Law Career

We’ve all seen the arrogant manager who feels a bit entitled because he has the reserved parking space and earns considerably more than those who report to him. But do these perks and higher salaries result in these clueless supervisors treating their employees unkindly and in some cases, down right mean? One researcher, Sreedhari Desai, says yes. A. Harrison Barnes, career coach and Hound.com founder says the combination of ego, entitlement and arrogance can culminate into an impossible supervisor who’s anything but what a leader should be. Desai says the more compensation is increased for some executives, the meant they get and how far down the proverbial food chain you are determines how poorly you’re treated.

Desai and two co-authors, Jennifer George of Rice University and Arthur Brief, a senior at the University of Utah, wrote “When Executives Rake in Millions: Meanness in Organizations”. The Hound.com founder says the paper is revealing and unflattering to some executives who recognize themselves, whether they admit it or not. This makes it difficult for new employees who come in wide-eyed and ready to make their mark. They’re faced with fair warnings from new co-workers and as a result, tend to approach the meanie manager with a large degree of caution. “No one wants to start a new career that way”, says A. Harrison Barnes.

It’s true. A recent study showed more than 85% of college graduates who were preparing to enter the job market cited interactions with management as their biggest stress factor. “Every new employee who’s barking on his career wants two things: to get along with his supervisor and to make a good impression”. An intimidating boss can make both efforts nearly impossible, says the Hound.com founder.

So what’s a new employee to do when he realizes he’s now reporting to the boss from hell? Barnes says it’s important to not allow yourself to become a victim or allow any bullying. You’re there to do a job; if you can effectively pull this off on a daily basis, you should try to stay out of the line of fire and keep your eye on the ball. That said, he also reiterates that no one wants to go to a job each morning with knots in their stomachs and dreading the day ahead. For some, the solution is to get out fast before an ego-driven boss poisons every aspect of your life. While waiting it out at times can result in seeing the bully asked to leave the premises (or if karma’s involved, being publicly fired), it’s a gamble, especially if it’s already taking a toll on your work and personal life.

Bottom line, says Barnes, is that only you know your breaking point. It’s a tough decision, especially if it’s a job you’ve envisioned since you entered college. Regardless, it’s not the only dream job. Maintain your perspective and maturity, and you’ll come out ahead and who knows, maybe even you’ll find yourself in a management job with an advantage: you already know what not to do.

Ah, you landed the job with the company that you’re sure will be the one hosting your retirement party in thirty years. All the sacrifices, the interviews with other potential employers that went nowhere and the collective dues you’ve paid along the way are finally paying off. Now it’s just a matter of getting to Monday morning and walking through the door for the first time. Here are a few tips that will get you started on the right path with a new job, courtesy of A. Harrison Barnes, employment coach and Hound.com founder.

1. Get up early! Getting up a half hour early in the mornings allow you to get the day started without the frustrations we feel when we’re running late. Too many times, those frustrating mornings lend to the entire day being nothing more than a series of aggravations. Those few minutes gives you time to contemplate on the day ahead and drinking your morning joe with no sense of urgency.

2. Remain consistent with your lists. Some of us aren’t list makers while other of us would be lost without those To Do lists on our BlackBerry or even those quick handwritten notes we keep close by. Lists keep us focused and grounded in terms of our priorities. It’s a great habit to develop, says the Hound.com founder.

3. Go into your new job completely organized. Clean out your purse or computer bag, your car and the junk drawer in the kitchen. The more organized you are, the better balance you’ll find in your life as a result – including the transition to a new career.

4. Exercise is crucial, not only for that first day at the new job, but for our lives as a whole. Exercise keeps brain fog at bay and our bodies in shape. Remember, energy is like money; you have to spend it to make it. This is another fine way to take advantage of those few minutes in your mornings, says A. Harrison Barnes.

5. Make a commitment to yourself that you’re finally going to take that evening class or complete those credits lacking for your degree. It’s an important accomplishment for you on many levels and does wonders for your confidence. Not only that, says Barnes, but it also increases your negotiation powers. Now’s the time – you’re beginning a new chapter in your professional life and this bodes well with your objectives.

6. Stick to your goals of building an emergency fund, building your savings or increasing your contributions to your 401(k). Money’s not everything, but the peace of mind it provides when we know we have a few dollars in the bank allows us to rest at night.

7. Finally, just as you defined a new morning ritual, be sure to create a block of time in the evenings when you go from career to home life. Unwind, decompress and maintain your commitment of keeping them separate.

Don’t forget that while your career is important, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy the ride in the process. There’s nothing that will burn us out faster than when we become stifled in our jobs.

Composing the perfect thank you letter is very important in your quest for a new career. There’s a lot to consider and if you think otherwise, try sitting down and putting one together in ten minutes. There are so many considerations:

” Email or traditional postal service?

” Dear “First Name” or Dear “Mr. Doe”?

” A professional card or a note on your monogrammed stationery?

Actually, these questions aren’t that difficult, but it does require a bit of forethought if you’re going to pull it off with any level of confidence. Here’s what career coach and EmplomentCrossing.com founder suggests:

Go with the traditional mail service. Email feels too…convenient. You want your interviewer to know the interview was important enough that you handwrote (yes – always handwrite your thank you notes for everything in your life – wedding gifts, interviews and when showing appreciation for someone attending your dinner party) the note, put a stamp on it and dropped it into the mail. Also, and contrary to what some folks believe, it’s not necessary to fill the card with your thoughts. You want to ensure your interviewer knows a few things:

a) You appreciate his or her time

b) You are more confident after the interview that this is a position that would benefit the company and yourself if chosen

c) That the interview was important enough to send a thank you note – even if you both know you’re not right for the job

The reason you want to send a note if you’re not right for the position is you never know when the interviewer will run into a colleague that evening and over drinks mention the fact she interviewed a great candidate who wasn’t right for the accounting position, but that she feels would be a perfect fit in the colleague’s company as a buyer. It’s called networking. Take advantage of the possibilities it opens up for you in your career.

Another point the EmploymentCrossing.com founder makes is to avoid the phone call thank you. Most employers and interviewers agree that it falls short of its intent and it’s even annoying for a candidate to think that their day is less important than receiving a phone call for a “quick thanks for your time yesterday”. It never works – never, ever.

Finally, there’s just something graceful about a handwritten note that’s sent through traditional channels. If it’s a job you really want or one that you know will make you happy – it’s in good taste to send a note. It doesn’t have to be an overwritten group of run on sentences that say the same thing over and over. A simple:

I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your time last Tuesday. The interview further convinced me that I’m on the right track. I know I said it then, but I want to reiterate my belief that I can make a significant contribution to XYZ Company.

Again, thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sign the card, include your contact information, address the envelope and send it. It’s really that simple.

Wrapping up your college education? Maybe you have another year? Now is the time to begin your job search. Regardless of whether it’s an internship with a law firm, a summer job or if you’re focusing on which law firms you believe will be the best fit after graduation, it’s never too soon to start looking, according to LawCrossing.com founder A. Harrison Barnes. “Despite the seemingly good news on the recovery efforts throughout the country, the job market is still touch and go and will likely remain so, at least in the short term”, says the career coach. In fact, Barnes reports many college students who don’t begin their summer job search by March or April will likely discover there’s not much left. And those that are left are likely ones that presented challenges others didn’t want to tackle during their “downtime” in the summer months.

So what should you do if you discover your well planned process comes a bit too late? The LawCrossing.com founder suggests you move forward with your plans anyway. Even if you’ve discovered there are no internships left and those perfect summer jobs are already taken, you never know when something will come up. “Your peers may get an invitation to spend their summer on a cruise; this, of course, won’t mesh with their part time jobs, especially if they’re working in a law firm“, says Barnes. That might be your opening, but you’ll never know if you don’t get your name front and center with the partners.

It’s also important to remain flexible. You won’t always get what you want or are anticipating, regardless of whether it’s a full time position that allows you to practice brilliant law or a that part time summer job that will put spending money in your pocket. The goal is to approach it with enthusiasm and take advantage of the learning opportunity that’s sure to present itself. It’s those positive attitudes that can make or break your day – not to mention those you work for and around.

Is your resume serving its purpose? You might benefit greatly from the help a professional resume service can provide. LawCrossing.com offers a superb service that is effective, accurate and sure to get your resume to the top of the stack. It’s a small investment that’s worth considering, especially if you’re working against time.

Finally, A. Harrison Barnes says the most important lesson you can take away from a situation such as this is the knowledge that next year, you’ll already know how important it is to start early. He suggests you learn from it and move on – wiser for having the experience. And while the money’s always important, don’t lose your focus on the many opportunities you’ll have to do good for others. Not taking anything for granted is one of those life lessons many of us struggle with; and there’s no better time to learn it than when you’re interning for a law firm.

With so many focused on the health care reform, it can be easy to miss another ongoing debate that’s also taking up a lot of lawmakers’ time. Specifically, medical malpractice suits are being dissected. One report states there are already special courts that exist where bankruptcies, worker’s compensation cases and tax cases are handled by attorneys specializing in these areas. A. Harrison Barnes, attorney and founder of LawCrossing.com said in a previous article the number of physicians opting to err on the side of caution is on the rise.

Malpractice lawyers work to ensure the rights of their clients who have suffered the consequences of wrong diagnoses at the hands of their physicians. Many professionals and lawmakers agree the both the medical and legal fields would benefit from a nationwide malpractice court system. Still, not much has changed in recent months in that the Obama Administration, along with many Democrats, remain vehemently opposed to such a system. But what, if anything, would be the advantage for the average American citizen? A. Harrison Barnes says the most important benefit would be the almost sure reduction in health care costs. It’s not only the LawCrossing.com founder, however, that takes this stance. The Congressional Budget Office calls the potential savings “huge”. Many analysts have even said more than $50 million could be saved over the next ten years in medical tort reforms. Health care costs lowered, lower malpractice insurance premiums for doctors and hospitals and savings to insurance companies since many physicians would no longer feel as though they had to order the whole realm of tests in their efforts of avoiding lawsuits: the justifications become clear.

These changes are long overdue. No one is quite sure where the problem lies or why this new legislation seems to find itself on the back burner again and again. The fact is, these changes should occur sooner rather than later. As we near the breaking point, and with all signs pointing to a health care reform that only suggests a shaky foundation, unless something happens soon, we’re all in for less than quality healthcare – worse than it already is.

So what advice does A. Harrison Barnes have for those contemplating new challenges in their legal careers? With the potential to forever change the way healthcare is administered in this country, this particular specialty promises to present challenges and rewards for those wishing to make a difference. As far as those closest to the reform measures agree the time has come.

It’s important to realize the Medicare program would benefit greatly from medical malpractice reform. Finally, those supporters of the reform measures are quick to point out the goal is not to protect those medical personnel who practice irresponsibly or illegally; and in fact, is intended to highlight those who jeopardize their patients’ lives to ensure they’re held accountable. The true goal of the reform is to guarantee medical treatment is made available to every American and to provide doctors the freedoms to practice medicine with fewer reservations with the decisions they make.

The copyright lawyers are responsible for the maintenance or proliferation of copyright protection laws for creative works such as books, films, music or photography. The copyright attorneys may either work for an individual or book publisher, film studio proprietor, or any other large concerns. The copyright attorneys, trademark attorneys, and patent lawyers deal with inventions, ideas of the proprietor and creative products.

According to A. Harrison Barnes, the CEO of legalauthority.com, the copyright lawyer stays focused on their practice areas and assists the clients in attaining copyright protection. The lawyers also take sides of their clients in case any dispute arises regarding ownership of and utilization of material that has copyright protection. There have been several steps laid down by A. Harrison Barnes for becoming a copyright attorney.

Those aspiring to become a copyright lawyer can undertake courses relating to intellectual property rights or IP in the law schools. Students taking up this course will need to study subjects like entertainment laws, copyright laws, and licensing and intellectual property rights. The law students can join organizations that bear trademarks of their own, these institutes or organizations deliver trade mark law classes providing a comprehensive approach to the discipline of intellectual property rights says A. Harrison Barnes the CEO of Legalauthority.com. The students need to prepare themselves for the Bar Examination. Apart from this, they can also gain specialization in the field of their choice by appearing for the Master of Laws degree. To gain first hand knowledge in the field of copyright law, you can join as an intern. The law student will become familiar with DRM or (Digital Rights Management), advanced copy right protection methods, and cryptography.

The professional copyright lawyers must have a sound technical background. You can gain technical knowledge if you have an engineering background or come from the field of information technology and information sciences. A Master’s degree in Computer Engineering or Electrical is preferred. Entrance to the Trademark Office and US Patent, USPTO is always encouraged by A. Harrison Barnes. Knowledge congregation from the telecom industry can provide added advantage. The students from these backgrounds can easily comprehend the technologies surrounding modern copyright litigation says A. Harrison Barnes. Once you have completed your graduation, you have to apply for Juris Doctorate or J.D program. The law students while in their law school can expand their business contacts by meeting several new legal professionals. Once the J.D program is cleared, the law students are required to prepare for their Bar Examination, before they start practicing. The Bar Examination helps them to focus on state, federal law, inter state and other legal issues.

The copyright lawyers need to be highly skilled and specialized says A. Harrison Barnes. They must be well versed with the domestic as well as overseas procedures and policies. The copyright attorneys are required to possess interpersonal and sharp communicative skills. They need to be extremely loyal towards their clients and make sure atht they are not disclosing any of the confidential information about the client to either any attorney or outsiders. The lawyer must have strong analytical capabilities. At times the copyright attorney may be required to work under pressure; they must be very diligent while handling pressures.

In this age of information and technology, there has ushered in wide range of changes in the field of copy right law. The technological advancement, together with this the World Intellectual Property Organization or (WIPO) treaty brought about new set of challenges for the copyright lawyers. The age of internet and downloads have opened up new avenues for making some extra money.

The qualified and professional copyright lawyers must be able to make a sound difference between work-for-hire and copyrighted work, says A. Harrison Barnes. Before suing workers in a company or studio the copyright attorney may be required to study the case thoroughly. The lawyer also has the responsibility of dealing with complexities involved in copyright contravention; another growing problem is the advancement of digital technology. The copyright attorneys are required to guard earnings, profits and creative rights of the writers and individuals. The creative works of the individuals though copyright protected can be shared on the digital realm. The attorneys are required to inscribe on papers on legal matters which are posted by the social networking sites, video sharing sites or DVD copying sites.

In accordance with the statistics revealed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, large numbers of graduates from the reputed American law schools are coming into the legal profession. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the copyright lawyers can earn $70,000 to $150,000 annually.

In today’s competition, it is very important to know how to keep your career on the right track. Getting a suitable job is quite challenging and you need to do a lot of things to fine tune your career path. This article gives you some useful tips.

Creating an effective resume

The most important aspect is to invest your time in creating an effective résumé that will hook the attention of the employers. You should create a compelling profile that gets noticed. Barnes suggests that you use relative keywords in your resume that match the skills and interests that are advertised in the job profile and upload them on job sites.

Tap the right opportunities

Attending job meets is a good way of networking and in the words of Barnes, this helps you chance upon helpful resources by maintaining a relaxed, and professional attitude. Visiting job boards and research companies is yet another way to fine tune your career, as is exploring the opportunities offered by reinvention in an economy that has slowed down. With the ever expanding need for acquiring a good job, it is imperative that you tap the right opportunities coming your way, for which you should work hard.

Networking

You must always stay in touch with your professional associates and friends to stay updated with the latest happenings. With the rapid expansion of technology, networking has become an easy task. You must be active on social networking sites and stay abreast of the latest career opportunities. A. Harrison Barnes, CEO of Hound.com, says networking is crucial for maintaining right job search procedures.

Be Alert and Aware

Once you are through with your job application, talent is of paramount importance, as this is the very thing that you need to put into use in case an opportunity arises. A job search is practically useless if you lack competitiveness and talent. It is the relationships we engender that help in accelerating the results when need arises.

Why should you be alert in the field? A. Harrison Barnes tells you that you need to be aware of the changes that are taking place in the professional world. You should also be aware of the best employers and industries that are available to the job seekers. Other than the available employment opportunities, Barnes suggests that you should take a look into your choices that are permitted by your skills and work experience. Marketability is important and this is why you need to frequently update yourself with the new kinds of education and vocational courses. It always helps to be a constant learner as it puts you in close communication with what is current in your area of expertise.

Focus on Self Development

You must stay technologically advanced as well as network with the job seekers in your industry. A. Harrison Barnes suggests that you stay open to suggestions and possibilities. Consider both personal as well as professional options for self development. Think about what you can do and what you want to do. You also need to hone your personal and inter personal skills to make it happen. You must focus on creating the right kind of strategies for ensuring that you create the right relationships, which help accelerate results in case you need them in the future.

Stay Updated

The key aspect to remember if you are contemplating a shift or change in your career is to keep yourself updated with the changing times. This is important, according to Barnes, as it is the age of technology and there are revolutions taking place everyday in every field. In fact, you don’t want to be left behind by being ignorant of these changes. Changes that are coming in your field of expertise will acquaint you with the growing needs of the industry as well as the new concerns that are arising everyday. Transition is a tough nut to crack.

Keep learning and improving

It is also important to be a learner as it helps you to be aware of the needs of the industry and employment sector. In fact, there may be lots of opportunities available against your education and skills. A. Harrison Barnes is an ardent advocate of “knowledge is power”. Ensure that your skills remain updated and for this, you need to adapt yourself to certain tools that are essential for improving your performance and to manage your career. Even when you are stuck in a dead end job with nothing to build on, you can still make the best use of learning.

Different managers will have different styles. This is understandable as no two managers are alike. However, there is one managerial style that can be possible the most self-defeating managerial style of all. That is the style of the micromanager and it is a disastrous style that can totally crush an employee’s ability to succeed. More than anything else, this type of managerial style can lead to reversing the sense of empowerment that an employee needs to embody in order to succeed at a job. Why is this? Let’s take a closer look at the problem…

Employees need to be a sense of pride and confidence in what they are doing. When this sense of pride is undermined by a manager that is seemingly self-serving and meddling, the employee must second guess his or her actions. This problem will compound itself when the employ begins to worry about potential punishment or repercussions from a micromanaging manager. Now, how can an employee possibly perform effectively in the workplace if this is the case? The answer is that the employee is unable to and this brings down the productivity of the office. No amount of career advice can possibly reverse such a negative scenario.

Some managers assume such a style will improve the productivity of the office. This is simply not the case because it certainly will undermine it more than help it move forward. There is also a major problem with invoking threats: some employees may laugh at such threats because they have other employment options available. So, when a manager opts to lean on an employer to force then to perform, they may simply end up driving a quality employee into the arms of a competitor. This would be a minor career change for the employee and a major embarrassment for the manager that drove the employee away. Now, how can any business survive when it is doing such things?

There also needs to be a bit of a warning put towards the micromanager that tries to lean on employees too heavily. That warning (or career advice) is that such a manager is doing little more than exposing his lack of skill. In other words, the manager may find himself removed from a managerial position as a result of his actions. Yet, there are some managers that seemingly undermine employee empowerment at every level. Why do they do this? Because they are self-absorbed to the point they do not see the impact they are having is negative. Even when they are forced into an unwanted career change as a result they still do not see the proverbial error of their ways. Again, managers need to understand the negative impact their behavior yield if for no other reason than self-preservation.

Again, there are many different managerial styles. Some are good and others are less. Regardless of the style a particular manager embodies, it is necessary to follow a methodology that improves employee empowerment and does not undermine it. This is just the wisest course of action to take.

While the construction sector hasn’t enjoyed the heyday it once had in the early 1980s, there are many opportunities for any number of skilled workers. Even better is the projected outlook for 2010 and beyond. With the many possibilities, including the potential for travel, likely overtime and advancement opportunities, many have built their lives and careers doing construction work. We often equate construction work with having to relocate several times a year, but there are usually excellent opportunities nearby that allow one to return home each night with little or not travel involved.

The pay, according to the Bureau of Labor Stats, is considered “relatively high hourly earnings”, the job outlook is excellent and the crossover ability is absolutely possible. Many construction workers are skilled at various duties, making them highly sought after in the industry. Those who can do a number of tasks well often find themselves being promoted to better job positions, better pay and benefits. The goal is to be sure you’re bringing it all to the table: skill sets, a concise resume and a powerful team standing behind you as you build a foundation every other career decision is based on.

Further, many construction positions are actually government jobs, thereby making them even more sought after. Those who pass certifications tests and have certain licenses, via government documentation or other industry accepted guidelines, are increasingly in high demand. Despite huge layoffs over the past seventeen months, indicators suggest the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel is nearing as more companies begin once again to bringing their employment rates to a pre-recession target. Because construction work is so closely related with interest rates, tax laws, and even political goings-on, it can be a bit unpredictable; still, the variances aren’t the only factors. Experience, of course, is the first thing employers look for and versatility also goes a long way, according to BLS.

Finding job opportunities is often a matter of eliminating those openings that have already been filled and focusing in on those who are actively seeking new talent. Too often, traditional job boards fall short in maintaining current databases. Since so many dynamics go into many of the larger employment sites, consistency can be elusive. This is one reason A. Harrison Barnes founded Hound.com. His goal was to take the frustration out of searching job databases and streamline them so that clients had access to those jobs that aren’t advertised by traditional means. The results have been more than remarkable. With access to over 75,000 jobs in every sector of the American economy, including construction jobs, you’re sure to have an edge over every other job seeker. A combination of advertised positions as well as those that aren’t accessible by traditional means gives Hound.com clients an advantage.

A dedicated staff ensures your resume is powerful, concise and sure to get noticed by those making hiring decisions in both U.S. and international markets. Built on a foundation of transparent policies, Harrison Barnes has brought searching for new jobs to a higher level.