Vocare

Check out this great post that includes many resources.

Whether you are seeking career advice or job opportunities, developing your personal brand, taking the next step in your career or simply just want to keep track of news and updates from the career industry, Career Rocketeer has compiled and presents to you the ultimate, definitive list of career blogs you should be reading, including those of authors, bloggers, coaches and experts in the world of personal branding and marketing, career and job searching, networking, social media, resume writing and more.

For the entire post, click here.

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Posted by Victor Massaglia at 2:38 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I thought this discussion regarding online reputation management interesting.

"As lawyers participate in social media - Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, just to name a few - there's a growing sense that Internet presence is becoming online reputation. In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell look at this important new phenomenon and suggest practical ways that you can find and manage your online reputation, while avoiding the most common pitfalls."

Click here to listen to the podcast.

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Posted by Victor Massaglia at 7:34 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

LinkedIn is becoming more and more popular to help one establish a professional online presence. It is also an excellent way to connect with past, present, and future colleagues and employers. Our friends from Touro Law shared the following resources with us to help you use LinkedIn effectively.

How to Use LinkedIn Effectively

Top Eleven Ways to Use LinkedIn Effectively

Six Elements of a Great LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn: Seven Tips to Make the Most of Your Profile

Five LinkedIn Tips on Effective Personal Branding

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Posted by Victor Massaglia at 4:43 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

As summer 2009 approaches, students who plan to leave Minnesota and who may be in need of sublets, should check out NALP's Apartment Exchange.

ALSO, local law firms will be seeking sublets for their incoming summer associates. (See below)

SUMMER SUBLETS NEEDED: Faegre & Benson LLP is seeking furnished apartments in or near downtown Minneapolis for the summer months. For more information, or to submit an ad to rent or sublet your apartment, please contact Trisha Verhasselt, Recruiting Coordinator, at tverhasselt@faegre.com or (612) 766-8952.

Posted by Susan Gainen at 12:39 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Here is a great resource regarding legal podcasts that I came across at law.com.

Ten Legal Podcasts to Keep You Informed

By Robert J. Ambrogi
Law Technology News
October 10, 2008

Podcasts come and podcasts go -- and others merely lie fallow. Inconsistency is the curse of podcasting, particularly within the legal field, where lawyers have plenty enough demands on their time without trying to squeeze in a regular broadcast.

Launched with the best of intentions, podcasts often have a short half-life. In fact, when revisiting my 2005 column on this topic, I discovered that five of the 10 had disappeared or gone dormant.

Click here for the entire article.

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Posted by Victor Massaglia at 9:34 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Check out these 10-minute workshops offered by the University of Minnesota. Although the legal job search as well as the legal profession as a whole have many nuances, you will be able to glean useful, universal career and professional development advice.

* Topics include

Resumes, CVs, & Cover Letters
Interviewing
Job Search Strategies
Job Fair Tips
Graduate/Professional School
Job Offers & Salary Negotiation
Transition to Employment
Transitioning from Student to Professional

* Please consult the Career & Professional Development Center (CPDC) for specific advice regarding your legal job search and career development strategies, documents, salary negotiation, etc.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 7:54 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Check out this action-packed resource written by Laura Milligan: "100 Tips and Resources to be a Happy, Successful Lawyer". Milligan provides a wide-array of material to help you in your professional and personal development.

"Lawyers and law students are under lots of stress tracking billable hours, attracting new clients, landing the right summer program and researching, networking and managing cases after hours. To keep you grounded and focused on elevating your career, we've generated this list of job boards, quick reference guides, tips for avoiding the burnout and advice for finding time for yourself. The rest is up to you."

Topics in this article include:

Lawyer Associations
Lawyer Blogs
Social Media and Networking
Continuing Education
Avoiding the Burn Out
Articles on Work-Life Balance
Job Boards
Law References and Research Tools
Lawyer Humor
Resources for New Lawyers and Law Students
Fighting Discrimination
Getting out of Debt

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Posted by Victor Massaglia at 7:30 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Kimm Walton writes that "Interface is everything" when looking for a job. She breaks this down and suggests you manage two things: Your image and your message. Here are three ways to review and craft your image and message:

1) Make sure you have a professional (or at lest neutral) email address and voice mail message. Hotdude99@aol or yournumber1lawyer@hotmail.com are not appropriate nor is a voice mail message that says "Hey dude, I've fallen and can't reach the phone."

2) Crafting an image requires that you figure out what you want. Self-awareness is extremely important when promoting yourself, and if you don't know who you are and what you want, how is an employer to know? Consider taking an assessment such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) or Strengths finder to gain greater self-knowledge.

3) Think before you speak. This will not only reflect your thoughtfulness but will also help you manage your 'umms,' 'ahhs', 'you knows', 'likes', etc.

From Guerrilla Tactics for Getting the Legal Job of Your Dreams.

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 6:40 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Criminal Justice Degrees Guide has identified 100 Blawgs (law blogs). I found this site helpful for it is organized by various legal topics of interest. Explore.

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Posted by Victor Massaglia at 12:05 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Guerrilla Tactics for Getting the Legal Job of Your Dreams, 2nd Edition, by Kimm Walton, 2008.

* The long-awaited second edition of this bestseller has finally arrived! This essential and very readable handbook is now significantly expanded to over 1,300 pages. Kimm Walton's informal and infectious style, wit, and humor remain, however. She covers every aspect of the job search, from exploring practice areas to conquering the large firm without stellar grades.

Note that we have copies of this comprehensive text in the CPDC.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: The Secret to Being Happily Employed for the Rest of your life
Chapter 2: Figuring Out What the Heck the Job of Your Dream Is
Chapter 3: Getting the Most Out of Your Career Services Office
Chapter 4: The Most Important Element of Your Image

Continue reading "Best Selling Legal Career Guide Updated and Expanded" »

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 4:00 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

If you are interested in further developing your communication skills, I have just the resource for you. Consider joining a Toast Masters group where you will

* Learn to communicate more effectively
* Become a better listener.
* Improve your presentation skills
* Increase your leadership potential
* Become more successful in your career
* Build your ability to motivate and persuade
* Reach your professional and personal goals
* Increase your self confidence.

I would be happy to talk with you about my experiences with this organization. I learned a lot, and it has served me well.

Check out this link for a club near you with their contact information.

Vic

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 8:44 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

In case you haven't heard of NALP or have a vague idea as to what this organization is, we strongly suggest you visit www.nalp.org ASAP and become familiar with the various resources available to you.

Note that "The National Association for Legal Professionals (NALP) was organized in 1971 to promote the exchange of information and cooperation between law schools and employers. In order to advance those interests, the Association has developed these "Principles and Standards for Law Placement and Recruitment Activities."

Here are additional links you may find useful:

* Career Paths
* Research and Directories
* Resource Center: Diversity | Forms | GLBT Resources
* Public Service Initiatives
* Bookstore: Resources for students, career development professionals, law schools, law firms and recruiters

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 7:00 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Please take a look at the following article from CareerBuilder.com: Warning: Social Networking Can Be Hazardous to Your Job Search. Note the 'bottom line': "80% of companies perform background checks."

As you seek and secure employment, please Google yourself and also review your social networking sites (e.g. Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, blogs, etc.). Are they presenting an image of someone you would like to employ?

Posted by Victor Massaglia at 2:09 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

When law students leave the walls of the Law School and enter the legal workplace, they will interact with a host of constituencies -- supervising attorneys, colleagues, support staff, clients, etc. As part of the Professionalism 101 course, the CPDC has created a document to help you determine what to expect in these relationships and how to avoid some of the potential pitfalls. For the full table, please click the following link:

http://www.law.umn.edu/uploads/images/3070/Professionalism_Relationships.pdf

We hope you will find it a useful tool as you prepare to journey forth for your summer or permanent employment.

Posted by Steven Marchese at 3:15 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Starting next week, the CPDC will offer a new three week mini-course entitled "Professionalism 101", designed to help 2L and 3L students as they begin their transition to summer or permanent legal employment. The purpose of this mini-course is to provide a focused seminar to address some of the "soft skills" necessary to being a successful legal professional -- skills that extend beyond traditional legal writing, contract drafting and knowledge of substantive legal concepts.

This program will be held on three consecutive Thursday afternoons from 3:30 - 5 PM in the CPDC Library/Resource Room. Enrollment is limited to 12. Each session will be co-taught by CPDC staff with an alumnus of the Law School. Following is the schedule:

March 30 -- What does it mean to be a "professional" -- the characteristics and skills of a legal professional with Joan Humes, Chief, Civil Division, U.S. Attorneys' Office, Minneapolis.

April 6 -- Navigating relationships in the practice world - communication, billing and support staff with Stacy Bettison, President of the Law School Alumni Association and Development Director, MN Plant Development Center.

April 13 -- Taking charge of your own professional development - how do you chart a course for future professional success and satisfaction with Roshan Rajkumar, Attorney, Bowman and Brooke in Minneapolis.

As part of the mini-course, there will be one or two articles to read per session to help frame the discussion and generate questions. (We recognize that this is non-credit course and intend to keep the reading light.)

If you are interested, please contact Steve Marchese at march032@umn.edu by 5 PM this Thursday, March 23rd. Please note that, if accepted, the expectation will be that you will attend all three sessions. We are excited about the opportunity to expand our professional development programming and hope you will consider participating.

Posted by Steven Marchese at 5:00 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)