How to Build a Brand Tip #1: Understanding Branding
By Linda Tancs • March 05, 2016 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues, Issues, Other Issues
The term branding is often used interchangeably with the terms marketing and advertising. However, each process is distinct. To put it simply, marketing refers to the message that you wish to deliver and advertising relates to the medium (or media) through which you will execute, or deliver, the message. Branding is the step you must take before you engage in marketing or advertising. The terms brand, brand name or label are often used colloquially to refer to a trademark. The law defines a trademark as a word(s), name, symbol or device (or a combination of these elements) identifying and distinguishing…
Résumé Writing FAQs for Legal Management Professionals
By Linda Tancs • February 04, 2016 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Legal Academia, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Politics and Government, Other Career Issues, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job
Times New Roman or Arial, that is the question. Actually, that’s one of several questions that befuddles résumé writers. Don’t despair. Read on for some popular writing FAQs. Should I put my cell phone number on my résumé? You should include your cell phone number on your résumé if it is likely to assist a hiring party in reaching you. If you never turn your cell phone on except for emergency situations, then don’t use it as a contact number. Likewise, if calls are likely to drop off the planet due to reception in your calling area, it might not…
Feeling Stuck in Your Job? Tips to Adjust in a Slow Economy
By Linda Tancs • January 04, 2016 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Legal Academia, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Other Career Issues, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Issues, •Mentoring and Networking
Many are stuck in a job they hate because they can’t afford to quit or can’t find other employment under these weak economic conditions. If you can’t change jobs, then you must change your attitude. Begin by asking yourself—what worked for me? Most people enjoy a honeymoon phase in the early stages of a job. What was it that made the job enjoyable or enticing in the first place? What has changed? Often this kind of introspection brings about a realization that it’s the de-motivating aspects of the job getting you down rather than the entire job. Try to find ways to tame the…
Good Manners Mean Good Business
By Linda Tancs • December 03, 2015 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Legal Academia, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Politics and Government, Other Career Issues, Issues, Mentoring and Networking
There was a television commercial for a personal injury firm where one of the actors gave the following testimonial: “They weren’t just lawyers. They were human beings.” All lawyer jokes aside, let’s safely presume that lawyers and human beings are not two distinct species. What the ad really highlights is the issue of “bedside manners.” So how well-mannered are you with your clients? Are you human—or humane? What would your best or worst client have to say about that? As the oft-used expression goes, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. That applies to your…
Do You Bite Off More Than You Can Chew?
By Linda Tancs • November 03, 2015 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Mentoring and Networking
"A man begins cutting his wisdom teeth the first time he bites off more than he can chew.” –Herb Caen, Pulitzer Prize-winning American columnist Delegation bedevils a lot of people in business. We know we should do it but often we don’t or fail to do it effectively. In either case, there’s a responsibility matrix popularly known as RACI that may help. RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed. A responsible person is one (individually or as the designee of many) who bears responsibility for performing a task. Accountability relates to that person who ultimately bears the burden for the outcome of…
What a Movie Teaches About Management Skills
By Linda Tancs • October 06, 2015 •Careers, Other Career Issues, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Issues, Mentoring and Networking
In the movie The Blind Side, Sandra Bullock’s character admonishes the coach, “You ought to get to know your players.” She was referring to the coach’s lack of recognition that one of his players tested in the 98th percentile for protective instincts, a key trait for someone acting in the role of an offensive tackle on the football field. In business, it’s equally as important to know how your team members learn so that you can lead them more effectively towards optimal performance. Individuals process information predominately in one of three ways: visually, in an auditory manner, or in a kinesthetic…
Ten Most Common Interview Blunders and How to Avoid Them
By Linda Tancs • September 03, 2015 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job
In a perfect world, the most qualified candidate always gets the job. Needless to say, this isn’t always the case. Gain the competitive edge by avoiding these simple mistakes. Failure to Practice Typical Interview Questions Tell me about yourself. Why do you want to work here? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What do these questions have in common? The answer is that they’re open-ended, designed to get you to reveal as much of yourself as possible. A good interviewer knows that the interviewee should be doing most of the talking. Let’s examine each of these questions. Tell me about…
Dos and Don’ts of Résumé Writing for Legal Pros
By Linda Tancs • August 03, 2015 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Legal Academia, Nonprofits and the Public Interest, Other Career Issues, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job
A résumé is not a “one size fits all” proposition. For instance, the terms and formatting that may resonate in one industry do not necessarily work in all industries. Learn the dos and don’ts of résumé writing for the legal profession to enhance your career development. Don’t use an “objective” section. Your objective is, after all, to get the job. Make better use of that white space by beefing up the skills and qualifications in the main section of your résumé. That’s what will ultimately set you apart from other candidates applying for the position. Don’t fuss over fonts. Despite what you may have heard,…
Rest Is Not Idleness
By Linda Tancs • July 03, 2015 •Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life
As you run about your day like a super wound up Energizer Bunny trying to juggle life and work, remember that the human body is not designed to run 24/7. It’s essential to have balance in work and life, which is all the more trying these days, especially for employees who are so often asked to do more with less. So how do you incorporate a sense of balance? First, you need to determine the value you place on every aspect of your life: work, emotional growth, friends, family, hobbies, health and fitness, finances, intellectual growth, spirituality, and so on. Rate each aspect…