Career Development & the Art of Auto Mechanics

career management

Paul, the 20 year old technician who volunteered to shuttle me back from the dealership, was talking about how he fits in there. He credited being outgoing as the reason everyone seems to like him at the dealership, even as a fairly new employee. He wondered aloud how...

Career Building Buffet for Young Lawyers: 20 Tips

business development, career management

20 tips for new or young lawyers – – This is a slideshare of a breakfast talk I gave on Saturday to lawyers at the State Bar of Michigan’s annual Young Lawyers Section Summit.  It’s a mix of advice ranging from communicating with...

Breaking Through Barriers to Greater Success, part 1

business development, career management

Insanity, fear, control, values and strengths.  When speaking to two lawyer groups recently, I touched on these key words as ideas to break through a few common career barriers. First, “insanity”.  Einstein is attributed, probably inaccurately, as defining...

Stuck in Neutral? 5 tips for Faster Career Success

career management

Regardless of whether you are an in-house lawyer, in private practice or elsewhere, if you have at least a few years of experience under your belt, focus on the following tips in 2014 to take your career to the next level. Get a Sponsor.  Mentors talk with you;...

Holiday Networking Tip for New Lawyers & Law Students

career management

New lawyers and law students, do you freeze in your tracks at the thought of going alone to a bar association or other holiday event full of strangers? Attending a social event where you know no one is hard for most people.  In my highly unscientific opinion, based in...

Mentors v Sponsors (Part II)

career management

Since sponsorship sounds like a miraculous career enhancement tool, there must be a catch.  Anecdotally the catch for many lawyers seems to be the necessity that they proactively and strategically identify one or more sponsors and intentionally develop a...