by Kristen Pavón

I read a super informative article by small biz expert Melinda Emerson on pbSmart Essentials and I just had to share her tips on how to make networking more effective.

1. Be Early: The networking reception is the main event. Once you are seated or the program starts it is very difficult to keep talking with people without being rude. So have your business cards ready to share in one of your jacket pockets. (That way you don’t need to go digging in that bottomless purse, ladies.)
2. Have a Plan: Learn as much as you can about who will be attending the event. Look online at the board list and pay close attention to the honorary chairs on the invitation. Make friends with the event planner when you call to confirm your attendance. If you are really nice, you’ll get even more details about who will be at the event.
3. Use the Rule of Five: Your target should be to secure five quality contacts at any networking event. Aiming for any more and you’ll struggle to make a real connection. Don’t be the chicken with their head cut off doing drive-by networking. Spend the time to have a real conversation, even if the person really isn’t a good contact. You never know who their brother or sister-in-law is and how they could help you down the line. All contacts have some value, even if you don’t see it immediately. Be present while you are talking — that means don’t look over your new friend’s shoulder for a better connection.
4. Take a Friend and Split Up: You can cover more ground with two people than one. Many people make the mistake of bringing a friend and then standing at the food table with that friend. Go for the connections, not the salad! You should eat at home before you come to the event anyway. You want the friend there so you can swap business cards and contacts later.
5. The Fortune is in the Follow-Up: Write notes on the backs of business cards as they are given to you. Have a plan for how you will follow up with each new contact. You should reach out to all of the contact through LinkedIn first, then you should decide if they will get an email, call or handwritten note. Give yourself a 10-day window to follow up. The sooner a new contact hears from you the better.

I especially like her tip on using the rule of five. This way, you have a concrete goal for the event and are more focused.

Anything else you’d add to her list?

Equal Justice Works seeks a visionary manager from the public defender community to join them in expanding employment opportunities in indigent defense across the country. Currently, there are 18 Public Defender Corps (PDC) fellows working in the northeast and southeast United States.

The PDC is a partnership with the award-winning Southern Public Defender Training Center, a visionary organization dedicated the changing the culture of indigent defense from one which processes individuals quickly through the criminal defense system to one of client-centered representation and zealous advocacy. The manager will be a key leader in improving indigent defense by bringing talented new lawyers into the field.

The Program Manager’s primary function is to help create public interest law opportunities in indigent defense and provide programmatic support to host sites, the Southern Public Defender Training Center and other stakeholders of the newly-inaugurated Public Defender Corps. The Program Manager reports to the Federal Programs and Strategic Initiatives Director. Some travel required.

Additionally, the fellowships manager will also be involved in program development, fundraising, and program management.

If you’re committed to public interest work, find out how to apply at PSLawNet!

Manhattan Legal Services is looking for a dynamic and experienced attorney to serve as the Deputy Director of the Housing Unit for its borough-wide program. This office is part of Legal Services NYC (LSNYC), the largest provider of free civil legal services for low-income people in the country.

The Manhattan office is dedicated to providing high quality legal services in the areas of housing, family law, public benefits, employment, immigration, consumer, and disability rights. The Manhattan program also has special units serving particular vulnerable populations including domestic violence victims, people with HIV, and SRO tenants.

The Deputy Director of the Housing Unit will work under the direct supervision of the Housing Unit Director. The responsibilities of the Deputy Director of the Housing Unit will include assisting with the supervision of the housing and benefits unit (currently 8 staff members). In addition, the Deputy Director will carry a reduced caseload and will co-counsel complex cases, develop and file affirmative litigation and work on furthering collaboration with community-based organizations.

The Deputy Director will also assist with grants management and management of the intake process of the unit. The exact division of the duties will be determined by the Housing Unit Director in consultation with Project Director. This is a four day per week job which includes all benefits (pro-rated).

Interested? Check out the listing at PSLawNet!

by Kristen Pavón

The consensus by recruiters is that they spend 15 seconds or less glancing over resumes to make the first cut for an opening. Sucks, huh? Well, I’ve gathered some useful resume tips for you from several articles on Work Goes Strong that will hopefully help you catch recruiters’ eyes!

1. Say no to the Glamour Shot.

There’s really no good reason to put a picture of yourself on your resume, unless you’re an actor auditioning for a theatrical gig. Save your head shot for your social/business networking profiles — where it’s completely appropriate.

2. Keep formatting sleek and simple.

Use the same font throughout your resume, use consistent formatting and use white space to your advantage. The goal is not to overwhelm.

3. Make sure your email address is professional.

Yeahhhhh, better to leave QTBabyGirl007@yahoo.com strictly for close family and friends.

4. Keep it to 2 pages at most.

This is something I have yet to do. My resume is still a one-pager. However, recruiters say a two-page resume is fine if that’s what it takes for you to present your work history, talents and accomplishments in an easy-to-read and-scan way.

5. Keep your references out of it.

Your references’ contact information should be in a separate document and should only be given on request.

6. No fibbing.

Seriously, don’t lie on your resume.

7. Lose the jargon.

As a Work Goes Strong writer put it, just speak English. “Dense resumes filled with buzzwords, acronyms and corporate-speak are boring.”

8. It’s okay to include relevant personal information.

“A lot of people shy away from any kind of personal information, but that’s often the section on a resume that can give the reader an idea of who you are as a person.”

9. Think of your resume as a sales document and less like a chronological work history document.

I think this tip is particularly helpful because I’ve never thought of placing my work history in a more advantageous order! “Your resume is a brochure about you, and it needs to look good, read smoothly, and tell the reader why you are a great candidate for their specific position.”

10. Sell, sell, sell!

Being humble on your resume will not help you land an interview or a job. “You absolutely must be able to blow your own horn! As Muhammad Ali aid, ‘It ain’t braggin’ if you really did it’ and if you don’t tell them in shining terms about how great you are, who exactly do you think is going to do it?”

There are other great tips here, here and here.

Do you have any other tips for reworking your resume?

The Ella Baker Center is looking for an intern for January 2012 through March 2012 for a short-term project on creating and updating a guide for families of incarcerated youth to assist them in navigating the juvenile justice system from arrest to final disposition.

The guide will also include the policies, procedures, and rights of youth who are incarcerated in California’s Division of Juvenile Justice. The position is for 8-10 weeks, 20 hours a week.

Got a passion for juvenile justice issues? Learn how to apply at PSLawNet!

The LGBT Bar Association Foundation of Greater New York (“LeGaL Foundation”) judicial fellowship program remains one-of-a-kind by providing fellows the chance to rotate for the 10-week summer among several different judges from varying courts and tribunals.  

The fellow gets a first-hand look at the work of openly gay and lesbian and other judges in federal, criminal and state civil courts, and administrative tribunals, providing an insider’s understanding of the judicial system and the opportunity to work alongside openly lesbian and gay judges.  Additionally, depending on the assignments selected by the fellow, students can expect to complete 1-2 written assignments consisting of draft decisions and/or memorandum.

The fellowship is intended for law students with a demonstrated interest in, and commitment to, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights.  The program values diversity.  All interested students are encouraged to apply.
A $4,000 stipend will be awarded to a qualified law student to support a 10 week summer judicial fellowship in New York City under the auspices of the LGBT Bar Association Foundation of Greater New York (“LeGaL Foundation”).
Interested? Check out the listing at PSLawNet!

OneJustice is looking for an individual hoping to make a dramatic difference in the world, gain exceptional work experience on a high-caliber team, and play an influential and exciting role in a highly-productive environment.

The staff attorney is responsible for expanding and managing OneJustice’s statewide Capacity Building Project, which seeks to expand the capacity of legal services nonprofits to serve more clients through nonprofit management trainings and resources, linking nonprofits with law student summer interns, and linking nonprofits with postgraduate legal fellows. The Attorney will leverage resources to better serve attorneys and staff at legal services organizations, thereby better serving all Californians.

OneJustice is a statewide legal services nonprofit that expands legal help for underserved Californians by building infrastructure and partnerships in the legal community. Every day, OneJustice works with lawyers and law students around the state to assist and empower Californians in need of legal help to overcome legal barriers to basic life necessities.

If interested, check out the listing at PSLawNet!

This public interest law firm is looking for a senior attorney with 5+ years of experience practicing civil complex litigation and class actions.

The Legal Advocacy Center of Central Florida, Inc. (LACCF) is a non-profit non- Legal Services Corporation restricted law firm dedicated to enforcing the legal rights of eligible low-income clients and disabled persons in Florida Legal Services Region III by providing advice and counsel, legal representation on “impact matters” and class action lawsuits, community education and outreach, and legislative advocacy.

Sound interesting to you? Check out the listing at PSLawNet!

by Kristen Pavón

Cover letter endings are tricky. In my PR courses, professors advised me not to leave the ball in the employer’s court at the end of my cover letter. So, I usually ended my cover letters with something like this:

I will contact you within a week to follow up on my application. However, you may contact me at blah, blah, blah. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

After starting law school and getting some feedback on my resumes/cover letters, I stopped being so “aggressive” and to the chagrin of my PR profs, ended my letters by gingerly placing the ball in the employers’ courts with the shamefully passive “thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you soon.”

Now, I’m rethinking this whole thing again.

I came across a post on The Nonprofit Times’ Jobs Blog about this very issue.

One of the most common mistakes people make when writing an ending is using passive language.  Here are a few examples:

• “I look forward to hearing back from you in the near future.”
• “If you wish to discuss my qualifications further, get back to me.”
• “I think you will find that my qualifications really fit well with your position, and I hope to hear back from you.”

For me, the problem with these endings is that they show no initiative, no assertiveness, and no glimmer of perseverance!

On the other hand, I’ve heard that more assertive endings can give the employer the idea that an applicant is conceited.

The NPT Jobs blog suggests ending your cover letters on a confident and respectful note, like this:

• “I will contact you within the week to follow up on my application.  Meanwhile, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or requests.  Thank you for your time and your consideration.”
• “I have enclosed my resume, which will contain additional details about my qualifications.  If you have any additional questions, please contact me.  I look forward to discussing the job with you in the coming weeks.”
• “Thank you for taking the time to review my credentials.  I would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have at your convenience.”
• “I appreciate you considering me for this position.  I will contact you soon so we can discuss my qualifications further, and see if we can find a time to schedule an interview.”

I tend to agree — by keeping the ball in your court (can you tell I miss basketball? When will this lockout end?!), you’ve set yourself up with an opportunity to talk with an employer and make another good impression.

What do you think? How do you end your cover letters?

Brooklyn Defender Services is looking for full-time summer law interns with a commitment to public defense! The internship program is a ten-week program and duties include legal research and writing, representation of clients in arraignments (under supervision), court appearances, client and witness interviews, trial preparation and investigation assistance.

Brooklyn Defender Services protects the legal rights of poor Brooklyn residents who are charged with crimes and have nowhere else to turn for help. They believe all people—regardless of economic means—deserve respect, individualized care and the fullest extent of legal protections when accused of a crime. They are one of the largest NYC legal service providers, serving 18,000 people each year!

If interested, check out the listing at PSLawNet!