{"id":1213,"date":"2017-05-26T08:32:16","date_gmt":"2017-05-26T12:32:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.law.temple.edu\/10q\/?p=1213"},"modified":"2017-05-26T08:32:16","modified_gmt":"2017-05-26T12:32:16","slug":"10-q-random-summernew-job-advice-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/law.temple.edu\/10q\/10-q-random-summernew-job-advice-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"10-Q Random Summer\/New Job Advice [PART 1]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Heedless of the old saw that free advice is worth what you pay for it, the Editors of The Temple 10-Q thought it might help students and recent graduates beginning new jobs (e.g., as summer associates)\u2014and those who employ them\u2014to have a list of \u201cdo\u2019s\u201d and \u201cdon\u2019ts\u201d accumulated from our years of hard experience. Although some of these tips more likely apply in a \u201cBigLaw\u201d setting, most apply anywhere and, we would like to think, can be useful reminders for all starting in a new position.<\/em><\/p>\n

This is the first of two parts, and covers \u201cthe work.\u201d Part 2 will follow next week, and cover \u201cthe social stuff.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

If you like this list\u2014or don\u2019t\u2014<\/em>let us know<\/em><\/a>. If you have other, better suggestions, please let us know what they are. We\u2019d love to hear from you.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Part 1
\nThe Work<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Understand the assignment to the best of your ability. Listen as effectively as you possibly can; senior lawyers (and, if you are lucky, clients) will dump complex projects on you with sometimes less-than-adequate explanations.\u00a0 Never enter anyone\u2019s office (or leave your own) without a pad of paper and a pen. You will need to be able to take lots of notes on the fly.<\/li>\n
  2. Listening is important because, among other reasons, you will want to try to figure out what’s going on to the best of your ability without pestering the person you work for with needless questions.<\/li>\n
  3. Of course, you will (or should) have questions, so you should think clearly about what they are\u2014and why you have them\u2014before asking them. Contrary to popular belief, there is <\/em>such a thing as a stupid question\u2014and you may have to ask one. That\u2019s not necessarily a problem, if you have a good reason for asking it, because you won\u2019t know that the question is stupid until you ask. In any case, if you feel you are in the dark, don\u2019t proceed too far\u2014don\u2019t \u201cget ahead of your skis\u201d\u2014without clearing up major uncertainties.<\/li>\n
  4. Key questions to which you should always<\/em> know the answer are: (i) What\u2019s the deadline? (ii) What\u2019s the deliverable? (iii) Who is the ultimate audience? (iv) Who should I ask if I have questions? (caution: do not ask if you work with only one person).<\/li>\n
  5. Try to learn as much about the project\/client\/players in advance as possible. Try to see the big picture and how your (probably) smaller role fits into it.<\/li>\n
  6. This goes for the person you are working for, too. What is her background, and how does she tend to operate?<\/li>\n
  7. Know the processes\/practices\/local norms where you work. If there\u2019s an employee handbook, read it (but don\u2019t officiously quote it to correct a misguided senior person).<\/li>\n
  8. Sometimes you may be asked to produce a \u201cdraft.\u201d Do not be fooled. Even if it purports to be a \u201cdraft,\u201d do not treat it as anything less than a final version. Come as close to perfection as time\/resources\/your judgment allow.<\/li>\n
  9. Unless your office practices differ, always mark a draft \u201cDRAFT,\u201d with your initials and date. Consider whether it should be marked \u201cprivileged and confidential\u201d (probably, but that\u2019s above our paygrade).<\/li>\n
  10. Always\u2014ALWAYS\u2014make sure that your work product is the best that it can be.\u00a0 Is it consistent with the office\u2019s form\/style?\u00a0 If they always use Calibri<\/span>, don\u2019t be \u201cdifferent\u201d and use Copperplate Gothic Bold<\/span>. Is it grammatically correct? Have you proofed it (twice) and run spell-check (remembering that even this won\u2019t save you, if you\u2019ve written brilliantly about a \u201cproof of clam\u201d)?<\/li>\n
  11. Presume that everything\u2014EVERYTHING\u2014is confidential. Never talk shop to the media, friends at other firms, or even in the elevator with colleagues (which you may be tempted to do\u2014because they will) if doing so presents any risk of revealing confidential or sensitive information.<\/li>\n
  12. Most important:<\/strong>\u00a0Have you solved the problem you were asked to solve as effectively as possible under the circumstances?\u00a0 At the end of the day, you are in a service profession, and the service is problem-solving.\u00a0 You are entering a very competitive environment, and there are many other, highly qualified people who would love to show that they can solve these problems better than you\u2014which they will, if they\u2019ve followed these tips, and you haven\u2019t . . . .<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    There is doubtless more we could say. And so we will, next week, when we offer a random list of tips on social matters.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Heedless of the old saw that free advice is worth what you pay for it, the Editors of The Temple 10-Q thought it might help students and recent graduates beginning new jobs (e.g., as summer associates)\u2014and those who employ them\u2014to have a list of \u201cdo\u2019s\u201d and \u201cdon\u2019ts\u201d accumulated from our years of hard experience. Although<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":1214,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,8],"tags":[355,356,357,358],"coauthors":[2,104],"class_list":["post-1213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-law-practice","category-faculty-authored","tag-alumni","tag-career-development","tag-new-job","tag-tips","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"yoast_head":"\n10-Q Random Summer\/New Job Advice [PART 1] - The Temple 10-Q<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/law.temple.edu\/10q\/10-q-random-summernew-job-advice-part-1\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"10-Q Random Summer\/New Job Advice [PART 1] - The Temple 10-Q\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Heedless of the old saw that free advice is worth what you pay for it, the Editors of The Temple 10-Q thought it might help students and recent graduates beginning new jobs (e.g., as summer associates)\u2014and those who employ them\u2014to have a list of \u201cdo\u2019s\u201d and \u201cdon\u2019ts\u201d accumulated from our years of hard experience. 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