The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/43128
ASK THE VENDOR Build Strong Relationships name ................................. . Donna Payne company ........................... . PayneGroup, Inc. website ..................... www.payneconsulting.com Hiring mistakes are expensive, so organizations tend to hire people they know or people that are referred to them from trusted sources. One of the most valuable things you can do for professional development is to build strong relationships. Within your firm, make sure that everyone knows your name and has a positive impression of you; this includes the person in the mailroom all the way up to the managing partner. Even if you are happy with your current company, it never hurts to expand your network outside of the firm as well. One sure-fire way to do this is to take advantage of the ILTA membership and connect with other members. You can also join LinkedIn groups, utilize Twitter, Google+ and other means to find like-minded individuals. My first book deal came from volunteering and answering questions on a technical Excel newsgroup. You never know what connecting with others — even in the virtual world — will yield. If you want to move ahead in any organization, be intellectually curious. Some managers say that when they hire, they look for someone who is a good fit for the current job as well as being capable of moving into the next higher position. This takes someone who is constantly focusing on self-improvement, and there are so many opportunities within the legal profession to gain knowledge. For instance, someone at the helpdesk might want to learn more about network engineering or document management systems; a trainer might want to know more about court rules in various jurisdictions or adult learning styles. By remaining intellectually curious and expanding your expertise, you also increase your perceived value. And if you're feeling stuck and need some inspiration, look around your organization and find someone that you admire, even if this person is in a different job function. Watch them, and see how they interact with others. Find the qualities that make them successful, and take note. I've had many unofficial mentors over the years. Don't forget to pay it forward, and mentor someone else coming up in the ranks. Helping others also helps you learn and grow. ILTA Check Out ILTA's Job Bank! ILTA's Job Bank has long been the most frequently visited page on our website, and it grows in popularity each day. With the ability to sort by location or job title, it provides a quick look at the employment situation in your neighborhood or your area of expertise. The Job Bank has always been a popular online destination among ILTA members, but it's remarkable that even in these tough economic times, member entities continue to post jobs. As of this writing, there are more than 170 jobs posted in all aspects of legal IT. Anyone can post a job to the site. Simply send the text of your posting to Jeanne Martinez at jeanne@iltanet.org. Be sure to include the location of the office for that particular position, a list of all requirements and the contact information to which the applicant can send materials. The job listing will run for three months, though it can be removed sooner upon request. The fee to ILTA member firms and 2011 Platinum, Gold and Silver Sponsors is $150, for all others it's $500. Don't forget: If you're looking for a job, make sure to subscribe to the RSS feed so that you receive notification whenever a new job is posted. Just go to ILTAnet.org and click on Job Bank in the Services menu. ILTA In the next The Incredible Shrinking Computer: Technologies that are reducing the desktop, the server and the data center How is the movement to smaller computing devices affecting the delivery of applications? Send your answers to editor@iltanet.org. Peer to Peer the quarterly magazine of ILTA 33 Peer to Peer