the company how insulting it is that they'd interview for that job and not a higher-level position? Because I heard that out of the horse's mouth. This person had worked in steadily lower-level positions, was over 50 and was very negative. Due to conversation on other topics, I think those companies were very lucky to have been rejected by their candidate; in my opinion, the trouble with this candidate is the extreme negativity, which pervades every conversation. Because I have insufficient history with this person, I have no idea whether the negativity has been there all along, or has increased as the prestige and pay scale have decreased. Either way, this is someone with whom I no longer associate; it's way too draining to spend time with people who are that negative. So I do my best not to.
Everyone has a different philosophy about applying for jobs; one of my friends views it as a hobby. She's in a position where companies will fly her in for an interview, so she gets a free trip to wherever, a good dinner and gets to learn about a new job and corporation. Since she has a job that she likes pretty well, she doesn't have to worry about whether they actually make the offer. Wouldn't it be nice if it was like that for all of us?
I've known others who are pretty much opposite of that; first, is the person who sees an ad for the perfect job and applies. While she follows up on that job, her mistake is in focusing on that job to the exclusion of all else. Until she receives a response on that position, she doesn't even look for other options. On average, that wastes at least six weeks. Assuming you receive a response at some point. We all want the perfect job, but meanwhile, what about the job that isn't perfect but would put you in a better position to obtain the job of your dreams? Not all dream jobs can be attained in one step. Many of us forget that.
Still another example is someone who applies for jobs and is way overqualified. That happens. But is it any reason to send a rejection letter telling the company how insulting it is that they'd interview for that job and not a higher-level position? Because I heard that out of the horse's mouth. This person had worked in steadily lower-level positions, was over 50 and was very negative. Due to conversation on other topics, I think those companies were very lucky to have been rejected by their candidate; in my opinion, the trouble with this candidate is the extreme negativity, which pervades every conversation. Because I have insufficient history with this person, I have no idea whether the negativity has been there all along, or has increased as the prestige and pay scale have decreased. Either way, this is someone with whom I no longer associate; it's way too draining to spend time with people who are that negative. So I do my best not to.
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Thursday, June 26, 2008
Attorney Sues Own Firm and Wins
Remember the attorney suing his firm because he didn't like the way the AOL/TimeWarner award was split? He won. Now we just have to see if the firm appeals.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
More on Networking
Now that my monitor has been replaced and the keyboard convinced to play too, I'm back online. I was online minimally the last few days, which is not a way to be when job-hunting. I had social obligations as well, so am not likely to have been online terribly much more, but it's much different to be offline by choice than inability to connect.
My CLE Thursday, as I mentioned, wasn't terribly helpful as far as meeting people, but the information was excellent! That firm has engaging speakers so it was no hardship to sit and listen to the presentations. The loot we were given included a nice pen with the firm logo; I believe I previously mentioned the big, giant book of information with matching CD as well as the firm logo-ed shoulder bag.
The presentation and array of food were scaled back this year; last year was the first time the seminar was presented and they had two simultaneous topics, breakfast and snack buffet in a different area and lunch in yet another room. This year there were four events hosted by other companies taking place at the same time; this firm split its presentations and will be hosting a CLE on the other subject-matter on another occasion.
Coffee, tea, orange juice, rolls, bagels, muffins and a case of water, lemonade, pop, energy drinks and green tea were outside the room; at break time the orange juice had been replaced with iced tea and fruit had been added to the remaining rolls, bagels and muffins. We were at round tables this year and had a lunch buffet which was in the same place the breakfast and snacks had been.
The lunch buffet was amazing: salad with craisins and walnuts; pasta salad; chilled grilled carrots, string beans, zucchini and mushrooms; rainbow trout and salmon; roast beef; I can't tell you how many kinds of cheese; three or four types of bread and squash soup. There was a vast array of desserts featuring miniature eclairs and cream puffs; apple pie; tiramisu and a chocolate ganache torte.
The Friday morning session of an all-day free CLE, in contrast, had regular and decaf coffee, water and three kinds of juice. They give you a bound information book to go with the seminar. It's a great class and how often do you find a free, all-day CLE directed toward the masses? It was 6.5 credits in my state and was also registered in a neighboring state.
I left before the final speaker of the morning to meet someone for lunch. I was excited because my lunch companion paid, which wasn't my objective; I also have the name and phone number of one contact and am expecting contact information for someone at a company in which I'm interested.
It was a much better day, despite my decision not to bother trying to network after my abysmal failure the day before. Next time will no doubt be better!
My CLE Thursday, as I mentioned, wasn't terribly helpful as far as meeting people, but the information was excellent! That firm has engaging speakers so it was no hardship to sit and listen to the presentations. The loot we were given included a nice pen with the firm logo; I believe I previously mentioned the big, giant book of information with matching CD as well as the firm logo-ed shoulder bag.
The presentation and array of food were scaled back this year; last year was the first time the seminar was presented and they had two simultaneous topics, breakfast and snack buffet in a different area and lunch in yet another room. This year there were four events hosted by other companies taking place at the same time; this firm split its presentations and will be hosting a CLE on the other subject-matter on another occasion.
Coffee, tea, orange juice, rolls, bagels, muffins and a case of water, lemonade, pop, energy drinks and green tea were outside the room; at break time the orange juice had been replaced with iced tea and fruit had been added to the remaining rolls, bagels and muffins. We were at round tables this year and had a lunch buffet which was in the same place the breakfast and snacks had been.
The lunch buffet was amazing: salad with craisins and walnuts; pasta salad; chilled grilled carrots, string beans, zucchini and mushrooms; rainbow trout and salmon; roast beef; I can't tell you how many kinds of cheese; three or four types of bread and squash soup. There was a vast array of desserts featuring miniature eclairs and cream puffs; apple pie; tiramisu and a chocolate ganache torte.
The Friday morning session of an all-day free CLE, in contrast, had regular and decaf coffee, water and three kinds of juice. They give you a bound information book to go with the seminar. It's a great class and how often do you find a free, all-day CLE directed toward the masses? It was 6.5 credits in my state and was also registered in a neighboring state.
I left before the final speaker of the morning to meet someone for lunch. I was excited because my lunch companion paid, which wasn't my objective; I also have the name and phone number of one contact and am expecting contact information for someone at a company in which I'm interested.
It was a much better day, despite my decision not to bother trying to network after my abysmal failure the day before. Next time will no doubt be better!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Plaxo Pulse
Plaxo Pulse is another networking site but seems to be more of an organization tool to me; I was invited by one of my LinkedIn connections who works in Marketing, so is far more outgoing than I and has a ton of connections.
It's another site to which you can invite your contacts; no, I haven't invited everyone whose e-mail address I have captured! It seems to function as an address book and calendar, in case everyone you know needs to know what's going on. The calendar is prominent and I received an automatic notice of a contact's birthday; she's in the network but we're not connected.
It doesn't seem as useful to me as LinkedIn. Maybe there's something obvious I'm missing.
It's another site to which you can invite your contacts; no, I haven't invited everyone whose e-mail address I have captured! It seems to function as an address book and calendar, in case everyone you know needs to know what's going on. The calendar is prominent and I received an automatic notice of a contact's birthday; she's in the network but we're not connected.
It doesn't seem as useful to me as LinkedIn. Maybe there's something obvious I'm missing.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Passwords
For the project I recently completed, I had an amazing number of passwords; I think there were six altogether. In my real life, I'm not sure how many there are; one each for my e-mail accounts, of which there are more than one; one each for two student loans; one for my bank account; one each for three career sites; one each for three networking sites; one each for four other sites I can think of.
Don't even start me on the corporate websites that each require submission of new information and creation of user name and password. For those, I rely on the e-mail indicating I have an account to tip me off on new information. It's really annoying because there aren't many corporate sites that I return to for additional applications.
Like most people, I end up recycling and using, say, "doodlebug" on several different sites. I know you're not supposed to, but realistically, if you're not supposed to write them down, what else can you do? As it is, I get locked out of sites regularly because I'm using one of my passwords, just not the one for that site.
Currently I'm locked out of one of my student loans, which really isn't the end of the world; I still have the ability to make online payments, the site just won't track the amounts, other than e-mailing me confirmation of payment. I have to call and get it re-set but during limited hours. I much prefer it when I can e-mail to have my password reset and get an automatic response but not all sites I use have that option available.
I understand why passwords are getting more complex, but it's difficult when I can only remember so many of them and correlate them to the correct accounts. Password isn't a very good password, nor is the name of your favorite team or your pet. Most people understand that; on the other hand, I had a supervisor whose password was "qwerty."
Maybe one of these days I'll remember my passwords.
Don't even start me on the corporate websites that each require submission of new information and creation of user name and password. For those, I rely on the e-mail indicating I have an account to tip me off on new information. It's really annoying because there aren't many corporate sites that I return to for additional applications.
Like most people, I end up recycling and using, say, "doodlebug" on several different sites. I know you're not supposed to, but realistically, if you're not supposed to write them down, what else can you do? As it is, I get locked out of sites regularly because I'm using one of my passwords, just not the one for that site.
Currently I'm locked out of one of my student loans, which really isn't the end of the world; I still have the ability to make online payments, the site just won't track the amounts, other than e-mailing me confirmation of payment. I have to call and get it re-set but during limited hours. I much prefer it when I can e-mail to have my password reset and get an automatic response but not all sites I use have that option available.
I understand why passwords are getting more complex, but it's difficult when I can only remember so many of them and correlate them to the correct accounts. Password isn't a very good password, nor is the name of your favorite team or your pet. Most people understand that; on the other hand, I had a supervisor whose password was "qwerty."
Maybe one of these days I'll remember my passwords.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Awhile back, I attended a networking event with a friend who didn't want to go alone. It wasn't in my field, but it was an opportunity to meet new people and eat free appetizers. Sometimes that's enough. I won a flash drive, on which I now have my resume and other ancillary documents. I met a bunch of new people and a couple of them sent me invitations to join LinkedIn. If you're not familiar with the site, it's a networking site, designed for professionals who are interested in connecting with others, whether corporate colleagues, others in their field or college classmates.
I'm not sure what the sites best value will be for me; I have connected with several people, some quite unintentionally. Everyone makes the occasional clicking mistake; rather than deleting an imported contact so I could send invites to a few people, I mis-clicked and invited everyone. Including people I have had minimal contact with and don't know at all; some of these people linked to me. I was surprised.
It's one of those sites that you can pay a premium for extra services, which makes the most sense for those who don't have gigantic debt like me, or who have their own businesses. You can click on someone you're linked to and see who they're linked to. That's right. The Kevin Bacon Game. I'm linked to a fairly low number of people, but because a few of my contacts have hundreds of links, I'm connected to over a hundred thousand people.
I'm linked to several people from that first happy hour, others with whom I used to work, college classmates, several attorney recruiters and other random people whose e-mail addressed were in my inbox. The greatest value I see on this site is the potential to get an introduction to a hiring manager of a company advertising on the site. Some jobs are linked to people at the third level; I get to them through one of my links and one of their links. One of the interesting features is that jobs at law firms show up for me; recently someone in Norway posted an attorney job. I think. The ad is in Norwegian.
My profile is incomplete; I see that it's 80% complete as I have yet to fill in several categories and have not uploaded a photo. My resume is in there with a couple of recommendations and there are a few others from whom I need to solicit recommendations. I have a lot of work to do and am optimistic that this will help me in networking.
I'm not sure what the sites best value will be for me; I have connected with several people, some quite unintentionally. Everyone makes the occasional clicking mistake; rather than deleting an imported contact so I could send invites to a few people, I mis-clicked and invited everyone. Including people I have had minimal contact with and don't know at all; some of these people linked to me. I was surprised.
It's one of those sites that you can pay a premium for extra services, which makes the most sense for those who don't have gigantic debt like me, or who have their own businesses. You can click on someone you're linked to and see who they're linked to. That's right. The Kevin Bacon Game. I'm linked to a fairly low number of people, but because a few of my contacts have hundreds of links, I'm connected to over a hundred thousand people.
I'm linked to several people from that first happy hour, others with whom I used to work, college classmates, several attorney recruiters and other random people whose e-mail addressed were in my inbox. The greatest value I see on this site is the potential to get an introduction to a hiring manager of a company advertising on the site. Some jobs are linked to people at the third level; I get to them through one of my links and one of their links. One of the interesting features is that jobs at law firms show up for me; recently someone in Norway posted an attorney job. I think. The ad is in Norwegian.
My profile is incomplete; I see that it's 80% complete as I have yet to fill in several categories and have not uploaded a photo. My resume is in there with a couple of recommendations and there are a few others from whom I need to solicit recommendations. I have a lot of work to do and am optimistic that this will help me in networking.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
The Disappearing Project Phenomenon
It's happened to us all, hasn't it? Recruiter submits you name to a project and it goes into a black hole. Worse, you have a firm start date and it gets pushed back. And back. And the recruiter doesn't hear from the contact. It might not be as big of a concern in a larger market, but I'm neither in New York nor Washington, DC. Projects here are smaller for the most part, and there are more agencies than seems realistic for the size of the market. Competition seems pretty fierce. Then again, both rent for a workspace and hourly rates for contract attorneys are less, not to mention the abundant supply of unemployed attorneys.
One mistake that people here make is to register only with one agency. I know the agencies prefer that, but in this market, it isn't realistic. I have worked for two agencies the last two years because neither has had projects consistently. I'm registered with a total of six agencies currently, none of which has a project.
Many attorneys register with one agency, possibly two, and wait until one of these two players has a project. I recently registered with a national agency which has only recently opened an office in my city; I was on a long-term project, so no real need to register. Until my project ended and the other possible project was canceled. I had spoken with the recruiter a few months ago, but held off due to the open-ended project I was on at the time. Had I registered with her sooner, nothing would have changed; she didn't have a project then and doesn't have one now.
When my projects end, I immediately update my resume and send it to all agencies with which I'm registered and let them know my project has ended and I'm available to work. I also send a resume to any agency advertising a project with which I haven't registered. If you don't let people know you're available, you're going to be sitting home collecting unemployment. While I realize that in the summertime that isn't the worst possible outcome, I have bills to pay, financial goals to achieve and would rather work.
I find it incredible that people don't contact additional agencies once they learn that the agency with which they have worked has no available options for them. I tend to contact that agency each week, thinking that if I do so, I have the best chance of getting on a project; on more than one occasion, I have contacted my recruiter and been told she has nothing, only to get a call within a few days telling me about a project to which she'd like to submit my resume. A couple of those projects have lasted much longer than originally projected.
One mistake that people here make is to register only with one agency. I know the agencies prefer that, but in this market, it isn't realistic. I have worked for two agencies the last two years because neither has had projects consistently. I'm registered with a total of six agencies currently, none of which has a project.
Many attorneys register with one agency, possibly two, and wait until one of these two players has a project. I recently registered with a national agency which has only recently opened an office in my city; I was on a long-term project, so no real need to register. Until my project ended and the other possible project was canceled. I had spoken with the recruiter a few months ago, but held off due to the open-ended project I was on at the time. Had I registered with her sooner, nothing would have changed; she didn't have a project then and doesn't have one now.
When my projects end, I immediately update my resume and send it to all agencies with which I'm registered and let them know my project has ended and I'm available to work. I also send a resume to any agency advertising a project with which I haven't registered. If you don't let people know you're available, you're going to be sitting home collecting unemployment. While I realize that in the summertime that isn't the worst possible outcome, I have bills to pay, financial goals to achieve and would rather work.
I find it incredible that people don't contact additional agencies once they learn that the agency with which they have worked has no available options for them. I tend to contact that agency each week, thinking that if I do so, I have the best chance of getting on a project; on more than one occasion, I have contacted my recruiter and been told she has nothing, only to get a call within a few days telling me about a project to which she'd like to submit my resume. A couple of those projects have lasted much longer than originally projected.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Unemployment
A couple of temporary attorneys have told me they don't apply for unemployment when they're not working; they're afraid the agencies won't try to find them work if they do so.
I'm not sure what to think of that idea but it doesn't seem reasonable; absent a project, I need to pay my bills.
I can't imagine that an agency would deny unemployment; people talk, nobody would want to work for them. Once a contractor applies for unemployment, it's in the agency's best interest to find that person a project. I know at least one person who was tipped off about a project by an agency that had no work for her at the time. It's a win-win situation; contractor gets work, agency doesn't have to deal with unemployment for that person.
Unemployment might not be the worst thing in the world; Your boss can make you sick.
I'm not sure what to think of that idea but it doesn't seem reasonable; absent a project, I need to pay my bills.
I can't imagine that an agency would deny unemployment; people talk, nobody would want to work for them. Once a contractor applies for unemployment, it's in the agency's best interest to find that person a project. I know at least one person who was tipped off about a project by an agency that had no work for her at the time. It's a win-win situation; contractor gets work, agency doesn't have to deal with unemployment for that person.
Unemployment might not be the worst thing in the world; Your boss can make you sick.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Today's Tragic Tale of Woe
First I sat at the wrong table this morning, by the bitchy ladies who had nothing good to say about anything or anyone, and weren't open to meeting new people. I guess I didn't need to lose the bitter, it would've fit right in!
The CLE, food and party favors were wonderful. When I say party favors I mean that in addition to the big, giant book of information and matching CD, we were given a soft-sided, briefcase-style shoulder bag with the law firm logo to carry our loot in. Nice bag and immediate comment from bitchy lady? That they're paying the firm too much if they can afford that!
Then I get home to find a dead computer monitor. Which should be fine as I also have a laptop. Which didn't want to play with the router. Eventually I got both parts to cooperate.
Tomorrow should be a better day. The CLE isn't so swanky; free and they give a small book and free beverages but I'm going to lunch with one of my references afterwards so that's good.
Meanwhile I have to move furniture to get the old monitor out as the cord is behind the gigantic desk. Hopefully I get that taken care of this weekend. In any case, I'm posted ahead so you won't notice the transition. Except for today's unprecedented second post.
The CLE, food and party favors were wonderful. When I say party favors I mean that in addition to the big, giant book of information and matching CD, we were given a soft-sided, briefcase-style shoulder bag with the law firm logo to carry our loot in. Nice bag and immediate comment from bitchy lady? That they're paying the firm too much if they can afford that!
Then I get home to find a dead computer monitor. Which should be fine as I also have a laptop. Which didn't want to play with the router. Eventually I got both parts to cooperate.
Tomorrow should be a better day. The CLE isn't so swanky; free and they give a small book and free beverages but I'm going to lunch with one of my references afterwards so that's good.
Meanwhile I have to move furniture to get the old monitor out as the cord is behind the gigantic desk. Hopefully I get that taken care of this weekend. In any case, I'm posted ahead so you won't notice the transition. Except for today's unprecedented second post.
Supreme Court Says No to Multiple Patent Royalties
Patent owners can no longer claim royalty exhaustion. Good news for some. Bad news for others.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Networking at CLE's
I'm attending a CLE tomorrow and hoping to network while I'm there. Friday I have another CLE, lunch with one of my references and an interview with yet another agency. I have to not be bitter.
I don't mean to give the appearance of not being bitter; I need to let go of any vestige of bitterness that I might harbor in my psyche. You can't hide bitterness, it comes out somehow in conversation, whether in tone of voice or sarcastic remark. Bitter people think they can temporarily mask bitterness but it's impossible. Losing bitterness is more difficult but it's better to do so. Yeah, I admit to a little bitterness right now, despite knowing I was working in a temporary position, but it's natural to feel that way, though it makes no sense intellectually.
In order to successfully network, I need to be someone the people I meet like, want to talk to again and would be willing to help if it's in their power. Tomorrow's CLE is for a firm's clients and I'm fortunate to be attending; it's free and they feed you. I'll have opportunities to chat with those around me, tell people why I'm interested in their industry and ask for meetings. It's more likely to happen without the bitterness.
Friday's CLE is open to the general public and there will be a lot of people in my position attending; there will also be people with jobs to network with. I'm meeting my new reference for lunch, which is good. I worked directly with her on some portions of my project and because she likes my work, she's happy to help with a reference.
It's always difficult to ask someone new about providing a reference, but this contact made it easy; I mentioned that the next project had been canceled and she put it down to more budget cuts and shifting corporate priorities, then asked if my agency had another project. All I had to do was tell her about the upcoming meeting with another agency and ask if she'd be willing to act as a reference. Slam dunk. Much easier in this situation as it was a corporate client and I had a lot of contact with certain people than if I had been on a large, impersonal document review.
I have gotten a reference from someone associated with a document review before, but only after that person had moved on from the hosting firm; I don't know that I would've asked otherwise. In any case, it was another situation in which I had personal contact, from a document collection trip, attended the same law school and am acquainted with a family member. So it is possible, but can be difficult.
That's one of the conundrums of working through agencies; some understand that it's impossible to get a reference from a big project and that all a previous agency will do is verify the dates you worked on their project. Others understand that they're not getting supervisor references and you may have references that are a bit outdated due to the nature of the project work.
I don't mean to give the appearance of not being bitter; I need to let go of any vestige of bitterness that I might harbor in my psyche. You can't hide bitterness, it comes out somehow in conversation, whether in tone of voice or sarcastic remark. Bitter people think they can temporarily mask bitterness but it's impossible. Losing bitterness is more difficult but it's better to do so. Yeah, I admit to a little bitterness right now, despite knowing I was working in a temporary position, but it's natural to feel that way, though it makes no sense intellectually.
In order to successfully network, I need to be someone the people I meet like, want to talk to again and would be willing to help if it's in their power. Tomorrow's CLE is for a firm's clients and I'm fortunate to be attending; it's free and they feed you. I'll have opportunities to chat with those around me, tell people why I'm interested in their industry and ask for meetings. It's more likely to happen without the bitterness.
Friday's CLE is open to the general public and there will be a lot of people in my position attending; there will also be people with jobs to network with. I'm meeting my new reference for lunch, which is good. I worked directly with her on some portions of my project and because she likes my work, she's happy to help with a reference.
It's always difficult to ask someone new about providing a reference, but this contact made it easy; I mentioned that the next project had been canceled and she put it down to more budget cuts and shifting corporate priorities, then asked if my agency had another project. All I had to do was tell her about the upcoming meeting with another agency and ask if she'd be willing to act as a reference. Slam dunk. Much easier in this situation as it was a corporate client and I had a lot of contact with certain people than if I had been on a large, impersonal document review.
I have gotten a reference from someone associated with a document review before, but only after that person had moved on from the hosting firm; I don't know that I would've asked otherwise. In any case, it was another situation in which I had personal contact, from a document collection trip, attended the same law school and am acquainted with a family member. So it is possible, but can be difficult.
That's one of the conundrums of working through agencies; some understand that it's impossible to get a reference from a big project and that all a previous agency will do is verify the dates you worked on their project. Others understand that they're not getting supervisor references and you may have references that are a bit outdated due to the nature of the project work.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Networking with other Contract Attorneys
I once worked on a large document review where someone had the bright idea to start a weekly networking group. Amongst ourselves. In theory, it's a great idea; in practice? A bit strange.
There were many problems with the whole scenario; we didn't know each other and were all in the same basic career. While I realize that if you get 50 attorneys in a room, you're likely to have 50 different ideal jobs; however, when you have 50 contract attorneys in a room, you're more likely to have people who would apply for and accept the same position. That's the problem.
The idea didn't go beyond a few meetings, in part because of the competitive aspect, in part because people had different ideas about what we should do. One attorney floated the idea of making a list of our names and contact information, together with areas of interest; anyone hearing of a position in someone else's area of interest should alert that person. It seemed like that would take more time than is realistic to devote to someone else's job search.
Me? I need to spend more time worrying about how I'm going to generate income for myself than for the next guy. As previously stated, I do tell people about document reviews and projects of that nature, simply because if I'm working or applying for that project, it doesn't hurt me to share with others. With regard to smaller projects or individual positions? Not a chance I'd tell if I'm interested myself. If I see something that's not right for me and think it might appeal to one of my friends? Sure, I'd forward it.
There were many problems with the whole scenario; we didn't know each other and were all in the same basic career. While I realize that if you get 50 attorneys in a room, you're likely to have 50 different ideal jobs; however, when you have 50 contract attorneys in a room, you're more likely to have people who would apply for and accept the same position. That's the problem.
The idea didn't go beyond a few meetings, in part because of the competitive aspect, in part because people had different ideas about what we should do. One attorney floated the idea of making a list of our names and contact information, together with areas of interest; anyone hearing of a position in someone else's area of interest should alert that person. It seemed like that would take more time than is realistic to devote to someone else's job search.
Me? I need to spend more time worrying about how I'm going to generate income for myself than for the next guy. As previously stated, I do tell people about document reviews and projects of that nature, simply because if I'm working or applying for that project, it doesn't hurt me to share with others. With regard to smaller projects or individual positions? Not a chance I'd tell if I'm interested myself. If I see something that's not right for me and think it might appeal to one of my friends? Sure, I'd forward it.
Monday, June 16, 2008
No Projects
Currently there are no projects in my city that are available to me. Last year one of my friends went to DC and worked for the summer. His project had a lot of OT so he did nothing but work and sleep. He came back when there was a long-term project here, where he's still working, though that project cut back on the number of attorneys.
I'm not sure if I'm better off staying home, applying for jobs, collecting unemployment and looking for a project or if I should take myself to a bigger city for the short-term.
I'm not sure if I'm better off staying home, applying for jobs, collecting unemployment and looking for a project or if I should take myself to a bigger city for the short-term.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Financial Flight Plan
Here's an article on Financial Flight Plan for Recent College Grads that works just as well for recent Law School Grads and serves as an excellent reminder for everyone.
Another good habit to get into is to order your free annual credit report from the three major agencies each year. Don't go to the site advertised by the guy in the Pirate Costume; he's selling a credit monitoring project that costs $14.95/mo. after the seven day free trial. Unless you want to spend $180 annually.
Another good habit to get into is to order your free annual credit report from the three major agencies each year. Don't go to the site advertised by the guy in the Pirate Costume; he's selling a credit monitoring project that costs $14.95/mo. after the seven day free trial. Unless you want to spend $180 annually.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Credit Score
Now that I got over my bad credit angst, I actually did go ahead and apply for a credit card. Only after I asked the guy whether, with my credit score, it was even a possibility. It was much easier to apply for the card knowing that I'd be approved for a certain amount of credit. Because the amount I was pre-approved for based on my credit score was relatively small, I asked for a higher line of credit. And got it. While my credit score isn't perfect, I hope to use this card responsibly to help improve my score, while I continue with my master plan to take over the world. Or get my debt under control. The card arrived yesterday and has yet to be activated.
Because I no longer have consumer debt, I'm a little anxious about the credit card, but plan to leave it home most of the time. I have one planned purchase that's a modest couple hundred dollars and will pay that off over several months. My credit card? Will live in a drawer. Because I'm focused on reducing my debt and improving my credit score, I'm not terribly concerned about going wild with consumer debt so no need to freeze it in a block of ice like some people. My current focus is improving my credit rating by reducing debt. Due to volume of debt I don't have a projected end date, though every paid loan will help.
I know of and am acquainted with others who make me look fiscally responsible and my debt appear to be miniscule. In addition to those whose blogs include dollar amounts of existing or paid debt, there are articles detailing debt as the American Way of Life. No longer do we only buy what we can pay for as was done prior to WWII; now entire lives are financed with borrowed money.
Who can forget the girl who got herself deep into debt and solicited donations from strangers as a way out. One of her debt reduction suggestions is to make payments every week. That's exactly what I do with the currently targeted loan in order to make sure I pay more. If I pay online every payday I'm less likely to divert funds for other uses.
Because I no longer have consumer debt, I'm a little anxious about the credit card, but plan to leave it home most of the time. I have one planned purchase that's a modest couple hundred dollars and will pay that off over several months. My credit card? Will live in a drawer. Because I'm focused on reducing my debt and improving my credit score, I'm not terribly concerned about going wild with consumer debt so no need to freeze it in a block of ice like some people. My current focus is improving my credit rating by reducing debt. Due to volume of debt I don't have a projected end date, though every paid loan will help.
I know of and am acquainted with others who make me look fiscally responsible and my debt appear to be miniscule. In addition to those whose blogs include dollar amounts of existing or paid debt, there are articles detailing debt as the American Way of Life. No longer do we only buy what we can pay for as was done prior to WWII; now entire lives are financed with borrowed money.
Who can forget the girl who got herself deep into debt and solicited donations from strangers as a way out. One of her debt reduction suggestions is to make payments every week. That's exactly what I do with the currently targeted loan in order to make sure I pay more. If I pay online every payday I'm less likely to divert funds for other uses.
Friday, June 13, 2008
The Economy and Attorney Jobs
The other day, I read a NY Times article on state government cutbacks affecting the economy.
It's here. I don't know about your area, but around here, The State Board of Public Defenders is cutting some positions and declining to fill others.
More legal contractors. Joy.
It's here. I don't know about your area, but around here, The State Board of Public Defenders is cutting some positions and declining to fill others.
More legal contractors. Joy.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
People Don't Always Understand Networking
Inexplicably, not everyone understands networking; I once told a friend how excited I was to have met an attorney and was going to meet with this person for coffee. "Is it a date?" I was asked. No. Not a date. It's possible for a man and a woman to have a meeting related to business. Business alone.
At the same time, there are people who really don't understand that networking isn't just asking someone for a job. It isn't supposed to be asking for a job; it's about becoming known in the area of your interest, learning more about that area and the people working in it, discovering whether it would be a good fit for you, getting referrals to meet more people and hoping that someone you meet knows of a position you can apply for or thinks of you when they have an opening.
I occasionally encounter people working for companies I'm interested in, but when I ask about the prospect of a meeting, they look confused and tell me they're not a hiring manager. Which is fine. I'm looking for information about the company. What's the corporate culture like? How long have you worked there? What makes you stay? What do you like about the company? Your job? Do you know someone who works in an area more closely related to my area of interest? Could you refer me to that person?
Yet there are still people who are inappropriate; within the last year or so, the friend of a friend got a great new job. It was in a creative industry, doing work she loved, for a fairly small, cutting-edge company. She was really excited about it. For the first couple of months. Until she clicked on a file on the network drive. Containing material that wasn't work safe. And showed the owner and a colleague in a compromising position. She and another colleague who had viewed the same video sued the company for sexual harassment. Each received a settlement, a condition of which was resigning from the company.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Home Ownership and Blogging Away Debt
As I try to reduce my debt and look seek in vain a job of my own, I look at all the houses for sale and wonder whether I'll ever own a home. I just received the letter in the mail telling me that my loan obligation for my smallest loan had been paid in full. I have also decided to change the order in which I pay off my loans; the next smallest loan is a logical place to start, but the interest is lower on that than on the larger one. It's just a different private loan, not my gigantic federal loan.
While I haven't stated the exact amount of my debt, I don't need to; anyone reading this knows my approximate amount of debt! Yet there are those who have provided exact information and anyone reading their blog will have that information. That's a little too much information for me to provide! I like Blogging away Debt, they share a lot of great information.
Now that I've eliminated all consumer debt and have paid off one loan, I'm looking forward to paying off the next loan; I hope to be in a position within the next year or two to buy a home. Sadly, that means hoping the housing market doesn't rebound and that there will still be a glut of houses on the market.
While I haven't stated the exact amount of my debt, I don't need to; anyone reading this knows my approximate amount of debt! Yet there are those who have provided exact information and anyone reading their blog will have that information. That's a little too much information for me to provide! I like Blogging away Debt, they share a lot of great information.
Now that I've eliminated all consumer debt and have paid off one loan, I'm looking forward to paying off the next loan; I hope to be in a position within the next year or two to buy a home. Sadly, that means hoping the housing market doesn't rebound and that there will still be a glut of houses on the market.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Other necessities
Thanks to reader Gabe for suggesting audible.com as a source of listening material. For those of you who are incredibly budget-minded or lacking in cash-flow, it is a paid subscription. But very likely worth it to retain sanity during document review time.
Gabe is likely the only person to actually read my blog, other than a few friends I have forced it on.
Gabe is likely the only person to actually read my blog, other than a few friends I have forced it on.
Monday, June 9, 2008
As exciting as it gets
I have finally used up one of the rolls of trash bags that I hate. The remaining two are no longer very big, so I'm optimistic that soon I'll be able to buy the kind I like. Between that and having used the remainder of one of my many bottles of lotion, that's as exciting as it gets! And in reviewing my stash of stuff, I discovered an inordinate amount of tea. That's another thing on my use what you have list. I must have 8 or 10 boxes of tea, though I finished the lemon when I had a cold recently. I also have loose leaf tea that needs to be used.
My project ended with the month of May and the new project is scheduled soon. Hopefully will start yet this week; wouldn't want to actually run out of trash bags!
The new project is short, but is at the same location as the old project; they provide coffee, tea and icewater. So I don't use as much of my own tea as I might because I drink theirs during the workday. They have several options and if I was desperate for something else, I could try another floor. I've seen other flavors on other floors but so far haven't grabbed a few to take to my floor.
My project ended with the month of May and the new project is scheduled soon. Hopefully will start yet this week; wouldn't want to actually run out of trash bags!
The new project is short, but is at the same location as the old project; they provide coffee, tea and icewater. So I don't use as much of my own tea as I might because I drink theirs during the workday. They have several options and if I was desperate for something else, I could try another floor. I've seen other flavors on other floors but so far haven't grabbed a few to take to my floor.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Achieving Goals
I just paid off my smallest student loan. The minimum payment was $50 a month, which never seemed to make the loan shrink. This was a loan that I could pay online or over the phone with no additional cost, so I tried to make a payment every payday. My weekly paycheck is usually $XX8.48 and I realized I could pay this off much quicker even if all I did was pay the $8.48 from each week's paycheck; it added up to about $33 so in three months I would make two extra payments.
The next smallest loan, on which I have also been making minimum payments as about two and a half times the amount of money as the last one; it has been re-calibrated several times and the minimum payment has jumped around a bit. The minimum payment on this loan has been lowered a few times with the Fed's rate cuts, so I have continued paying the same amount and am reducing the loan more quickly.
I would like to pay this loan off by the end of the year, but that will only be possible with continuing employment and focus on paying it off. If a project comes my way, I should be able to achieve this goal.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
More on What to Do?
Even after graduating from law school, passing the bar exam and not getting a job as an attorney, as you know, I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do with my education.
Your local job service (or whatever it's called in your state) can be a source for job seeking help; they often have classes, which may be too simplistic for your needs as they're geared toward those with less education. Church groups often have networking groups; while there are many of these, look at the webpages and see what services they offer. In my area some host speakers, other have networking groups, others are combinations. One church has a 4-week class, offered several times a year with a great speaker. It's a lot of work and you have to be willing to answer all the questions and work through their exercises. Some churches offer networking contacts. Others send out lists of jobs they've heard about. It may be helpful to take advantage of several of these opportunities in combination to get the best of it. Everyone has different needs so what works for me might not be the best choice for you.
Another option, recently brought to my attention, is Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers; in my state, not only do they work with people who have mental health or substance abuse issues, they're a starting point for many other stress-related issues. I was surprised to learn that they have a CLE designed for attorneys who want to change careers or who are seeking their proper place in life.
One of my friends is attending this class soon, but I've completed my requirements for this reporting period. If she has a good experience, I'll consider attending, even though it costs $150.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Credit Cards
Carrying a balance on your credit card and making regular payments is the single fastest way to improve your credit score, according to my financial institution. It's only reported if you carry a balance. Paying your card off in full every month is great, but not helpful if your goal is to improve your credit score.
While I'd like to have a card for emergencies, I'm not sure I want to carry a balance; someone else told me that if you carry a balance of less than a thousand dollars on your credit card, you're fine.
Nevertheless, I'd really like to improve my credit score so am considering getting a credit card, charging something and making time payments for awhile.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Identity Theft
It briefly crossed my mind that I was a potential victim of identity theft, though I firmly believe that nobody would get very far on my identity, due to my massive student loan debt.
I recently requested my annual free credit reports from the three major bureaus and received similar letters from each, informing me that I had failed to substantiate my identity and would need to send them additional information, including a copy of my drivers license or photo ID and a copy of a utility bill, bank statement or insurance bill. Combined with a recent letter from my financial institution informing me that a retailer had been breached, transactions on my card had been blocked for Florida and I would shortly receive a new debit card, I was convinced someone had stolen my identity.
The bank is close to where I'm working, so I stopped in and talked to someone. He told me that it was related to a letter I had received a year ago indicating it was possible my card was compromised, based on a retailer's information having been breached. It took them nearly a year to determine which card numbers were affected. Once they had that information, those customers were automatically sent new cards. Because I had filled out a form for the credit report people and someone later input it for their system, we think my credit bureau question was a matter of a typo; I'm going to try again, tonight, online and see if I get copies. If not, I'll have to send them the information they want. I should've just done it online to begin with but didn't want to take the time.
The banker also printed off a copy of my credit report and went through it with me; I know my credit score, which could use some improvement but also have been told that my tactic of targeting the smallest loan and paying it off is the right way to go. He also pointed out that a few accounts which were supposed to have information from the last 24 months were based on older information and told me to request an update of that information, once I actually have my credit reports. That was helpful.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
CLE's at Big Firms
I previously mentioned that last year I had attended a CLE that was meant for the firms clients. I found it online two days beforehand and discussed it with a friend who called to see if it was okay for us to sign up. We were assured they had room for us and attended.
Now we're on their mailing list and this year we received invitations, one of which was via e-mail and said to forward to interested colleagues. That only applies to their clients; my friend forwarded the invitation to a colleague on her document review project, who tried to register and was rejected on the grounds that the CLE is for their clients.
The CLE isn't for over a month yet and therein may lie the difference; at this point, it's still possible that their clients will sign up for the event. Last year, we learned about the event two days beforehand, when they knew they had committed to space for a certain number of participants and were paying for lunch for fewer people than had signed up. The other possible reason I can think of is that there was turnover in staff and someone new turned down her registration.
Knowing we're not the targeted audience, I don't think it would be appropriate for me to disclose the client events I'm lucky enough to attend; however, there's no reason you can't ask your contacts about CLE's at their firm or google around and see if you turn up anything interesting. If you do find a client event, I'd wait until the end of the sign-up period and call to ask.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Shifting Careers
The Shifting Careers Blog on the New York Times has a really great article about what you learn in your first job. Even if it isn't your ideal job, there's always something we can take away from a given job.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Cookie Runs
Last year I worked on a fabulous project. We were treated very well by the people at the firm; big firm, small project. At first there were only two of us, so we were assigned their designated Litigation Support spaces; small cubes with a printer between us. We had phones! And a map of the firm! Complete with contact information! HR gave it to us before our tour! And they wanted us to feel comfortable there! Imagine, a firm that cares about its reviewers. Who knew that was possible?
This is one of the best projects I have ever worked on. We were given entry cards and told the firm was open from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm; that was our window of opportunity, though at least one person worked earlier and nobody said anything. Once we were trained, they left us alone to do the work. My companion and I would e-mail each other periodically, sitting back-to-back and because we assigned the work to ourselves, we could see each others productivity and got a bit competitive some day. That was great!
An associate at the firm would periodically send us to Au Bon Pain for half-price cookies after 3:00; we brought cookies for everyone in the area. He had nothing to do with our project but his office was near us so we got to know him a bit. Because we were in a very nice atmosphere, it didn't come across as condescending; plus we each got a cookie out of it. He wanted a cookie but didn't want to take the time to get it. We had no problem going on a cookie run.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
On Being Green
Interesting New York Times article on a family trying to eliminate nearly all their possessions and live on the land.
I couldn't do it.
I couldn't do it.
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