Legal Research

ST.
IGNATIUS TECHNICAL INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS AND ARTS
A RESEARCH STUDY ON LEGAL OFFICE INTERNSHIP
A project Research Study
Presented to our professor of
St. Ignatius Technical Institute of Business and Arts
MR. ARNALDO BERNABE
By
ELEONOR MIRALLES
2022
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ST. IGNATIUS TECHNICAL INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS AND ARTS
Table of contents
1 Chapter one:
❖ Introduction to internship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..5
❖ Orientation to internship. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... ...6-7
❖ Legal environments myths and reality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . …...8-10
❖ Determine information on internship experiences; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..11-12
a. Describing office work
b. Assignment and
c. Learning experience
❖ Determine learning includes; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13-18
a. Both legal skills and
b. Non-legal work-related skills and
c. Career insights.
2 Chapter Two:
❖ Describing keeping record procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . ..19-20
❖ Describing office system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-23
❖ Describing the protection of confidentiality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24-30
❖ Describing client relationship and managing difficult clients . . . . . . . . .31-41
❖ Describing transition from internship to job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...42-43
3 Chapter Three:
❖ Concerning value of different kind of professional contacts . . . . . . . . . …44-49
❖ Concerning career planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...50-56
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Interviewing techniques
Job hunting strategies
❖ Concerning salaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57-61
compensation issue negotiation
strategies
❖ Concerning the turn in portfolio of work recommendation . . . . . . . . ....62-67
and supervisor evaluation

❖ Concerning value of internship and future job prospect. . . . . . . . . . . ….68-71
4 Chapter Four
❖ Understanding of legal ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .....72-73
❖ Increase an awareness of development of professional on job skills and knowledge in
real world legal setting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... ……………....74-76
❖ Enhance skills relevant to records management, accuracy, efficiency and clients’
relations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... ………….77- 87
❖ Enhance the ability to select appropriate tools for locating, evaluating and securing
permanent employment opportunities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... ……….....88-91
❖ Determine and foster the ability to use good communication skills with other
professionals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .92-97
❖ Determine the appreciation for overall training. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..98-99
5 Chapter Five
❖ Employing skills during employment interview process . . . . . .. . . . . …100-103
❖ The role of internship office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... ...104-110
❖ Research skills by finding law applicable to assignment. . . . . . . . . . . .... 111-112
❖ Effective computer in legal environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113-114
❖ Typical duties of internship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115-116
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❖ Characteristic of an effective internship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117-120

❖ Importance of honesty and integrity in the legal environment . . . . . . ......121-122
❖ Discuss arrive to work on time and complete assignment on schedule. . .123
❖ How to take and follow direction well. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... ... .124-125
❖ The initiative and a positive corporative attitude . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .... …126-128
❖ Professional appearance and demeanor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..129-131
❖ How to use good written and oral communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132-136
❖ Mature judgment, new assignment and employ problem solving skills… 137- 140
❖ Understand legal process and procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 141-144
❖ Discuss using a good working legal vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .…145-146
❖ How to organize task/materials effectively and pay attention to detail. . . 147-148
6 Chapter Six
❖ Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149
❖ Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
❖ Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Acknowledgement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .…. . . .... 151
Reference…………………………………………………………………………………152-154
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Introduction to Internship /Literature
The internship program is designed to provide students engaged in a field experience with an
opportunity to share their insights, to explore the links between students' academic preparation and
their field work, and to assist participants in developing and carrying out the major research project
which will serve to culminate their internship experience.
Internships are individualized and tailored to the needs and interests of each student in the program.
As part of the internship experience, students are expected to take an active role in finding an
appropriate internship for themselves. Many students pursue their own contacts; however,
information is available on Locating Internship Sites
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Orientation to internship
The purpose of the orientation is to help you develop knowledge and skills in matters related to
professionalism and workplace issues. It is also designed to prepare you for a rewarding and successful
internship experience. Before starting, you will want to make sure that you have contact information
for your internship provider. In addition to the physical address of your provider, you will also need
your internship site supervisor's job title, email address, and phone number. Your internship site
supervisor is the individual employed by your internship provider who will mentor you during the
experience.
Your company will need to develop an orientation program that will welcome interns and provide
them with introductory guidance. Depending on the length of the summer program, it may be
advisable to create an internship guidebook that serves as a reference point for interns and orients
them throughout the summer.
The welcome orientation program should lay the groundwork for interns. It should familiarize them
with ―house rules, ‖ duties, responsibilities, expectations, assignment/feedback procedures, summer
events, and expectations for the coming weeks. Further, it should introduce them to the company—
its leadership, core values, culture, mission, and vision. Similarly, the orientation should inform interns
about the legal department, its leadership, the various practice groups, and other department-specific
information. These basic program elements should be discussed by the program staff and
communicated to the interns, and should be molded to fit your company’s needs and priorities. If your
company chooses to provide interns with a guidebook, then that resource should include items
discussed in the welcome orientation. It also may provide administrative content, e.g., policy
information, a calendar of events, a sample daily schedule, important contact information, a directory
of fellow interns, a campus map, and/or a ―Things to Do‖ or similar visitor’s guide to the city/region.
This resource helps to answer interns’ FAQs, and will also make the lives of program staff much easier,
as they will not have to answer oft-repeated questions multiple times. In an effort to assist interns in
making a smooth transition, Microsoft currently offers a welcome orientation in addition to providing
an intern welcome notebook. Instead of having a separate orientation for legal interns, Microsoft sends
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its interns to the general orientation for all interns in the company. This not only emphasizes the
concept that interns should feel like they are part of the company, but also conserves resources and
prevents duplication of efforts. Microsoft provides each intern with his or her own Legal Intern
Welcome Notebook, which serves as a guide to the legal intern program.12 The notebook, in part,
informs interns of key events, legal department structure, company structure, assignment procedures,
social activities, and opportunities and policies relevant to the development of an intern’s legal
competencies. Interns have found this guide, which had its genesis in a recommendation by an intern
in the company’s inaugural class, to be an instructive and useful tool during their summer.
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Legal environment myths and reality
MYTHS
Environmental law is pervaded by myths and half-truths. By this, I mean that a number of its regulatory
regimes rest on assumptions or beliefs that are inaccurate, unlikely, or arguably false. Perhaps the most
obvious example—one that has been the subject of much recent scholarly handwringing—is the goal
of sustainability, which plays an especially prominent role in international environmental law but V be
often appears in domestic environmental discourse as well. At best, the concept of sustainability
represents a lofty, though unrealistic, goal. At worst, it is a deceptive device that further entrenches
existing practices of production and consumption. Whereas sustainability remains largely an animating
principle rather than a legal mandate, other myths are expressed more directly and explicitly in
environmental law. For example, several statutes mandate regulation of environmental harms without
regard to economic costs. The implementation of these statutes strays from these mandates, however,
and calls into question the feasibility of cost blind regulation. Another widespread myth minimizes the
role of individuals in causing environmental problems. Many environmental statutes focus instead on
industrial polluters. In doing so, these statutes neglect the contribution of individuals to environmental
harm and thereby perpetuate the myth that pollution from Other prominent myths involve frequently
used environmental policy tools such as mitigation programs and pollution credits. Ideally, mitigation
compensates for environmentally damaging activities such as the destruction of wetlands or habitat.
However, scholars often have serious doubts as to whether mitigation truly compensates for the harm
caused. Likewise, pollution credits theoretically represent the avoidance of pollution that would
otherwise have occurred, and the trading of these credits within cap-and-trade regimes promises more
cost-effective pollution reductions than might be achieved under command-and-control regulation. In
the context of climate change, however, the efficacy of cap-and-trade regimes in actually reducing
carbon emissions—and the validity of some carbon credits—has come into serious doubt. On
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occasion, commentators have considered individual environmental myths and proposed explanations
for their existence. But to date there has been no systematic analysis of these myths or their
implications. This Article explores several prominent myths of environmental law and their possible
functions. In addition to the more obvious political reasons for the persistence of these myths, term
myth often has a negative connotation, it is important to remember that the laws in which
environmental myths are embedded have dramatically reduced pollution, improved environmental
quality, and protected valued resources. This Article thus considers the potential value of myth and
suggests reforms to bring about a more effective and forthright system of environmental law.
REALITY:
The relevance of the study is determined by fundamentally different approaches to understanding the
essence of legal reality, which creates practical issues of law enforcement. Legal reality is considered in
the context of cultural interpretation of law, its role in the legal being of civil society is determined.
The analysis of scientists’ worldviews on the problem of the category of ―legal reality‖ allowed the
authors to generalize global approaches and define this category as a special kind of being the kind of
ideal being; its essence lies in the obligation, and this sphere constitutes the world of man as a person
and the world of culture in general. This ―being‖ has a semantic structure. The meanings of law are
expressed in mental attitudes, ideas and theories, in the symbolic form of norms and institutions, in
human actions and relationships, i.e., in various manifestations of legal reality. However, taking into
account the rootedness of law in culture, one can say that the way of the existence of meanings is very
multifaceted. According to the authors, clarification of the concept of ―legal reality‖ is necessary to
improve legal practice. The leading research approach includes such scientific methods as dialectics,
analysis, synthesis, deduction and the formal legal method.
The relevance of the study is determined by fundamentally different approaches to understanding the
essence of legal reality, which creates practical issues of law enforcement. Legal reality is considered in
the context of cultural interpretation of law, its role in the legal being of civil society is determined.
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The analysis of scientists' worldviews on the problem of the category of ―legal reality‖ allowed the
authors to generalize global approaches and define this category as a special kind of being - the kind
of ideal being; its essence lies in the obligation, and this sphere constitutes the world of man as a
person and the world of culture in general. This "being" has a semantic structure. The meanings of
law are expressed in mental attitudes, ideas and theories, in the symbolic form of norms and
institutions, in human actions and relationships, i.e., in various manifestations of legal reality.
However, taking into account the rootedness of law in culture, one can say that the way of the existence
of meanings is very multifaceted. According to the authors, clarification of the concept of "legal
reality" is necessary to improve legal practice. The leading research approach includes such scientific
methods as dialectics, analysis, synthesis, deduction and the formal legal method.
At present, Russia is undergoing a process of transformation of legal reality connected with the
dynamics of social relations. Social progress is a catalyst for legal development. The progressive legal
culture of society sets for us new goals, namely, the creation of legal tools that correspond to the
modern social life of society, allowing to recognize the value of law, to enhance the legal culture and
legal awareness of society. The study is relevant due to the need to determine the content and
significance of legal reality, since law is a reality that arises from all options for human interaction with
the world of people, the state, the values of society and history, determining the world of a person as
a person and the world of culture in general.
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Determine information on internship experiences; Describing office work, Assignments, and

Learning experience
Legal Interns are students who practice law in an attorney's office. As part of their role to prepare for
their future career, Legal Interns complete tasks such as doing research, handling paperwork, helping
attorneys with projects, taking part in client interviews, and learning about daily affairs in the legal
field.
Work Assignments
A significant aspect of the implementation stage includes establishing a stratagem for distributing and
following up on work assignments; some consider this element to represent the core of the summer
program. From the company’s perspective, the assignment process needs to flow smoothly, which
requires giving significant attention to efficient assignment distribution, oversight, quality assurance,
and evaluation. In addition, the available projects should add value to the company’s overall mission.
From the intern’s perspective, the assignment process should not be too cumbersome, but instead
needs to be manageable, transparent, and easily navigable. The assignments should provide a good
balance of quality and quantity, and contain substance while providing a variety of meaningful learning
opportunities. Assignment schemes that address both viewpoints sufficiently will result in a flourishing
assignment process.
Logistics
Companies should make sure to allocate adequate office space for incoming interns. This can be as
simple as assigning a separate office for each intern (space permitting, of course). Alternatively, as is
the case with Microsoft, interns may share an office with another person— whether it is a fellow
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intern, attorney, paralegal, or other support staff. In addition to serving as a cost-saving measure
(especially since interns will only require offices for ten to twelve weeks), office-sharing offers an
opportunity for interns to get to know other people at the company easily, thus assisting to build a
professional network that will prove useful in the future. Thus, the office-sharing arrangement can
present both an administrative advantage and a method for encouraging the intern’s social and
professional development.
Moreover, Microsoft expects that each practice group with an incoming intern will coordinate
resources. This includes ensuring every intern has a proper desk, phone, laptop, mobile device, and
anything else he or she needs to function as a team player in the office. Internship coordinators may
easily overlook some basic resources that every attorney (and intern) needs, such as pens, paperclips,
and sticky notes. To make sure your company does not forget necessary resources for interns, consider
employing the simple strategy of examining offices of full-time employees to identify the essentials for
day-to-day life at the office.
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Determine learning includes Both legal skills and non-legal work-related skills and Career
insight
Legal skills
Legal positions vary greatly in scope and responsibility, but certain core skills are required for most of
them. It goes without saying that you'll need the physical stamina and the energy necessary to put in
long days, but certain emotional attributes can't be overlooked either.
Nobody wants an attorney to whom they're just another case number. A capacity for empathy can go
a long way. And while it can also pay to be pessimistic—you're always prepared for the worst-case
scenario with a solution already prepared in the back of your mind—you don't want that to be visible
to your clients. Beyond stamina and compassion, several intellectual edges come into play as well.
Oral Communication
Language is one of the most fundamental tools of a legal professional. You must be able to convey
information in clear, concise, and logical terms. You should be able to communicate persuasively, and
be able to advocate a position or a cause. You'll also have to master legal terminology, and don't
overlook that good communication means listening well, too.
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Written Communication
From writing simple correspondence to drafting complex legal documents, writing is an integral
function of nearly every position. Professionals must master the stylistic and mechanical aspects of
writing, as well as the fundamentals of English grammar.
Learn how to write organized, concise, and persuasive prose. You'll need this skill to draft effective
documents such as motions, briefs, memorandums, resolutions, and agreements.
Client Service
Serving a client capably, honestly, and responsibly is crucial to success in the client-focused legal
industry. Professionals must master rainmaking and client development skills and customer service
skills.
Analytical and Logical Reasoning
Professionals must review and assimilate large volumes of complex information and be able to do so
efficiently and effectively. Analytical and logical reasoning skills include reviewing complex written
documents, drawing inferences, and making connections between legal authorities.
You'll be expected to develop organizational and problem-solving abilities, and to structure and
evaluate arguments. An ability to use inductive and deductive reasoning to draw inferences and reach
conclusions can't be overstated.
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Legal Research
Researching legal concepts, case law, judicial opinions, statutes, regulations, and other information are
important skills. Professionals must master research techniques and learn how to locate and synthesize
legal authority.
You must be proficient at statutory interpretation and learn proper legal citation. Become proficient
with legal research software applications and internet research.
Technology Skills
Technology is changing the legal landscape and is an integral part of every function. Professionals
should master a variety of word processing, presentation, time management, billing, and practice-
related software applications to remain effective in their jobs.
This includes master communications technology such as email, voice messaging systems, video
conferencing, and related technology. It involves becoming familiar with electronic discovery,
computerized litigation support, and document management software. You should also develop the
tech know-how to make wise technology decisions.
Knowledge of Substantive Law and Legal Procedure
All legal professionals, even those at the bottom of the food chain, should have a basic knowledge of
substantive law and legal procedure. Even secretaries and other support staff must have at least a
general knowledge of local, state, and federal court systems, and relevant filing deadlines. They should
understand the fundamental principles of law in the practice area in which they work.
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Time Management
Legal professionals are under constant pressure to bill time and manage large workloads in a profession
that's based on the business model of the billable hour. Productivity equals financial gain. They must
develop superior multi-tasking skills, a strong work ethic, and the ability to juggle competing priorities.
They must be able to meet tight deadlines, and this requires calendar and time management skills.
Organization
Legal professionals must develop topnotch organizational skills to manage large volumes of data and
documents, even and especially in the age of technology.
This includes the ability to sort, order, and manage large volumes of exhibits, documents, files,
evidence, data, and other information in paper form, and the ability to identify objectives, catalog data,
and create an effective organization structure from massive amounts of unrelated information. But
you should also be able to use technology applications that assist in managing case-related data.
Teamwork
Legal professionals don't work in a vacuum. Even solo practitioners must rely on support staff and
team up with co-counsel, experts, and vendors to deliver services. Teamwork can be integral to
individual and organizational success.
Teamwork skills include collaborating with others to reach common goals, as well as coordinating and
sharing information and knowledge. You should be able to cultivate relationships with colleagues and
clients. Attend and participate in team events, meetings, and conferences
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NON-LEGAL WORK-RELATED SKILLS
Work-based learning refers to all forms of learning, both initial and continuous, that take place in a
real-world environment. It provides individuals with the skills they need to successfully find and keep
jobs, and to advance their career. It is particularly successful when it is well integrated into the
education and training system and combines elements of learning in the workplace with classroom-
based learning. All work-based learning setups share two features: a direct relationship between
employer and learner, and an element of on-the-job learning.
In Austria, Denmark, Germany, and the United Kingdom, work-based learning often comprises a
formal apprenticeship contract that offers young people a program of structured learning on-the-job,
coupled with structured off-the-job learning in a technical and vocational education and training
(TVET) institution. Apprenticeship programs are backed by the government, employers, and
apprentices themselves. In developing countries, only a very small percentage of young people benefit
from this type of work-based learning. The vast majority learn informally on the job from their
employer in an unstructured way, with learning often interspersed with unskilled, menial tasks. These
‖informal apprentices― usually lack the benefit of certification and recognition, which works against
the student.
Work-based learning is not merely an opportunity to experience the workplace and gain some
familiarity with it. Rather it is the main mode of learning for the student who has a contract, written
or oral, with an employer as opposed to being enrolled full time with a training provider.
Why Is It Important?
Work-based learning can provide a strong learning environment and ensure that there is demand for
the acquired skills in the labor market. Employers benefit by using it as a recruitment tool and as a
means to benefit from the productive output of learners. The country benefits from an increase in
skilled labor without heavy government investment, as the cost is usually shared between learners and
employers. Learners benefit not just from industry-relevant training but also from improved job
prospects, social inclusion, and a smoother transition from school to stable employment, which
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otherwise can be as long as 5 years. Although it can be a valuable teaching tool, not all workplace
training is useful to learners. It needs to strike a balance between equipping learners for the immediate
job market and providing them with a rounded educational experience and longer-term job mobility.
The challenge facing governments across Asia is how to improve work-based learning at every level,
and how to adopt some of the characteristics of structured programs to enhance informal training.
This is particularly urgent as work-based learning is prevalent in countries with large informal sectors,
like in much of Asia. Initiatives to improve learning while working will have more impact if these
extend beyond the relatively small formal sector and reach out to micro-, small, and medium-sized
enterprises, which dominate the region’s informal sector.
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Describe record keeping procedures, different work environments; Insights, difficulties,
Best Practice Tips for the Law Firm Records Management professional Law firms are in the
information business. Information is a critical operational asset for firms, and is effectively the primary
product. Effective records and information management for law firms in order to manage records and
information effectively, however, a firm must adopt and enforce a set of policies and procedures to
ensure consistent behavior.
1. Include your firm’s client file retention policy in your engagement letters. By forming an agreement
with your client at the outset of the engagement, your firm may enjoy the freedom to carry out your
policy without having to track down the client at the end of the retention period, therefore saving
time, money and administrative headaches.
2. Send a letter at the conclusion of each matter that disengages the firm as well as restates the firm’s
record retention practices. This is simply a reminder of what was agreed to at the outset of the
matter, but it can serve many benefits, such as final billing instructions, clarifying lawyer/client
status for conflicts of interest purposes, and anything else your firm wants to include.
3. Return original documents/documents provided by the client immediately after imaging.

Because the rules are fairly specific about a firm’s obligation to safeguard client property, particularly
financial instruments, it is best to avoid keeping the original in the first place by making a copy or an
image at the point it is received and then sending the original back.
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4. Physically arrange your files (paper and electronic) based on your firm’s ownership distinctions. By
making conscious decisions about the way documents and folders are arranged and named, it makes
the generally onerous task of culling the file at the end of an engagement, or release to the
client/succeeding counsel, a much simpler one.
5. Publish your RIM policy in plain sight and train your firm on what it means, then train them again,
and again. There must be a serious effort to train firm personnel in enforcing a RIM policy in order
for any policy to be effective.
6. Stop saving everything. Use your retention policy pervasively and consistently. Apply it to
everything – email, file shares, document repositories (on-premise and in the cloud; physical
documents and electronic ones), duplicate material, drafts, and voicemail. ―Forever‖ and ―just in
case‖ are not valid retention periods. While the commodity price of digital storage looks cheap on
its face, the total cost of that storage is exponentially more expensive – and it is NEVER free!
7. Operationalize for consistency. Spending the time to develop and execute on the above best
practices will eventually be for naught if a mature RIM program is not put in place and supported
with appropriate staff and technology that operationalizes policy to achieve consistency and cost
efficiency.
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Describe office systems (filing, billing, timekeeping, calendaring, etc.)
Most lawyers starting a practice anticipate and understand the challenges of starting up a law firm such
as negotiating a lease, obtaining equipment for their new firm, and staffing. However, many do not
look ahead at establishing the necessary office systems to ensure the firm operates smoothly from Day
One. This short guide will give you a basic summary of four key systems that a start-up should establish
in order to function as an efficient business. It is important to remember that this list is not intended
to be all-inclusive or to be definitive in outlining necessary systems, because it will be you who selects,
and then adjusts, the features that work best for your practice and your own work habits.
Calendaring
A leading cause of malpractice and ethics complaints is attorneys’ failure to meet or respond to
deadlines. Attorneys are generally very busy individuals and can get caught up with any number of
tasks. For this reason, a system must be established which tracks court dates, statute of limitations,
client appointments, file reviews and other similar crucial dates and deadlines.
A calendaring system usually incorporates the functions of tickling and docketing. Tickling refers to
the regular and systematic process by which the lawyer pulls files for review and work. Docketing deals
with specific deadlines and upcoming dates of importance. Additionally, a calendaring system should
also take into account non-work-related considerations such as vacations, appointments, etc.
It is up to each individual to decide whether an electronic calendaring system is right for them. Some
lawyers swear by their traditional diary-style calendar which they carry with them everywhere. Others
cannot survive without their computer ―pinging‖ them for appointments and court dates. Regardless
of which method or combination of methods you go with, there are some key goals to aim for in
efficient calendaring:
❖ Automatic and easily adjustable date entries.

❖ Accessible to others, e.g., networked.
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❖ The system should be backed up daily.

❖ Reminders for tasks come sufficiently in advance of the task’s deadline.
❖ Establish repeated reminders, appropriate to each task or deadline.
❖ Establish and use follow-up dates for tasks after their completion
.
The calendaring system should become part of your and your applicable staff’s routines. However,
every lawyer should know that they absolutely cannot delegate away their responsibility for any failures
in the system. For this reason, establishing a personal routine and sticking to it is very important. For
example, every day when entering the office, print a list of tasks, appointments, and deadlines to check
off as the day progresses.
Additionally, a separate list of key dates and deadlines can be printed off each day to maintain
awareness of upcoming dates before they are already at hand. Be sure to have systems which are
"redundant" in the sense that there is not only one source for a reminder. The tickling and docketing
methods should back each other up to ensure that key dates aren't missed.
Although there are countless numbers of traditional or modern methods for calendaring, a system
which accounts for the considerations above will contribute to a firm’s efficiency and avoid
ethical/malpractice complaints.
Accounting and Billing Systems
One of the most important elements of planning a start-up is the law office’s accounting system.
Although a law firm is there to provide legal services to clients, it is nevertheless a business and will
not perform well as one if an adequate accounting system is not established. Because of this, hiring or
consulting with an accountant when forming a law firm may be highly advisable. Although, a start-
up’s budget may be tight, this is an investment that will likely more than pay for itself.
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Books can (and have) been written on this subject alone, and detailed coverage of this topic is beyond
the scope of this summary. Nevertheless, the following are some of the key goals of an accounting
system:
❖ Establishes and accurately maintains a firm’s financial records.

❖ Maintains and generates accurate information for tax and regulatory purposes.
❖ Support employee-related accounting – payroll, taxes, employee benefits, unemployment
taxes, etc.
❖ Properly and timely bills for services rendered.
❖ Establishes controls to protect against mistakes or fraud.
❖ Adequately identifies, separates, and accounts for funds or property in the firm’s possession –
i.e., trust accounting.
Entire texts can be found on each of the above goals, and there are serious financial and ethical
considerations that must be kept in mind with regard to each area. Again, consulting with a
professional may well be a worthwhile investment. Additionally, these days good billing practices can
be facilitated by fairly affordable commercial software. There is almost no reason to spend time listing
work performed or taking notes of time spent on client matters when it can be typed it into a computer
and instantly be ready for accounting and billing purposes.
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Describe the protection of confidentiality, detailing any fact pattern or actual case from
internship office with facts changed to protect client confidentiality for role-playing exercise.
There are three key steps law firms can take to ensure total client confidentiality in every corner of the
firm.
1. Ensure all privacy settings in the firm’s software solutions are standard Cyber security extends
beyond mitigating the risk of cyberattack to safeguard client and firm information. As Chief
Information Officer, you know the rise of technological services designed to optimize efficiency and
provide better, more comprehensive service brings with it its own share of confidentiality challenges.
The information that could be available to a savvy hacker isn’t just privileged attorney client-
communications, but confidential client business information, case information, intellectual property,
personally identifiable information, and even payment information. By now, firms are increasingly
turning to new security standards such as two-step authentication, intrusion prevention tools, and
encrypted email, USB drives, and laptops.
But your technological security can’t stop there. When it comes to software solutions such as resource
planning and meeting management software, you don’t even need to be a hacker to gain access to
information that should be private.
Law firms are increasingly turning to resource management platforms to help optimize billable hours.
These solutions make it easy to plan meetings and book related resources in just a few clicks from
your phone, tablet, or computer. Standard meeting management and resource scheduling applications
make it easy to see who has booked a room, for what purpose, and for how long with screens that
display meeting information outside of each conference room. The solution’s online control panel also
displays searchable information regarding attendees and meeting purpose, and shares this information
with attendees and front desk staff. This won’t fly at a law firm.
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Meeting management and resource scheduling platforms such as Ask Cody can be completely
customized for the needs of the firm. Ask Cody’s ironclad confidentiality settings extend from the
Meeting Room Displays and Meeting Dashboards to the entire Workplace Central cockpit. Robust
privacy settings ensure complete anonymity of attendees and privacy of meeting subjects within the
system without skimping on any of the benefits and convenience that Ask Cody’s one-click booking
system offers. Consider also your front desk check-in system. What standards and systems are in place
to ensure complete confidentiality of every client that walks through your firm’s doors? If they have
to say their name aloud to a waiting room full of other clients, you’re already breaking confidentiality
within the first few feet. A platform like Ask Cody Visitor Management lets clients securely check in
without speaking to the front desk staff at all. They can check in, print documents, and alert their
respective attorney that they have arrived with the push of a button right from their smartphone or a
kiosk at the front desk. The Visitor Management system is directly integrated with the rest of the Ask
Cody Meeting Management suite within Outlook and Microsoft 365 to ensure a seamless experience.
2. Extend confidentiality training to legal and non-legal staff
Everyone who walks the halls of your firm should be well versed in confidentiality. Attorneys, clerks,
paralegals, administrative assistants, and outsourced service providers must all be given some degree
of training. Almost everyone knows not to discuss cases or client circumstances outside the confines
of the secure office, but that’s just the beginning. Do all of your legal secretaries know how to address
clients when speaking to or about them? Is every contractor aware of any firm standards on the use
of first versus last names of clients? What one administrative assistant may think of as small talk could
actually be a significant breach in trust for a client who requests complete confidentiality of their
relationship with the firm.
Create standards for your firm that include use of names, rules for email (resist the use of Reply All!),
and use of software applications such as Adobe and resource management platforms. Document them,
and ensure they are available to every internal employee and external contractor who works at the
firm.
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3. If possible, go paperless
If your firm is still using paper files, there should be a procedure for handling every piece of paper.
When possible, don’t remove them from the office. Never leave paper files unattended in a conference
room, front desk, your car, or other shared office space. There should also be a disposal process in
place with a professional paper shredder to ensure confidentiality even long after a case may end.
Going paperless removes a significant amount of burden from the storing, handling, and disposing of
paper files. A robust cloud-based system is more secure and convenient.
Documents can be easily and securely shared, accessed, and edited from anywhere from any device.
Keeping it confidential
It is your duty to keep it confidential. Failure to do so can result in serious damage to clients’
reputations, the outcome of cases, and the long-term viability of the firm. Confidentiality must extend
from rules of communication and conversation to the standards for planning and booking meetings.
What forms can confidential Information take?
You can have written or verbal forms of confidential information. An example of an issue with
confidential information, under an NDA, is what do you do about verbal information that’s
transferred between two parties?
Every employee should understand the basics of identifying and handling of company and third-party
confidential information. This begins when a new employee joins your company and should be
periodically refreshed to accommodate new and ongoing relationships.
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Examples of Confidential Information
Business & Marketing Plans Information Received from Third Parties
Company Initiatives Company Financial Account Information
Customer Information and Lists Social Security Numbers
Information Relating to Intellectual

Property Payroll and Personnel Records
Invention or Patent Health Information
Research Data Self-Restricted Personal Data
Passwords and IT-related Information Credit Card Information
Confidential information is generally defined as information disclosed to an individual employee or

known to that employee as a consequence of the employee’s employment at a company. This
information isn’t generally known outside the company or is protected by law. Confidential
information can include information in any form, such as written documents/records or electronic
data.
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5 Examples of How Confidential Information Can Be Used

1. Protect ideas that offer a competitive advantage, enabling a company or individual to get a head
start on the competition (e.g., an idea for a new type of product or a new website).
2. Keep competitors from learning that a product or service is under development and from
discovering its functional or technical attributes (e.g., how a new software program works).
3. Protect valuable business information such as marketing plans, cost and price information and
customer lists (e.g., a company’s plans to launch a new product line).
4. Protect “negative know-how.” That is, information you’ve learned during the course of research
and development on what not to do or what does not work optimally (e.g., research revealing that
a new type of drug is ineffective).
5. Protect any other information that has some value and is not generally known by your competitors
(e.g., a list of customers ranked by how profitable their business is).
Protecting Company Confidential Information
Confidential Information plays an important role in business competitiveness and success. It is also
necessary to ensure protection of company trade secrets under state or federal laws. These laws require
that a company’s confidential information is subject to reasonable efforts to maintain its secrecy.
Accordingly, the following practices should be considered.
1. General safeguarding. All confidential information of a company should be restricted from the
view of the public – i.e., only those that have agreed to keep it confidential should be allowed to
view the information. Reasonable efforts should be made to protect trade secrets.
2. Safeguarding of electronic information. Access to computer systems containing confidential
information should be restricted to only those that are under an obligation to keep the information
confidential. Employees’ logins and passwords should not be shared with others.
3. Restricted distribution. Distribution of confidential information should be restricted to those
who have a legitimate business need to know it whenever feasible.
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Receiving Confidential Information from Third Parties
How can a business be damaged by accepting the confidential information of others?
If you’re the receiving party, you’re getting confidential information from another party. It may very
well be that the relationship comes to an end. It may go sour, or you might just move on to other
relationships.
If not handled carefully, the receipt of confidential information from third parties can subject a
company to unwanted competitive restrictions or liability. Accordingly, the three practices below
should be taken into consideration.
1. Company personnel should avoid receipt of the confidential information of third parties unless the
receipt is covered by a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), or agreement waiving the disclosing
party’s rights, approved in accordance with a company contract management policy.
2. Distribution of third-party confidential information to employees should be restricted to those
who have a legitimate business need to know it. Disclosure of third-party confidential information
to another third party may be done only in accordance with the terms of the applicable NDA and
after consultation the company’s legal team.
3. Never use third party confidential information obtained through inappropriate means such as
misrepresentation or omission of important facts.
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Nondisclosure Obligations and Agreements
What is a Non-Disclosure Agreement?
At the heart of it, an NDA includes a promise not to disclose confidential information. There are also
other things that can be included in those agreements.
Choosing the Appropriate NDA
A company’s legal team should maintain non-disclosure agreements (NDA) to be provided for use in
the following situations:
• Two-Way NDA. Covers mutual sharing of confidential information between a company and a
third party. This imposes confidentiality obligations on both parties.
• One-Way NDA Out. Covers only disclosure of confidential information by a company to a third
party. This imposes no confidentiality obligations on the company.
• One-Way NDA In. Covers receipt of confidential Information from a third party. This only
imposes confidentiality obligations on the company. The third party is under no
confidentiality obligations.
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Describe client relationships, role-playing exercises on managing difficult clients
If you have been in practice for any length of time, sooner or later you’re going to get stuck with a
difficult client, or at least a difficult client conversation. Uncomfortable client conversations can arise
for multiple reasons. Sometimes those reasons have more to do with the client than with the lawyer,
but every attorney-client relationship contains two players, so you need to be aware of the ways in
which you might be contributing to the problem and the ways you can contribute to a solution.
Take on the right clients
The best way to deal with truly difficult clients is by not taking them on in the first place. That requires
that you be able to identify potentially bad clients early – preferably before a retainer is signed so that
you can avoid them entirely. Make a list of bad client warning signs to help you identify potentially
difficult clients. (See this blog post for tips on identifying bad clients).
Pre-screen and pre-qualify clients by:
❖ Asking the right questions

❖ Educating clients about the legal process in general and your services in particular
❖ Evaluating whether your firm is the right fit for the potential client.
❖ Pay attention to what your gut is telling you when you first meet with clients – if your gut tells
you the client is not right for you, don’t agree to the representation.
If you’ve already hired a client that isn’t the right fit, consider firing them.
Communicate value
To effectively attract and retain good clients, you must communicate the value of the services you
offer. Know what is important your potential clients and be able to differentiate yourself and your
service from the others in your practice area – not just when you’re trying to attract new clients, but
throughout the engagement.
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Relate your services to the benefits to the client. Everything you do should be based upon the clients’
perspective – what’s in it for the client? How does each of the activities you undertake advance the
client’s goals or contribute to their desired outcome?
Manage clients’ expectations
It is crucial that you discover, and help shape, the client’s expectations at the outset of the engagement,
and that you continue to manage them throughout the engagement. In her article, ―How to Handle
Difficult Clients, in the July/August issue of Law Practice Magazine, Justice Carole Curtis notes that
clients have expectations not just about results, but also about service, time and costs. If the client’s
perception of service’ is something more or different than what you provide, the client will always be
dissatisfied, regardless of how good your work is. It’s your job to manage expectations in each of these
areas.
Know your boundaries and set limits
Often confrontations arise when the unexpected occurs. You can reduce many common difficult client
situations by being prepared and setting boundaries at the outset of the engagement. Clients who can’t
abide by your processes or boundaries will often self-identify themselves, offering you the opportunity
to explore the situation before a confrontation occurs or the chance to decline the representation.
There’s no reason to tolerate an abusive client!
Provide excellent service
Keep the client updated about what’s happening with the case. Don’t make clients ask you for a status;
be proactive and provide regular updates, even when nothing is happening. If you need to make a
staffing change on the file, give the client a heads-up; don’t wait until the client receives a bill with a
new attorney’s name on it or receives a phone call from a new attorney in your office they don’t know.
Always present your best work; even if it’s just a draft, it should be free of spelling and grammatical
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errors, typos and other problems. Always accompany copies of documents or decisions in the client’s
matter with a plain language explanation of what the document is and how it affects the client’s case.
Recognize that the client may not always agree with the course of action you think is best.
Explain how the different options might advance the client’s stated goals and give your insight about
consequences and potential pitfalls, but remember that ultimately, it’s the client‘s job to choose the
course of action. Document these conversations or follow up in writing. Under-promise and over-
deliver, keeping the four areas of client expectation listed above in mind.
Bill appropriately
Often, client problems or complaints arise out of disputes about or confusion over fees.
Don’t nickel and dime your clients by charging them for items that really constitute part of your
overhead and should already be factored in to your fees. Make sure your fees are fair and reasonable.
If there is a change in your budget, big expenditures that need to be made, or if unexpected costs arise,
advise the client as soon as you become aware of the change;
Don’t wait until the funds have already been expended or simply add it to your bill without discussing
it with the client first.
Obtain client feedback
A client that doesn’t complain isn’t necessarily a happy client. And even happy clients may have
additional needs that you could address. Obtain feedback throughout the engagement and upon its
conclusion and act on that feedback when you receive it.
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Handling Difficult Client Conversations
Even if you have done all of the above, you may still won’t be able to avoid difficult conversations
entirely. Even generally good or cooperative clients can become difficult at times, especially when you
have to tell them something they don’t want to hear, or when they have a complaint.
Sometimes conflict arises because clients don’t feel understood. Even business clients have an
emotional investment in their legal matter, and many legal matters have high stakes, affecting clients’
finances, livelihoods, businesses, or their very lives. If you can guide the conversation in a way that
makes clients feel understood, the conversation will run much more smoothly.
When you find yourself in a situation that requires a difficult conversation with clients, keep these tips
in mind:
Mirror the client’s concerns. Let the client tell you what the issue is, and then reflect it back to the
client. This way, the client knows they’re being heard, and you ensure that you understand their issue.
Focus on the client.
The key to resolution is concentrating on the client’s feelings and the client’s desired outcome, rather
than focusing on you, the work you have already done, or additional work that may be required. For
example, if a client asks for something in a rush, respond by first acknowledging the client’s sense of
urgency and how it affects their goals – not by telling them how much work you have to do or why
what they’re asking is impossible.
Lay the groundwork for bad news – and go slowly.
Resist the urge to just get it over with’ by blurting out the bad news all at once. When you know the
client isn’t going to be happy about what you have to tell them, start out by acknowledging the client’s
desired outcome or goals, introduce what you are going to discuss, or explain that there are a number
of different strategies that can be employed to move forward with their matter. Be sure to give the
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client reasons for those options and for what occurred. After you’ve delivered the bad news, let the
client know that you empathize with their position.
Acknowledge the client’s feelings.
Acknowledging a client’s feelings by saying something like, ―I can tell that you’re upset about this‖
will begin to defuse the situation. Don’t let yourself get emotional or allow the client to push your
buttons and don’t argue with clients about their feelings, whether you believe they are justified or not;
you won’t change their mind and you are likely to make the situation worse.
Let clients know that they’re not alone.
If this particular problem is a common one, or many clients seem to be frustrated by the same thing
(for example the Court’s delay in making a decision, or opposing counsel’s refusal to provide
documents), let the client know that not only are their feelings valid, but that they have been expressed
by others in the past. If you are similarly frustrated, let the client know; it can be a way of getting you
and your client back on the same side.
Work toward a resolution based on where you are now.
Once the client is calmer and you’ve acknowledged them, you can begin to gather information that
can help you to reach a solution to the underlying problem. Offer the client options for resolution,
even if you can’t meet their specific demand.
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Focus on the positive.
Instead of saying no or telling a client what you can’t do and why, tell them what you can do. Explain
the options in terms of the client’s goals (i.e., because I know that you don’t want to drag this litigation
out… or ―Since you want to keep costs down…
Client Relationships Are the Heart of a Business
First things first. What do you mean by client relationship? As per the client relationship definition,
“client relations are the relationships that a business has with its clients and the way in which it treats
them. It is the way a business communicates with existing customers.” CRM or customer relationship
management aims to address client relationship challenges. It is a strategy to manage the organization’s
relationship and interaction with customers and potential customers.
For example, if you’re running a design business, it is improbable to underrate the importance of client
relationships. One way to keep the good going is to start using a Proofing tool for your
Building Great Relationships
“Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying
basic fundamentals.” — Jim Rohn
Respect the Client’s Time
“Put yourself in their shoes.” Jesse Harrison, CEO, Employee Justice Legal Team
You’ve to respect their time. Time is one finite resource you and your clients have. Our relationships
can become weak if we do not keep up with the time of our clients. How to do that? Be comfortable
while talking up to your clients. In case you’re planning to meet up, don’t make them wait and better
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decide on early to meet at a time that’s ok for both. Show up on time, get straight to business, and be
respectful. This will set the tone for the rest of the relationship.
Treat Clients as Individuals
“People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.” -Teddy Roosevelt
Many times, we risk treating them as a group when they need to be treated as individuals. Remember,
all clients are unique. Make a personal connection with your client in an appropriate way depending on
your client type and personality. Just do not make them feel like a number. Like you’re giving them the
same advice you disk out to everyone.
How to get it done?
• Use personalized communication
• Use the right term
• Use a segmented strategy
• Use a relevant content
Be social — online and offline
“Ease your customers’ pain.” Hazel Edwards, Owner, Gillian Roberts Bridal Boutique
Brands like Starbucks and Chipotle have a loyal following of customers that love them so much because
they have managed to build a strong customer relationship. One of the best ways they do through is
social media. Take in hand all your social media platforms and build a consistent presence there. Let
your clients know the human side of your practice on social media.
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What to take care of on social media?
• Make sure you humanize your brand and showcase your personality
• Respond quickly to create a better user experience
• Go above and beyond what customers expect
• Get proactive with your engagement
• Highlight and reward your top customers
• Shine a light on your team as well
• Build and push them towards your community
Not only social presence, but offline interaction is also just as important. Craft a unique handwritten
message with a little gesture, send a gift of thank you or congratulatory message, whatever be the
occasion to solidify the way a client looks at your practice.
Get To Know Each Client Like a Friend
“Just having satisfied customers isn’t good enough anymore. If you really want a booming business,
you have to create raving fans.” -Ken Blanchard
Does your client really like you as a person? It can be a bit hard to allow yourself to consider your client
as a friend that will deepen the bond. Simply give them some time and ask how their weekend was.
Suggest them some exciting activities they can do to make the most of their weekends. Soon you’ll turn
your clients into friends in a meaningful way.
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The Art of Great Follow-up
“Treat the customer like you would want to be treated. Period!” -Brad Schweig
You’ve got great products, intelligent team, unique services, and some loyal clients. You know your
clients love you. Don’t lose them. Get into the habit of follow-up.
You can get your clients to fill up a form that answers how often they want to be bugged by you.
Follow-up consistently through connecting on LinkedIn and Twitter, occasional emails without putting
the client off, or offer free advice and resources. But make sure you offer value in each follow-up.
I’ve made my follow-up process simple by adding an event in Proof Hub calendar. It reminds me of a
quarterly follow-up with each of my clients. That way, clients don’t fall through the cracks.
Some Don’ts to Manage Client Relationships
• Don’t over commit yourself
• Don’t stretch the truth about your services
• Don’t act like a know-it-all
• Don’t venture outside of your brand
• Don’t make your client wait on you
• Don’t be rude
• Don’t be too social on social media
• Don’t talk on controversial topics
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While getting to know your clients could be a hard nut to crack, but it will make quite a difference to
your business, before you get into that, you should master the skill of maintaining client relationships,
because satisfied clients are one who will ensure your business growth.
Client Relationship Building Skills
With that being said, the importance of building client relationship, let’s get into learning some specific
client relationship building skills that you should master to win over your customers.
1. Patience
Many clients will try to take your patience to the brink, yet being patient is important to customers. If
you’re into the habit of being patient with your customers, you will be able to better understand their
problems. When they come to you frustrated, be sure to examine the situation before bursting out, else
they’d get competent service.
2. Attentiveness
Whether good or bad, be attentive to what your customers are saying. It is must to direct your marketing
efforts in your business. Especially, when you’re looking to innovate, pay attention to individual
customer interactions to learn what they really want. Be mindful to the feedback and reviews that you
receive at large.
3. Clear communication skills
Miscommunication may end up you losing a deal. Make sure you’re using the right words at the right
time. And always be available to talk to them that will make them believe that for you client’s project
and satisfaction are important. More importantly, make your clients comfortable being open and honest
with you. Try to strike the balance between professionalism and being friendly with your favorite clients.
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4. Positive language
Words have the power to create a long relationship with your clients. It’s important to show a positive
face to your clients. Be the one who takes the stress off your clients. While using your services or doing
business with you, your conversational patterns can go a long way to create happy customers. You need
to think positive first so you’ll start communicating in a positive way.
5. Time management skills
Getting the things done in less time is what will impress your client. Your time is definitely valuable.
How you quantify your time is a great client relationship skill that will calculate your relationship
management simple. The more time you spend with your clients you will know what customers want
in an efficient manner.
What goes around comes around
Sooner or later, success comes down to understanding your customers. So always be on the lookout
for improving your client relationships, else somebody will end up winning that customer one day!
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Describe transition from internship to job, strategies for updating and improving resumes.
First, as an intern, you’re meant to use your job as a learning tool. Your daily tasks will vary depending
on your job, but in general, mistakes are expected and when in doubt, you can pass off your task to
someone who works in the company. There will be no more handholding when you get a full-time
job. During your first few weeks, your boss may allow a few mistakes, but you’ll be held responsible
for anything bad that happens. If you continuously make major mistakes, you’ll be fired.
Don’t let that scare you, though. If you’re in a job where you make a lot of mistakes, either it isn’t the
right job for you or your boss isn’t good at explaining to you how to complete your tasks. Either way,
you’ll be better off at another company or in another job.
There are definitely perks to getting out of the internship position. As an intern, you may not be paid,
and you definitely won’t receive benefits like health insurance. This changes when you get a full-time
job. So, you’ll have more responsibilities, but at the same time, you’ll be compensated. Additionally,
this job will be your only focus – no more classes to attend or papers to write. You can do your job,
punch the clock, and enjoy your free time.
When you’re ready to transition to a full-time job, the first place you should look, if you enjoyed your
internship, is the same company. If they have openings, you’ll be a top candidate since you already
understand how things work around the office. Don’t assume you’ll be given the job, though. You
still have to have a great resume, cover letter, and interview. Sidenote: Federal agencies also offer
internships. Review the Government Jobs section of Job monkey to learn about agencies.
Transitioning to a full-time job can be difficult from a social perspective as well, especially if you
partied a lot in college. You don’t have to be a homebody, but remember when you’re out with your
colleagues that these aren’t your drinking buddies from school. Work at making a good
impression whether you are in the boardroom or having drinks together after work.
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A resume is a living document—you should always be open to improving your resume. After all, an
improved resume means higher chances of getting that dream job. That’s something everyone can get
on board with.
Tailor your resume to the specific position you are applying for.
❖ Use action verbs to describe your skills and accomplishments (supervise, increase,
▪ Conduct, consolidate, attain, produce, design, manage, plan, organize, etc.)
▪ Use key words from the job description.
❖ Make sure your resume shows that you meet the minimum qualifications. Be sure to Include
evidence of your qualifications.
❖ Proofread your resume for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.
❖ Include a cover letter that highlights your strengths and makes you a top candidate for the
position.
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Concerning value of different kinds of professional contacts and preventing conflicts of

interest in future jobs
Conflict of interest in the workplace refers to when a staff member takes part in an activity or
relationship that benefits them and not their employer. In other words, each party’s personal gains are
at odds with each other. If an employee has a conflict of interest, it usually affects their decision-
making at work, their ability to complete job duties, and their loyalty to their employer. The workplace
is one of the most common places where conflicts of interest can occur.
Purchasing power
What constitutes conflict of interest? Let’s look at a fictional example: Veronica is the manager of a
manufacturing company’s purchasing department. She’s also part owner of a business that sells
supplies to the manufacturer — a fact she hasn’t disclosed to her employer. And, in fact, Veronica has
personally profited from her business’s lucrative long-term contract with her employer.
What makes this scenario a conflict of interest isn’t so much that Veronica has profited from her
position, but that her employer is ignorant of the relationship. When employers are informed about
their employees outside business interests, they can act to exclude employees, vendors or customers
from participation in transactions where there might be a conflict of interest. Or they can allow parties
to continue participating in a transaction — even if it runs contrary to ethical best practices. But it’s
the employer’s, not the employees, decision to make.
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Prevention is the best policy
Sometimes employees simply neglect to inform their employers about possible conflicts of interest. In
other cases, they go to great lengths to hide conflicts. Perhaps they’re afraid a conflict will jeopardize
their jobs or get them into legal trouble. Prevention is the best policy here. Develop conflict-of-interest
policies and communicate them to all employees. Provide specific examples of conflicts and spell out
exactly why you consider the activities depicted to be deceptive, unethical and possibly illegal. Don’t
forget to state the consequences of nondisclosure of conflicts, such as immediate termination.
Providing personal information
You might also require employees to complete an annual disclosure statement on which they list the
names and addresses of their family members, their family’s employers and business interests, and
whether the employees have an interest in those entities (or any others). To help ensure accurate
statements, provide employees with a hotline to call if they have questions about your policy aren’t
sure how it relates to their circumstances or want to report someone else with an apparent conflict.
Also protect your business from conflicted vendors and customers. Before entering into a new
agreement, compare the names and addresses on your employee disclosure statements with ownership
information provided by prospective business partners.
Not necessarily fraud
Conflicts of interest aren’t necessarily fraud. But if you don’t know how an employee is personally
profiting off your company, it could suffer serious consequences, including financial losses. Contact
us for help reducing this risk.
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Values of professional
1. Any professional group has primary standards called professional values. These values are
considered as the guideline and motivation of professional behavior for the members of a certain
profession
2. According to Weis and Schank, professional values are standards for action that are accepted by
professional groups and individuals, and are used to evaluate the integrity of the individual or
organization. In addition, professional values are necessary to reinforce individuals the professional
identity and performance
3. Professional values are rooted in personal values, which are influenced by family, culture,
environment, religion, and ethnicity. The process of acquisition such values is gradual and evolutionary
and occurs throughout an individual’s lifetime
Understanding the Value of Networking for Job and Career Development
All too often, there’s an emphasis on quantity over quality when it comes to your professional network.
People like to compare things, such as how many business cards they handed out at the last conference
or how many connections they made on LinkedIn last month. Meeting people and making connections
is great, don’t get me wrong; but it’s what you do with those connections that really counts. To make
networking work for the growth and development of both yourself and your career, you have to build
sustainable relationships instead of just adding to your number of connections.
Building a strong network can help you get ahead in your career in more ways than one. The most
obvious way networking helps build your career is that most people look to their networks first when
hiring or looking for contractors or consultants. In fact, 57 percent of jobs are filled through a
networking contact, and employee referrals and networking sites are two of the top ways companies
report finding candidates to fill open positions. The reason for this is simple: there’s a much greater
employee retention rate for employees who were hired as a result of networking—eight years on
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average with a referral, as opposed to four years without. You can expect to earn about 6 percent more
when you are hired as a result of a referral, as well.
Networking also helps you to develop yourself professionally. When you take the time to reach out
and find a mentor within your workplace, you are more likely to stay five years or more at your job.
It’s also a signal to your employers that you have greater psychological and emotional health, which is
going to put advancement opportunities in your path. Building and maintaining a strong network
within your company gives you stronger collaborative skills and greater creativity, inspires new ways
of thinking, and increases your chances of learning something new. Having a strong network in your
personal life can also lead to major health benefits—likely by keeping your mind healthy and active.
There are three main types of networking that you will be engaging in to build your career:
● Operational networking involves building relationships with people you do business with on a
regular basis, from suppliers to colleagues.
● Personal networking helps you find support when you go through rough patches in your career and
personal life.
● Strategic networking happens when you target someone who would add a specific benefit to your
network.
LinkedIn is a great place to do a lot of the legwork of all types of networking. As a social media
platform for professionals, LinkedIn helps you keep up with what everyone in your network is doing
and provides a forum to discuss important business ideas and develop yourself professionally by
learning about things outside your regular role. LinkedIn is no longer just an online resume site; you
get out of it what you put into it.
How to Avoid a Conflict of Interest
Businesses need to establish a policy by which conflicts of interest between a business and its board,
employees and contractors are avoided. In this policy, identify/list what situations constitute
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unethical conflicts and charge a committee with the responsibility of implementing the policy by
screening for the conflicts listed. Such a policy should also clearly state all the potential resulting
actions the organization may take in response to any conflict of interest found in regard to any
individual already associated with the organization and any candidates for hire.
1.Decide who in the organization to charge with the task of drafting the formal conflict policy.
Ideally, the entity in charge of formulating this policy and overseeing its application and continued
maintenance should be the human resources committee of the board of directors, which usually
includes one or two members of the board, the human resources director and the organization's
CEO or the duly designated representative thereof.
2.List everyone in the organization to whom the policy applies. A simple blanket statement that the
policy applies to "everyone in the organization" is inherently vague and leads to questions. Be
specific from the start by listing each category of person the policy applies to, including board
members, officers, management, employees, contractors and share holders if relevant. Include also
other organizations that function as a single entity in its relationship to the organization in question,
such as corporations as shareholders.
3. Consider what constitutes a conflict of interest and make a list of these situations, with definitions
when relevant. Include preventing or eliminating situations, such as the following: any applicable
member of the organization who owns or has a financial interest in a competing company where
that individual might be influenced to make a business decision not in the best interest of the
organization if he gains financially by favoring the competing interest; any applicable member of the
organization using her position to influence a hiring or promotion decision in favor of a personal
and/or family relationship, including nepotism; any organization member running for public office
where the public position may be used to further the organization's political, financial and/or public
relations interests; and close relationships between individuals of varying levels of authority within
the organization where such relationship may be perceived as favoritism, thus leading to allegations
of alienation. Always include a statement that the organization intends to follow the spirit of the
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policy as well as its letter to prevent any attempt exempt a conflict by strict construction of policy
language.
4. Include at least two separate chains of reporting to ensure anonymity and freedom from
repercussion to encourage employees to come forward with information concerning conflicts.
5. Set out a step-by-step procedure by which alleged conflicts are examined and designate who
conducts this investigation.
6. Consider and then clearly state all potential resulting actions the organization may take in response
to a disclosed conflict, or a situation found to constitute a conflict after formal investigation.
7. Maintain the policy actively by continuing to add to or alter it in response to the organization's
needs. In this way the policy becomes a "living document" that grows and changes with every new
situation encountered by the organization.
8. Apply the policy consistently, and charge the policy committee with continued oversight of the
application process so employees, applicants and the public understand that the organization is
vigilant in its efforts to identify conflicts of interest, and committed to preventing them in the first
place.
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Concerning career planning, interviewing techniques, job-hunting strategies.
Career Planning
Shepard and Mani define career planning ―as an ongoing process through which an individual sets
career goals and identifies the means to achieve them‖ (2013, p. 14). It is through career planning that
a person evaluates abilities and interests, assesses values and personality, considers alternative career
opportunities, establishes career goals, and plans practical developmental activities. Career planning
requires individuals to understand themselves and their values, interests, and skills. It is also an ongoing
process, one that must be repeated with changes in employment and life circumstances. As you gain
more experience and knowledge, the process will begin anew.
This section reviews the five essential steps of career planning, which are based on our research and
input from industry experts:
❖ Conduct a self-assessment
❖ Research the labor market
❖ Create your career search toolkit
❖ Put your career campaign into action
❖ Engage in networking
❖ Let’s start at step one.
Job hunting strategies
Effective strategies are critical for your job search, whether you are unemployed and looking for a job
or considering making a career move. Mastering the process of searching and applying for jobs can
help you find, and ultimately acquire, the best job opportunities. Evaluating different kinds of job
searching strategies can help you evaluate which strategy will work best for your situation.
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1. Be selective with your search
Focus your job search on positions you feel excited about and companies you really want to work for.
This will help you feel confident about the position when speaking to the hiring manager. Your passion
for the role will also come across in the interview, increasing the likelihood of being hired.
2. Maintain a strong digital presence
Check any job-related social media profiles and make sure that they are complete and position you as
a strong candidate for your ideal job. That may mean going through your profile and tailoring it with
specific keywords that a hiring manager would be looking for if they were searching for a candidate
with your skillset. If you need guidance for what keywords to use, search for open positions in your
field and identify the keywords that those companies are using.
Depending on your position, you may also want to consider starting your own personal website that's
focused on your area of expertise. This can allow you to share your knowledge and, depending on
your skillset, your work. For example, if you are a web developer, you could show examples of websites
that you've designed.
3. Customize your application
Personalize your cover letter and resume for every role you apply for. Evaluate how your skills will fit
a role and tailor the resume to highlight your accomplishments and relevant experiences. Include the
keywords from the job description for the position you're applying for.
4. Learn a new skill
Learning an exciting new skill related to your profession can improve your confidence and energize
you. It helps you to surround yourself with people who are excited about leveraging their talents. By
surrounding yourself with other professionals in your industry, you may learn about new opportunities.
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You'll also be able to enhance your own resume and show hiring managers that personal and
professional growth is important to you.
5. Network regularly
Networking is one of the most effective jobs searching strategies available. It allows you to learn about
openings that may not be widely advertised if they are advertised at all. The more people you connect
with, and with whom you communicate that you're looking for opportunities, the more likely you are
to learn about open positions. You may also earn a referral in the process.
6. Participate in job fairs
Job fairs, often held throughout the year, allow you to meet employers who are hiring directly. Do
your research in advance and find out which organizations will be attending the job fair. Next, identify
the companies you are most interested in working for and research to learn more about them. Your
preparation will come across when you speak with the employer directly at the job fair and they will
be far more likely to remember you at the end of the day. You may even earn an interview on the spot.
7. Visit company websites
If you have identified a shortlist of companies, you are most interested in working for, start visiting
their website regularly to find out if they're hiring. Many companies don't advertise their openings on
job sites, but instead may just post them on their own website and share them on social media. By
monitoring the websites of the companies you're most interested in working for, you'll be more likely
to notice if a position becomes suddenly available.
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8. Leverage your current relationships
You are likely familiar with the phrase, "it's not what you know, it's who you know." The more
relationships you have, the greater the likelihood of a referral for a job. Start using social media,
leveraging your personal and professional networks to learn about opening and get a referral.
9. Use a headhunter
Some people specialize in helping others find jobs, sometimes even for specific industries. Consider
contacting a placement agency or headhunter who can help you find the right position.
10. Join a professional organization
Join a professional organization in your field. This will present opportunities for you to learn, expand
upon your current skillset and network with those working within the industry. Make sure when you're
meeting new people that you're mentally present and engaged, as you may connect with someone at
an event who can offer assistance in your job search.
11. Bypass human resources
If possible, find a way to bypass HR and connect with someone in the department for which you're
applying. Look on job-related social networks and find people who work within the company. Then
evaluate whether you have any connections who could get you an introduction. Consider reaching out
to people in the department to see if you can get coffee and learn more about the company and the
position. You may walk away from the meeting with a personal referral for the job.
12. Utilize word-of-mouth
Look for small companies in your area, particularly family-owned businesses or organizations that rely
on word-of-mouth. Identify the ones you're most interested in working for and reach out with a cold
email. Use social networks to see if you are connected with anyone who works there and periodically
check their website to determine whether they are hiring
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Interviewing Techniques
Be Prepared
You can prepare yourself for the interview by selecting appropriate interview attire beforehand (suits
for business), researching the company, and preparing a list of questions you have for the interviewer.
Bring a copy of your resume with you to the interview in case the interviewer does not have one on
hand. Last but not least, practice answering sample interview questions to prepare you and gain
confidence before the interview.
Make a Good First Impression
The interview is your opportunity to market yourself, and it is the reason you prepared and sent out
all of those resumes and cover letters. Once you get the interview, it is your job to create an excellent
first impression by being prompt, being yourself, attending to your nonverbal behavior (such as a firm
handshake and maintaining eye contact throughout the interview), and by taking the first few minutes
to develop a rapport with your interviewer. You will want to appear poised, yet comfortable and
relaxed during the interview. A good first impression will set the stage for a successful interview.
Emphasize Your Skills and Accomplishments
Focus on your skills and accomplishments, including high school/college coursework, volunteer and
co-curricular activities, and your computer and language skills. Previous internships or work
experiences are important as well as describing your transferable skills: communication, interpersonal,
organization, strong analytical and problem solving, and more.
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Provide the Interviewer with Examples of Your Skills
One form of interviewing that is popular is called behavioral interviewing. The interviewer will provide
you with a scenario and ask how you would handle a specific situation. Preparing for these types of
questions before the interview will provide a quick reference to previous relevant experiences. (For
example, describe a situation where you were able to think on your feet and come to an immediate
decision to get a project completed on time.) In this case, the interviewer is interested in your thought
process and problem-solving capabilities.
Understand the Question before Answering
When the interviewer asks a question, it is OK to ask the interviewer for clarification or to repeat the
question. You want to know what the interviewer is looking for before you go ahead and assume that
you have the right answer.
Follow the Interviewer's Lead
Don't spend too much time on any one question but make sure you have answered the entire question
before going on to the next one. You might want to check with the interviewer to see if you answered
their question or if he/she would like additional information.
Emphasize the Positive
You may be asked during the interview to give a list of your strengths and weaknesses. Remember in
these types of questions to focus on the positive. When referring to weaknesses, recognize those things
you feel you need to work on and quickly shift to actions you have taken to improve in this area.
Specific examples can be helpful to illustrate your progress.
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Bring Samples of Your Work
If you are in a field such as graphic design, photography, studio art, education, or communications
(where a sample of your work would be helpful), bring samples with you to the interview.
Close the Interview with Confidence
The beginning and end of the interview can be the most crucial aspects of the interview. End your
interview with confidence. Thank the interviewer for his/her time and ask when you may expect to
hear back from the employer.
Follow Up the Interview with a Thank You Note
Take this opportunity to clarify a topic discussed in the interview and to reaffirm your interest in the
organization and the internship. Send a thank you note to everyone you interviewed with on the day
of your interview.
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Concerning salaries, compensation issues and negotiation strategies
SALARIES
Many employers pay their interns. But how do you calculate a fair wage? And should you include
benefits? A recent internship survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers
(NACE) offers some insight into what employers are paying interns for their work. The average hourly
wage rate for a bachelor's degree intern is $16.26. Generally, the closer to terminal degree the higher
internship wage. A college senior, for example, averages 20.2 percent more than a student who just
completed the freshman year: $17.47 versus $14.53 per hour. Similarly, the higher the level of the
degree, the higher the wage. In fact, according to NACE’s latest intern compensation report, the
average hourly wage for a master‘s degree candidate is 35 percent more than the average wage rate for
an intern earning a bachelor‘s degree: $21.90 compared to $16.26. Salaries also vary by major and
industry. In addition to wages, many employers add benefits to their internship compensation
packages. The most popular benefit: relocation assistance, with roughly three out five employers giving
their interns something in terms of moving assistance or a housing stipend. Also popular, with
approximately half of employers offering them, are social activities for interns and holiday pay. In the
end, does paying an intern yield benefits for the employer? Absolutely first, by paying their interns,
employers ensure themselves a wider pool of candidates from which to choose. All interested
students—not just those who can afford to forgo a paycheck for the summer—can be part of the
pool. That’s critical if one of your program’s goals is to feed full-time hiring.
Second, there are a variety of legal issues surrounding unpaid internships, and this can hamper the
employer’s ability to give the intern ―real work. The paid intern, however, can perform real work and
contribute to the organization, benefitting both the intern and the employer. As an added bonus, the
intern and the employer are able to ―test-drive each other to see if there might be a good match for
full-time employment. Ultimately, the paid internship is a win-win.
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COMPENSATION ISSUES:
Internships are a growing, yet controversial, labor market phenomenon. In particular, the issue of
unpaid internships has been the source of legislative, judicial and ethical debate. Some have criticized
colleges and universities for promoting an expansion of internships for undergraduate students – with
little regard for internship characteristics such as compensation, quality of supervision and work
activities. Meanwhile, there is a paucity of research examining the role internship characteristics, such
as compensation, supervisor behaviors and work design have on internship efficacy. Based on a survey
of undergraduate students in the US, the results showed that supervisor mentoring, the developmental
value of the internship and the job pursuit intentions of the intern with the host employer were lower
for those reporting on their unpaid internship vs. paid internship. Meanwhile, supervisor support and
supervisor mentoring are significant predictors of internship efficacy regardless of internship
compensation, while work design has much less of an impact on internship efficacy. The implications
of the findings for educators, employers and prospective interns are highlighted.
Negotiation strategies
10 Tips for Negotiating Your Internship Salary
1. Get the Timing Right
Never bring up the subject of money before there is a job offer on the table. If the employer hasn’t
made a decision on whether to hire you, asking for a specific salary can make it seem like you care
more about the perks than the role.
Also, because you don’t know for certain the employer wants you, you have little to no leverage to
make requests. No matter how promising the outlook is, always wait until you have an offer to
negotiate your intern salary.
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2. Gauge Appropriateness
Have you gotten an offer? Congratulations! The first step toward asking for a specific figure is deciding
whether negotiations are appropriate. Some job listings name salary or course credit expectations
outright. Others do not.
In many cases, employers will expect you to negotiate and have a particular number they are willing to
meet in mind. Even if you have minimal experience, don’t be part of the 18% of people who never
approach the conversation. In many cases, employers will expect you to negotiate and have a particular
number they are willing to meet in mind.
3. Do Your Homework
Before you start the intern salary conversation, you need to know that the number you want is realistic.
Asking for wages that are too high can make your case laughable. Asking for a figure that is too low
is even more dangerous: It signals to the recruiter that you don’t know your worth. Instead of guessing
at numbers, spend some time researching the real market value for your role using resources like Pay
scale, Glassdoor, and Salary.com.
4. Consider Your Case
Now that you know the going rate for the position, consider your situation. Do you have an advanced
skill set or previous experience in the industry? You may bring additional value to the role, giving you
leverage to ask for a reasonably higher salary. You should also factor in the location and cost of living
where you will be working to make sure your wages are appropriate.
It’s best to avoid discussing your own finances with the employer. Although you should ensure you’re
making enough money to support yourself, it’s best to avoid discussing your own finances with the
employer. Never use your financial standing as justification to ask for a higher salary. Instead, keep
the focus on the value you add to the company.
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5. Have a Bottom Line
Before arranging the intern salary conversation, you need to know your bottom line. Now that you’ve
done your market research and thought about what you bring to the role, it‘s time to determine two
different numbers: your best-case scenario and your absolute minimum. Decide in advance whether
you are willing to decline an offer that does not or cannot meet your goal.
6. Schedule the Conversation
With your two evidence-based numbers in mind, go ahead and schedule negotiations. Find out what
the deadline is to accept the job offer. Set up the conversation well ahead of this date. It’s best to talk
in person, if possible, but over the phone is also fine. Never discuss salary over email, where it is
extremely easy to receive a written ―no.
Never discuss salary over email, where it is extremely easy to receive a written ―no.
When reaching out, express your excitement and gratitude over the offer. Then, let the recruiter know
you have a few questions and would like to set up a time to discuss them. You do not need to disclose
that you want to negotiate pay.
7. Believe in Yourself
The moment is finally here! As you prepare to argue your intern salary, it’s crucial to be positive and
believe in yourself. Again, the employer has already deemed you the best candidate for the role. It’s
time to sell your rock-star abilities. If the hiring manager says, ―You have no experience; why should
I give you a higher salary? There’s no need to panic. Instead, be ready to remind him or her of the
skills, knowledge, and drive you bring to the position.
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8. Make the Request
Throughout the salary conversation, do your best to stay cool and calm. Leave emotions out of
negotiations and keep an objective mindset. Never carry a sense of entitlement. After reiterating your
excitement over the company and role, share the research you’ve done on comparable pay for
someone with your experience. Be prepared to back up your argument with hard evidence. Do not
haggle. Instead, ask politely if your best-case scenario figure is possible.
9. Weigh Other Benefits
Although some employers have flexibility in their budget, others simply do not. Be ready with a
decision for either outcome. If the intern salary is non-negotiable, determine whether other benefits
such as vacation days, quick advancement, or health care make the offer worthwhile.
―In our case, there just isn’t any wiggle room in pay for new hires, says Brian Magrath, who works in
staff development for an international education company. ―We offer a flat rate; however, that flat
rate comes with many benefits, opportunities to travel, and excellent bonus potential.
Don’t let a fixed rate discourage you from trying. Don’t let a fixed rate discourage you from trying.
Margate adds that, although their offer is set in stone, the company does not discourage or frown
upon new hires for attempting to negotiate pay.
10. Get the Results in Writing
If you are happy with your final offer, be sure to get it in writing. Review the details thoroughly and
ensure they include everything you and your employer discussed. You may have a few days to mull
over your decision to accept. Do not delay!
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Concerning the turn in portfolio of work recommendation, and supervisor's evaluation
Applying to jobs has never been a simple task, resulting in thousands of CVs and profiles in circulation
every day. Use the combination of our deep learning recommendations and hyper-personalization to
push the relevant job opportunities and applicants forward. Our natural language processing can
recognize texts in any language, enabling our engine to scan and compare applicants within seconds.
Make use of our machine learning models that read CVs without the need of tagging for smarter match
with work recommendations. Faster and more accurate matching of applicants to employers will
guarantee the return of customers in the future, benefiting your job listing platform and giving you a
competitive edge over your rivals.
Recombines robust recommendation engine analyzes properties such as degree level, skillset or
availability and interactions like viewed or recently applied to jobs. In particular, providing us
information such as applicant’s and listing’s geo-locations can be used to increase the precision of
matchmaking.
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Supervisor evaluation
SUPERVISOR EVALUATION OF STUDENT INTERN
Student:
_____________________________________________________________________________
Organization:
_________________________________________________________________________
Supervisor:
___________________________________________________________________________
1 Unsatisfactory (Never demonstrates these ability/does not meet expectations)
2 Fair (Sometimes demonstrates this ability/meets expectation)
3 Commendable (Usually demonstrates this ability/sometimes exceeds expectations)
4 Exceptional (Always demonstrates this ability/consistently exceeds expectations)
If any criteria are not applicable to this internship experience, please leave the response blank
A. Ability to Learn
1. Asks pertinent and purposeful questions 1 2 3 4
2. Seeks out and utilizes appropriate resources 1 2 3 4
3. Accepts responsibility for mistakes and learns from
Experiences 1 2 3 4
B. Reading/Writing/Computation Skills
1. Reads/comprehends/follows written materials 1 2 3 4
2. Communicates ideas and concepts clearly in writing 1 2 3 4
3. Works with mathematical procedures appropriate to the job 1 2 3 4
C. Listening & Oral Communication
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1. Listens to others in an active and attentive manner 1 2 3 4

2. Effectively participates in meetings or group settings 1 2 3 4
3. Demonstrates effective verbal communication 1 2 3 4
D. Creative Thinking & Problem-Solving Skills
1. Breaks down complex tasks/problems into manageable pieces 1 2 3 4
2. Brainstorms/develops options and ideas 1 2 3 4
3. Demonstrates an analytical capacity 1 2 3 4
E. Professional & Career Development Skills
1. Exhibits self-motivated approach to work 1 2 3 4
2. Demonstrates ability to set appropriate priorities/goals 1 2 3 4
F. Interpersonal & Teamwork Skills
1. Manages and resolves conflict in an effective manner 1 2 3 4
2. Supports and contributes to a team atmosphere 1 2 3 4
3. Demonstrates assertive but appropriate behavior 1 2 3 4
G. Organizational Effectiveness Skills
1. Seeks to understand and support the organization’s
mission/goals 1 2 3 4
2. Fits in with the norms and expectations of the organization 1 2 3 4
3. Works within appropriate authority and decision-making
Channels 1 2 3 4
H. Basic Work Habits
1. Reports to work as scheduled and on-time 1 2 3 4
2. Exhibits a positive and constructive attitude 1 2 3 4
3. Dress and appearance are appropriate for this organization 1 2 3 4
I. Character Attributes
1. Brings a sense of values and integrity to the job 1 2 3 4
2. Behaves in an ethical manner 1 2 3 4
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3. Respects the diversity (religious/cultural/ethnic) of co-workers 1 2 3 4

J. Open Category: Industry-Specific Skills
3. Exhibits professional behavior and attitude 1 2 3 4
Are there any skills or competencies that you feel are important to the profession or career field
(Represented by your organization) that have not been previously listed in this evaluation? If so, please
list these skills below and asses the intern accordingly.
1. 1 2 3 4
2. 1 2 3 4
3. 1 2 3 4
K. Comments:
L. Overall Performance (if I were to rate intern at the present time)
Unsatisfactory Poor Average Good Outstanding
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
This assessment was reviewed with the intern on (Month/Day/Year) ________________________.
Evaluator’s Signature: __________________________________ Date: ________________.

Title/Position: _________________________________________ Telephone: ____________.
STUDENT EVALUATION OF INTERNSHIP
Your Name: ________________________________________ Date: __________________
Organization: _______________________________________ Semester/Year: __________
Supervisor: _________________________________________ Location: _______________
Please rate the following aspects of your internship experience on the basis of this scale:
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(1) Poor (2) Fair (3) Good (4) Excellent Site

Physical environment was safe 1 2 3 4
An orientation was provided to the organization 1 2 3 4
Adequate resources were available to accomplish
Projects 1 2 3 4
Co-workers were accepting and helpful 1 2 3 4
Supervisor
Supervisor provided a clear job description 1 2 3 4
Regular feedback was provided on my progress and abilities 1 2 3 4
An effort was made to make it a learning experience for me 1 2 3 4
Supervisor provided levels or responsibility consistent with
my abilities 1 2 3 4
Supervisor was supportive of the agreed-upon
work days and hours 1 2 3 4
Learning Experience
Work experience related to my academic
discipline and/or career goal 1 2 3 4
Opportunities were provided to develop
my communication skills 1 2 3 4
my interpersonal skills 1 2 3 4
my creativity 1 2 3 4
my problem-solving abilities 1 2 3 4
This experience has helped prepare
me for a career in this field 1 2 3 4
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Overall Value Rating for this Internship 1 2 3 4

Feel free to explain any of your responses to the above criteria here (use other side if necessary)
Would you work for this supervisor again? ____ Yes ____ No ____ Uncertain
Would you work for this organization again? ____ Yes ____ No ____ Uncertain
Would you recommend this organization to other students? ____ Yes ____ No ____ Uncertain
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Concerning value of internship and future job prospects
You need experience to get experience. This seems to be the biggest issue for young adults
transitioning into the workforce these days. Employers in today's labor market rely heavily on resumes
that illustrate a relevant work history, whether that's from internships, volunteer work, or actual job
experience. A practical work background carries a major significance when attempting to enter the job
market. It's all about competition. Not only are businesses competing against each other for a
competitive advantage, but people are also competing to land that coveted position in a company.
Even your buddy who graduated with you in college has become your competition. Take a moment
and think about it. If you're looking to gain experience, working as an intern is arguably the most
advantageous plan of action.
That one internship you did over summer could be the difference between winning a job opportunity
or losing it. If that information alone isn't compelling enough, we have compiled a list of reasons why
partaking in internships is important for your future career.
1. An Internship Provides Real Life Experience and Exposure
Internship experience If you're lucky enough to snag a beneficial internship, it can be remarkably
valuable towards your career. An internship enables you to gain first-hand exposure of working in the
real world. It also allows students to harness the skill, knowledge, and theoretical practice they learnt
in university. You can acquire endless amounts of education in your life, however, that knowledge
doesn't always translate to the working life. The great thing about internships is that it teaches young
professionals about the specific industries and companies they are interested in. Even the experience
of trying something new is extremely beneficial. Lots of people get stuck in routines, staying in the
same town, attending the same schools or surrounding themselves with the same people. Doing an
internship exposes you to new people in a more controlled and stable environment.
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An intern isn't thrown into the wolves but rather given proper training, assignments, and duties
without the added pressure Internships provide a nice learning curve for students with little experience
of the professional world.
2. The Opportunity to Learn More About Yourself
"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom."• - Aristotle
Business networking
The experiences we go through are what shapes us. Your internship will not only encourage personal
development, but also a greater understanding of self.
To know yourself is to know your goals and how to best achieve them.
Finding this level of clarity is difficult, but sometimes all it takes is trying someone new, out of your
comfort zone.
For example, take a Business Marketing student who decides to do an internship related to his field of
study. That internship will give them a chance to explore what a career in business marketing would
be like. Sometimes, reality does not meet expectations. At this point, the student is given a chance to
decide whether they wish to continue with their current career path or try something else.
3. Get Connected and Develop Your Professional Network
Student development
Networking is an exchange of information between people, with the ultimate goal of establishing
acquaintances and relationships to advance your professional career. Sure, you can attend a
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networking event without doing an internship, but you would be limiting yourself. Partaking in an
internship allows you to establish deeper relationships than you normally would talk to a stranger
one-on-one. Being an intern gives you more opportunities to build connections with company
professionals that can be very beneficial for your future career. According to Timothy Butler, a
professor at Harvard Business School, "The biggest mistake that people make networking is that
people don't do it."• Even if you think you don't need it, it's always good to have a backup plan. Life
is unpredictable and a time may arise when a network may come in handy.
Make sure to carry some business cards at all times because networking can occur anywhere or
anytime, even at a local coffee shop you frequent!
4. Prevent CV from Going to the Trash
Internship
While you may get second chances when talking to someone face-to-face, your resume will not. Think
of your resume as an extension of yourself and how you would want someone to perceive you. Instead
of thinking long term about landing that job, switch up your mindset to short term. Your short term
goal should be to secure a job interview. Once you get an interview, then you're able to elaborate on
why you're deserving of working with this company. So now you may be asking, "How do I get a job
interview?"• Well, there is one specific section on your resume that employers will be more interested
in than any other section. Experience! Internships are the perfect way to enhance your resume through
relevant experiences. When an employer sees that you've completed an internship over the summer,
for a hefty 6-month span, or even abroad, it will go a long way to convincing them that you are an
asset to their company. It's not enough to simply show you've spent some time as an intern. List the
tasks you've done and projects you've participated in to demonstrate your value. During your
internship you can acquire new skills and abilities which can improve yourself as an IV young
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professional, and furthermore enhance your resume. The more experience you acquire, the better you
position yourself for success in landing a job.
5. Transition into a Full-Time Position
Sometimes graduating from college and immediately jumping into a new job position has its
disadvantages. When you start out, you are the most vulnerable employee when it comes to layoffs. If
you have never worked full-time before, the change may be difficult or overwhelming. In a working
environment, not every boss is tolerant of mistakes Internships offer opportunities to transition into
full-time positions. Although it is not guaranteed, most employers are always seeking to add value to
their organization. With an internship, you're given the opportunity to showcase your talents,
commitment, and value to a prospective employer.
Furthermore, employers are more inclined to hire you once they have invested time and money to
train you.
Given these points, an internship is more than crucial for your future career. An internship is the
building blocks necessary for creating the path to a successful career.
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Expand understanding of legal ethics
Practitioners of law emerged when legal systems became too complex for all those affected by them
to fully understand and apply the law. Certain individuals with the required ability mastered the law
and offered their skills for hire. No prescribed qualifications existed, and these specialists were not
subject to legal controls. The incompetent, unscrupulous, and dishonest charged exorbitant fees, failed
to perform as promised, and engaged in delaying and obstructive tactics in the tribunals before which
they appeared. Action to prevent such abuses was taken by legislation and by judicial and other
governmental measures. The right to practice law came to be limited to those who met prescribed
qualifications. Expulsion from practice and criminal penalties were introduced for various types of
misconduct.
These measures did more than correct abuses. They also gave recognition to the social importance of
the functions performed by lawyers and identified those who were qualified to perform them. A
consciousness developed within the profession of the need for standards of conduct. This became the
core of legal, or professional, ethics.
Prior statutes, court rules, and other government directives remained in force along with the
profession’s self-imposed ethical standards. Together with malpractice actions, they constituted the
sum total of the restraints placed upon lawyers in regard to their professional conduct. This pattern
has continued to the present time.
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In many countries professional associations of lawyers have sought to commit the principles of ethical
conduct to written form, but a written code is not essential. Ethical principles may exist by common
understanding as well as in the literature and writings of the profession. A code, however, makes
ethically
Obligatory principles readily available to the practitioner (and the public) and thus helps to assure
wider observance of them. When such a code does exist, it usually contains both statements of general
ethical principles and particular rules governing specific problems of professional ethics. But no code
can foresee every ethical problem that may arise in the practice of law. Hence, in many jurisdictions’
codes are supplemented by opinions rendered and published by bar association committees.
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Increase an awareness of development of professional on-the-job skills and knowledge in a

real-world legal setting.
Having knowledge and skills above and beyond the basics of your field can give you a professional
advantage. Here are eight ways to keep your job skills and knowledge up-to date.
1. Take Professional Development Courses
Professional development courses can help you expand your professional skill set, learn something
new, or even earn academic credit to put towards a degree. Online training courses are particularly
convenient because they are affordable and flexible. Just be careful to do your homework—evaluate
instructor bios, read reviews, and check the syllabus carefully before putting down your credit card.
You can also find professional development courses through vendor-taught classes, traditional
universities, and training institutions.
2. Use Online Resources
The Internet is a limitless source of free information and educational resources. Attend educational
webinars, follow the blogs or social media accounts of industry experts, or bookmark and regularly
check industry news sites and online forums to stay current on the
latest trends. If you haven’t already, sign up for news alerts for your inbox (Google Alerts works well)
or set up an RSS feed like Feedly.com to easily put all of your industry news in one place.
3. Attend Professional Events
Professional events are valuable ways to learn about growth and development in your industry. Local
companies, business associations, and professional groups often host seminars, forums, or workshops
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that can give you direct access and insight to experts in your profession. Treat these events as
constructive networking opportunities to brainstorm and share ideas with colleagues who can provide
fresh insight and perspective.
4. Network Online
As an independent consultant, you know the importance of building and maintaining a list of contacts
to ensure a steady flow of work. Use LinkedIn to connect with high-ranking people at companies
you’re interested in working with. Employ social media platforms to promote your own service or
brand, network with industry experts, and keep in touch with former and current clients.
Start by finding which social site works best for you—connect with fans and followers on Facebook,
creatively network and share news on Twitter, or utilize blogging to boost your online credibility, and
connect with potential clients.
5. Invest in Continuing Education and Certifications
While continuing education and certification programs typically require a more intensive time and
financial obligation, they can help boost reliability, and demonstrate a commitment to your profession.
Becoming proficient in a new software platform before it becomes mainstream, committing to
upholding industry standards through a certification program, or staying on top of market trends by
taking a class can increase your income and position you competitively within your line of business.
6. Follow Thought Leaders on social media
Social media platforms have given thought leaders a new outlet for sharing valuable information,
insights, and practical advice. Seek out and follow both industry leaders in verticals you specialize in
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and those who specialize in skill areas you have or want to build. By reading regular posts, you can not
only gain additional knowledge, but you can also build relationships by commenting and reacting to
posts and increase visibility of your business and skills by sharing their content.
7. Read White Papers and Case Studies
Top companies, consulting organizations, agencies, and think tanks regularly publish white papers and
case studies on industry trends and often offer them for download at no cost. Stay up to date on
industry and business trends by taking advantage of these resources.
8. Determine Hard and Soft Skills to Develop
Conducting a self-assessment to determine your hard and soft skills and target those you want to
develop should be a core activity in your professional development. A self-assessment test such as
Clifton Strengths Assessment will measure your natural ways of
thinking, feeling, and behaving, and you’ll get access to personalized reports that help you better
understand what makes you unique and how to use your strengths to reach your full potential.
Maintaining enhanced knowledge and skills in your field shows clients you are well informed and
dedicated. Set yourself up for success by investing in your job skills and knowledge today.
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Enhance skills relevant to records management, accuracy, and efficiency and client
relations.
Keeping records straight is not just good business practice – it is critical to maintaining a productive,
functioning company. Having a proper record management system is the foundation which supports
business intelligence and the ability to make data-driven decisions which alter the bottom line.
However, businesses are seeing more and more data, such as paper-based documents and digital
records, flowing through their core. In other words, keeping track of all of these documents has
become a full-time job.
A document management strategy can provide the tools businesses need to keep record management
streamlined and in control. Document management solutions rely heavily on workflows to deliver the
correct data to the right places. Due to the various ways this can be done, organizations should
consider making their records management processes more effective by analyzing it in the context of
a document’s lifecycle. Here are five ways to make that happen.
Make document management system more efficient
1. Leverage automation to identify important information
Not all documents are records. Depending on the business, documents such as rough drafts and
duplicates do not require the same storage and information management. Likewise, it’s time-
consuming and impractical to read through every document for necessary information. It’s essential
to leverage automation such as keyword scanners or autodetection, to identify critical documents and
clearly define what document information is important and what constitutes as a record.
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2. Integrate devices to assist with document capture
There are many different methods of collecting document information and records because there are
various document sources (scanners, mobile devices, multifunction printers/copiers, etc.). Many
offices today rely on ultra-efficient multifunction printers which are capable of performing numerous
actions on the same device. Likewise, these devices typically come with software which integrates the
printer with the rest of the office workflows.
With electronic document storage processes in place, it makes sharing document information between
multiple users, collaborating on documents, and tracking change history possible.
Enlarge
With electronic document storage processes in place, it makes sharing document information between
multiple users, collaborating on documents, and tracking change history possible.
These devices enable powerful abilities such as the automatic transmission of a scanned file to
electronic storage, or the creation of a fax from an email. Captured documents can quickly be sent
from one part of the office to another, which is much easier for the right person to access at the right
moments. Electronic storage will help safeguard your paper documents against environmental disaster
and facilitate efficient retrieval of documents, unlike documents stored in numerous filing cabinets.
3. Apply standardization and archival strategies for easy retrieval
Finding documents that lack a records management system is similar to ―finding a needle in a
haystack. However, having electronic document storage does not guarantee that users will be able to
find critical information quickly. With electronic document storage processes in place, it makes sharing
document information between multiple users, collaborating on documents, and tracking change
history possible. To get the most out of archival and document storage, implement the following
strategies:
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Introduce a standardized system for naming files. It will make it easier to understand the general
contents of a file based on its name, and standardized file names assist with other forms of business
process automation.
Apply a categorization system across the board. Keep everyone on the same page with where files
should go, how, and in what order.
Clearly define processes and archival access policies to enhance security. The more hands touching
the archives, the more likely they will fall into disarray. Define processes and key points through which
documents must pass (to be placed into or removed from) the archives. Files can be digitized, and
password protected to ensure that only authorized individuals have access to them.
4. Implement tools which foster collaboration
Document circulation processes typically require inputs, reviews, updates, comments, approvals, or
other forms of acknowledgment from different parties or people. When this happens manually, it
becomes easier for a jumble of document versions and lines of communication to confuse and
frustrate users.
Conversely, a digitized collaboration platform which integrates with other document processes helps
keep everyone in one place. Tools such as the cloud-based Google Docs, allow for simultaneous
editing of digital records by multiple parties without the creation of extra copies. This ensures that the
document stays firmly inside the extensive office workflow to keep everything efficient.
5. Ensure the safe disposal of unneeded documents
Stray documents cause digital and paper-based clutter while introducing security risks. However, with
more documents existing in this digital world, it is not as easy as merely shredding unnecessary pieces
of paper. Likewise, destroying records does not always mean destroying or deleting them entirely if
the wrong procedure is used. Strategically archiving documents is key to controlling costs, maintaining
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efficiency, and enhancing security. Maximize your IT resources by determining which documents need
to be safely destroyed, verses those which need to be archived. This plan will ensure employees do
not need to dig through files to find the correct piece of information.
Efficient record management boosts productivity
Efficient record management is one of the best ways to increase the productivity of an office. When
the document life cycle is streamlined and efficient, employees spend less time searching and managing
documents and more time on high-value activities which drive long-term business.
IMPROVING RECORD MANAGEMENT
Well-maintained records management programs help businesses to remain compliant with record-
keeping regulations, avoid security risks, and improve their workflow and productivity. As you turn to
evaluate your own records management, questions to ask yourself include what are the greatest
weaknesses in your system, and what steps can you take to improve your overall records management
practices?
In this video learn more about different types of records management, where to look for
improvements, and why it’s crucial to be regularly updating and improving your management systems.
For a more in-depth improvement guide, visit our informational article
Evaluating Your Current System
A well-maintained record management system helps businesses to remain compliant with record-
keeping regulations, avoid security risks, as well as streamline the overall workflow and productivity
of the company.
As you evaluate your own office or organizations’ record management policies, the first questions to
ask yourself are the following:
• What greatest weakness in your system?
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• What steps can you take to improve your overall document management practices?
What Is a Document Management System?
A record management system is defined as the practice of classifying, organizing, and managing a
company’s documents from their creation to the time they’re disposed. There are two main types of
systems:
1. Traditional Paper Management
As the name suggests, paper record management systems center around the storage and management
of hard-copy documents.
Papers are typically either managed in-house or stored offsite if there is a large volume of records.
While each has its own advantages, the strategy that best suits you depend on the individual business
environment.
2. Electronic Records Management
On the flip side of paper, an electronic records management system focuses on intangible digital files.
Electronic records are more accessible and easier to distribute, meaning digital records
management systems need to include extra considerations for ensuring file security and authenticity.
The Dangers of Poor Record Keeping
With poor record management at the center, there is a range of risks that ripple out in all directions
including productivity issues, legal considerations, and security concerns.
The impact of disorganized record management systems is far-reaching and can lead to serious
problems down the road.
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Legal & Regulatory Noncompliance
Laws like HIPPA, FACTA, and the GLBA have stiff financial penalties for records management
systems that fail to protect consumer information. Fines for a single HIPPA violation can reach as
high as $50,000—making it crucial to keep systems up to date with the latest industry regulations.
Security Risks
An unorganized records management system can create more cracks for sensitive information to slip
through. For just a few examples, poor records management can lead to employee theft or negligence,
and in the event of fire or flood it could mean losing your entire record archive.
Low Productivity
When there is folder after folder of documents stuffed into filing cabinets without any specific order,
tracking down, and refining records is far from time-efficient. While time itself is money, the other
cost-factor to keep in mind is space—the less room your records take, the more room you have for
revenue-generating purposes.
Improving Your System
As time passes and technology advances there are always new types of record formats to manage,
security threats to prevent, and implementation roadblocks to consider—meaning there’s never
enough room for improvement within the modern records management system.
Improving Paper Record Management
Record Retention Plans
Record retention programs are set timetables for how long to store records and when to shred them.
By organizing how records are stored you’re able to get the dual-benefit of saving valuable office space
while also simplifying legal compliance.
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Disaster Recovery Plans
When records are stored in an office, they’re at risk of theft, fire, or flood, making it important that
you’re prepared for disaster. To mitigate these risks, information can be kept at storage facilities with
fire-suppressant and climate-control systems as well as guarded perimeters and 24/7 surveillance.
Internal Audit Programs
After establishing and implementing a records management program, it’s important to also implement
a system for tracking the strengths and weaknesses of your program. By regularly monitoring, you’re
able to continue improving and fine-tuning your record management system.
Improving Digital Records Management
Evaluate Storage Methods
Be sure you’re using the system to best fit your business. For large companies, DMS software is better
equipped to handle the workload, while for smaller businesses or those with remote employees, cloud
storage is the better choice.
Back-Up Data & Documents
It’s important to have a 2nd copy just in case. Like disaster recovery plans, backing up data helps to
prepare for the worst and provide a strategy for quickly restoring systems should fire, flood, or other
damage occur
Audit & Accountability Programs
There’s never enough room for improvement, and while a records management system can be
bolstered with regular data backups and the right choice in how to manage information, by
implementing an audit program you can continue to build on and refine your system.
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Does Your Records Management Need Improvement?
Join Amazon, Google, and other companies large and small who we’ve helped to tune up and improve
their digital and hard-copy records management.
To get started, fill out the form to the right, or give us a call at (866) 385-3706. Within minutes of
receiving your request, you will have free quotes from experts in your area that can help you.
9 Tips to Improve Your Customer Service Skills
1. Practice Active Listening
Behind every customer service call is a real human who has a question or concern that needs to be
answered. The person needs to feel understood, heard, and served. Active listening is a key skill set you
can develop by practicing daily on your co-workers and family. First, you should approach each
conversation with the goal to learn something and focus on the speaker. After the customer is finished
speaking, ask clarifying questions to make sure you understand what they’re actually saying. Finally, finish
the conversation with a quick summary to ensure everyone is on the same page.
By practicing active listening, you’re not only going to possess the ability to become a truly exceptional
customer service agent, but you’ll also improve your relationships outside of the office.
2. Learn to Empathize with Your Customers
Empathy is the ability to understand how the customer is feeling and where they’re coming from. While
some people seem like they’re born with this trait, it’s a skill that can be acquired. When listening to the
customer, try to see the problem through his eyes and imagine how it makes him feel. This is important
in customer service because the customer will be more receptive if they feel understood by you. It can
also de-escalate a conflict and create a more enjoyable interaction with your company.
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3. Use Positive Language
When attending to customers’ problems, using positive language takes the stress away from the situation.
Words are powerful and they can create trusting relationships with your customers. Verbs should be
used positively. For example, instead of saying “don’t hit the red button” say “the green button is the
best option.” Future tense is also positive as it doesn’t dwell on the customer’s past issues. Phrases like
“Great question, I’ll find that out for you!” and “I’d love to understand more about …” can keep the
customer in the present moment. Also, remember when speaking to customers to make sure you’re
authentic, positive, memorable, and to stay calm and positive, even if the customer is angry.
4. Improve Your Technical Skills
Customers may come to you with all types of problems and they want their questions answers fast. If
you don’t know how to properly implement a service ticket, you’ll be wasting their valuable time. Before
interacting with customers, you should fully understand how to use your live chat and ticketing system
and learn to type fast.
5. Know Your Products and Services
In order to help the customer, you must have a deep knowledge of your products and the way they work.
It’s recommended that each customer service agent spends onboarding time with a seasoned product
specialist so he can ask questions and fully understand the ins and out of the product. This way, you’ll
be able to help customers when they’re troubleshooting issues, and you’ll know product tips and tricks
you can share to make the product easier to use.
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6. Look for Common Ground
Live chat, email or even telephone communication can seem impersonal because you can’t read the other
person’s facial expressions and body language. Consumers want to feel connected so look for common
ground to make a quick connection.
7. Communicate Clearly
The ability to clearly communicate, both verbally and in writing, is essential in customer service, especially
if you are speaking to someone who has a different native language. Answers to your questions should
be clear, concise and in your natural tone of voice. Customers want an explanation, but they don’t need
to know all the details. If they ask for more details, you can share, but most people want their issue
resolved quickly. Always end each conversation with the question, “is there anything else I can do for
you today?” so they have one more opportunity to ask another question and you know you’ve done
everything you can to resolve the issue.
Also, be sure to communicate hold times if you put them on hold while you pull up their account or talk
to your manager. On live chat especially, it’s important that you don’t idle too long.
8. Measure and Analyze Customer Feedback
The best way to understand if your customer service is top notch is to ask your customers. Use surveys
to track top customer service metrics individual performance and ask service agent-specific survey
questions, such as, “How knowledgeable or unknowledgeable would you say our service team member
was?” and “How effective or ineffective would you say the service team member’s communication was?”
Once you understand which areas you excel at and which ones you need to improve, you can focus on
specific skills.
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9. Be Willing to Learn
Tom Brady didn’t learn to be a great football player in a day. It took years of practice and he was even a
backup quarterback before he earned the starting position. And now, even though he’s a Super Bowl-
winning quarterback, he continues to eat nutritious food, watch game tapes, and receive feedback from
his coaches. Customer service is no different and in order to be a world-class customer service agent,
you must be willing to work on these customer service skills and learn from your mistakes. If every team
member did this, your organization would excel.
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Enhance the ability to select appropriate tools for locating, evaluating, and securing
permanent employment opportunities.
Many important things rely on you securing the right job – your happiness, relationships, career
prospects and progression, self-confidence, well-being, and health, to name just a few. What if you
make the wrong choice? You might get stuck in a job that you don't really want, regretting that you
never took the time to consider it properly.
Give yourself time to evaluate a job offer objectively and thoroughly, and politely request a minimum
of two days to decide whether it's really the job for you. At the same time, remember to be realistic –
the offer may not be perfect, and you may have to compromise on certain elements of the job – but
your ultimate goal is to progress, and improve on your current position.
A good starting point is to evaluate your job offer against these eight criteria:
1. Research Your Prospective Employer
Your prospective employer has worked hard to assess your suitability for the job. But have you thought
about whether it is suitable for you?
Take some time to "play detective" before you accept the offer, and investigate whether the
organization is the right fit for you. Social media is an excellent source of information, particularly if
you want to assess public opinion of the organization. Read comments about the company on social
networking sites or check out any current news stories about it. Better still, talk to someone who
already works there.
Try to gather as much information as you can about the organization's people, its reputation, values,
working environment, and culture, and about your potential boss's management style. Could you fit
in seamlessly or would it be a culture shock? Would you be proud to say that you work there?
Another good place to look is the company's most recent annual report or its quarterly SEC filing.
Here you can find a wealth of information about its activities – from current projects and profiles of
its directors, to corporate values and financial accounts. Browse through the company's financial
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reports from the last few years, paying particular attention to its revenue and profitability, to gauge
whether it's under any financial pressure or if layoffs may be imminent.
Try to find out how stable the company is, what its market position is, and what its future prospects
are. You may not have a crystal ball, but you'll want to feel confident that the organization you're
joining isn't about to go bust.
2. Salary
Many people see salary as the key factor when they're deciding whether to accept a job offer. But you
need to evaluate how much your skills and experience are really worth before you accept the salary
that you've been offered. Websites such as vault and glass door can give you a good idea of the average
salary bands within your industry, position, location, and company. It's also important to consider
your future prospects. The salary on offer might be suitable for now but, without guaranteed annual
cost-of-living increases, your income could diminish in real terms over time. If you've been offered a
commission-based salary, are the bonus structures realistic? It might be worth asking your prospective
employer how often people reach their targets, or whether there are any clauses relating to the bonus
structure.
3. Benefits and Perks
Benefits can make up a substantial chunk of your compensation package so it's worth assessing this
part of your contract carefully, as their value is often less obvious than the value of the salary. The
salary that you've been offered might be higher than your current one, but if your employer's
retirement plan contributions are lower, you could be worse off in the long term. On the flip-side, a
generous benefits package and retirement plan can make up for a lower salary. Benefits and perks
differ from company to company so, if details of your package aren't included in your offer letter, ask
to see a full list of the contract terms. Find out what benefits you'll be eligible for (and when), and
assess their value for you.
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You might want to consider the following questions when assessing the value of your benefits package:
❖ Leave – What's the vacation and sickness allowance?

❖ Health Saving Account contributions – What are the premiums? Is dental and
ophthalmic cover included? When will you be eligible?
❖ Stock – What stock options are available? Are stock units given as part of a
bonus or do you have to be working at the organization for a certain length of
time before you are eligible?
❖ Tuition reimbursement – Will the employer cover your tuition fees if you decide
to enroll on relevant paid educational courses?
❖ Incentives – Is the incentive scheme based on personal achievements or the

company's wider performance?
❖ Insurance – What insurance plans are offered? How much will they cost?
❖ Pension – What contributions will the company make?
❖ Profit sharing – Is there a plan to give employees a share of the company's
profits?
❖ Use of a company car, cellphone or computer – Are these provided? If so, will
these expenses be tax refundable?
❖ Other perks – Are any additional benefits offered, for example gym
membership, daycare, travel costs, sabbaticals, etc?
4. Savings and Expenses
One of the biggest expenses to consider when evaluating a job offer is your commute. Will your travel
costs increase or decrease? If the position isn't flexible, your new job might require you to move house.
If this is the case, you'll need to take relocation costs, changes to your property and taxes, and changes
to your insurance rates into account. Sometimes we forget about the hidden costs of a new job offer
– a new wardrobe, for example, or insurance cover (if you aren't yet eligible for the company insurance
plan). If you're working from home, will the organization provide you with decent equipment?
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5. Time
The amount of time that your new job will take up (beyond core hours) can be difficult to judge. It
might be worth talking to someone who has a similar role in the company to try to understand what
workload you may be expected to take on or how much overtime you may have to work. If you're
paid by the hour, you might welcome the opportunity to work extra time. But if you receive a salary,
you may end up resenting working for a company that expects you to put in 12 hours a day but only
pays you for eight. If overtime is a regular expectation, it could even mean that you end up getting
paid less per hour than you do in your current job.
The time it takes to travel to your new job is also an important consideration, particularly if it's a long
or difficult commute. How much of the day will your new journey take up? How reliable is the
transport that you'll use? Remember that a lengthy commute might be bearable when you're 25, but it
can become a burden when you're 60.
6. Career Path
Getting a new job might be your priority right now, but you still need to think carefully about how it
will impact your long-term career prospects.
If you accept a job offer on impulse and it doesn't work out, you might end up desperate to leave.
Repeat the same mistake again, and you could find that your résumé becomes littered with several
short-lived jobs. This could make you look unreliable to potential employers, leading you even further
away from your chosen career path.
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Determine and foster the ability to use good communication skills with other professionals
Communication skills allow you to give and receive information. Indeed, employer’s consistently rank
communication skills as one of the most commonly requested skills in 2020 job postings. Using,
improving and showcasing your communication skills can help you both advance in your career and
be competitive when searching for new jobs. In this article, we discuss the importance of
communication skills and ways you can improve them.
1. Active listening
Active listening means paying close attention to who you communicating with by engaging with them,
asking questions and rephrasing. Practicing active listening can build respect with your coworkers and
increase understanding in the workplace. As you actively listen, focus on the speaker, avoiding
distractions like cell phones, laptops or other projects, and by preparing questions, comments or ideas
to thoughtfully respond.
Improve your active listening abilities by paying attention to other people’s facial expressions, body
language and tone. Instead of preparing what you will say, focus on what the other person is saying
and how they are saying it. If you need to clarify something, ask follow-up questions or rephrase what
they’ve said to confirm that you understood them correctly.
2. Communication method
Using the right way to communicate is an important skill. There are benefits and disadvantages to
talking through emails, letters, phone calls, in-person meetings or instant messages. Communicating
is better when you consider your audience, what information you want to share and the best way to
share it.
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For example, if you are communicating with a potential employer, it may be better to send a formal
email or call them on the phone. In the workplace, you may find it’s easier to communicate complex
information in person or via a video conference than by email. Building remote workplace friendships
is easier when you can speak through instant messages.
3. Friendliness
Friendly traits like honesty and kindness can help foster trust and understanding when communicating
at work. Try to communicate with a positive attitude, keep an open mind and ask questions to help
you understand where they’re coming from. Small gestures such as asking someone how they’re doing,
smiling as they speak or offering praise for work well done can help you foster productive relationships
with colleagues and managers.
You can practice friendliness by remembering small, thoughtful details about your coworkers or past
conversations. For example, if a coworker tells you their child’s birthday is soon and you connect with
them again later, you might ask them how the birthday party went.
4. Confidence
In the workplace, people are more likely to respond to ideas that are presented with confidence. There
are many ways to appear confident, including by making eye contact when you’re addressing someone,
sitting up straight with your shoulders open and preparing ahead of time so your thoughts are polished
and you’re able to answer any questions. Confident communication is useful not just on the job but
also during the job interview process.
5. Sharing feedback
Strong communicators can accept critical feedback and provide constructive input to others. Feedback
should answer questions, provide solutions or help strengthen the project or topic at hand. Providing
and accepting feedback is an essential workplace skill, as it can help both you and the people around
you make meaningful improvements to their work and their professional development.
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A great way to learn how to give feedback is to take notes from others on the feedback they offer you.
When you come across a well-explained piece of feedback, take some time to observe and analyze
why it was good, why it resonated with you and how you might apply those skills in the future.
6. Volume and clarity
When you’re speaking, it’s important to be clear and audible. Adjusting your speaking voice so you
can be heard in a variety of settings is a skill, and it’s critical to
communicating effectively. Speaking too loudly may be disrespectful or awkward in certain settings.
If you’re unsure, read the room to see how others are communicating.
Another aspect of verbal communication is vocalic and tonality. This involves how your tone moves
up and down, your pitch, your accent pattern and the spaces you place between phrases. Such details
can be effective in communicating emotions and offer your audience insights into how your message
should be interpreted (whether you realize it or not).
7. Empathy
Having empathy means you can only understand, but also share in the emotions of others. This
communication skill is important in both team and one-on-one settings. In both cases, you will need
to understand other people’s emotions and select an appropriate response.
For example, if someone is expressing anger or frustration, empathy can help you acknowledge and
diffuse their emotion. At the same time, being able to understand when someone is feeling positive
and enthusiastic can help you get support for your ideas and projects.
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8. Respect
A key aspect of respect knows when to initiate communication and respond. In a team or group
setting, allowing others to speak without interruption is seen as a necessary communication skill tied
to respectfulness. Respectfully communicating also means using your time with someone else wisely—
staying on topic, asking clear questions and responding fully to any questions you’ve been asked.
9. Nonverbal cues
A great deal of communication happens through nonverbal cues such as body language, facial
expressions and eye contact. When you’re listening to someone, you should be paying attention to
what they’re saying as well as their nonverbal language. By the same measure, you should be conscious
of your own body language when you’re communicating to ensure you’re sending appropriate cues to
others.
10. Responsiveness
Whether you’re returning a phone call or sending a reply to an email, fast communicators are viewed
as more effective than those who are slow to respond. One method is to consider how long your
response will take. Is this a request or question you can answer in the next five minutes? If so, it may
be a good idea to address it as soon as you see it. If it’s a more complex request or question, you can
still acknowledge that you’ve received the message and let the other person know you will respond in
full later.
The Importance of Good Communication Skills
Developing your communication skills can help all aspects of your life, from your professional
life to social gatherings and everything in between.
The ability to communicate information accurately, clearly and as intended, is a vital life skill and
something that should not be overlooked. It’s never too late to work on your communication skills
and by doing so, you may well find that you improve your quality of life.
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❖ Communication skills are needed in almost all aspects of life:
❖ Professionally, if you are applying for jobs or looking for a promotion with your current
employer, you will almost certainly need to demonstrate good communication skills
❖ Communication skills are needed to speak appropriately with a wide variety of people whilst
maintaining good eye contact, demonstrate a varied vocabulary and tailor your language to
your audience, listen effectively, present your ideas appropriately, write clearly and concisely,
and work well in a group. Many of these are essential skills that most employers seek.
❖ As your career progresses, the importance of communication skills increases; the ability to
speak, listen, question and write with clarity and conciseness are essential for most managers
and leaders.
❖ In your personal life, good communication skills can improve your personal relationships by
helping you to understand others, and to be understood.
❖ It is almost a cliché that personal relationships need communication. Failure to talk has been
blamed for the breakdown of any number of partnerships and relationships—but the ability
to listen is also an important element. Communication is also vital in wider family relationships,
whether you want to discuss arrangements for holidays, or ensure that your teenage children
are well and happy.
❖ If this area is of particular interest, you may want to read our pages on Communicating with
Teenagers, Talking to Teenagers about Contraception, Pornography and Consent,
and Talking to Teenagers about Sex and Relationships. Our pages on Personal and
Romantic Relationship Skills also contain a number of pages touching on communication.
❖ Communication skills can also ensure that you are able to manage interactions with businesses
and organization.
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❖ Over the course of your lifetime, you are likely to have to interact with a wide range of
organizations and institutions, including shops, businesses, government offices, and schools.
Good communication skills can ease these interactions, and ensure that you are able to get
your point across calmly and clearly, and also take on board the responses.
❖ Being able to complain effectively is an important skill, for example, as is handling

criticism yourself.
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Determine the appreciation for overall training
Appreciation generally means ―recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or
something. In the workplace, appreciation can be as simple as saying ―thank you‖ for a job well done,
for completing a project quickly, or for coming to a meeting prepared and ahead of time.
In the workplace, appreciation plays a key role in creating a positive organizational culture and
strengthening employee-leader relationships. Many studies have revealed that appreciation is one of
the proven methods to motivate employees, make them more productive and committed to their jobs.
Why show appreciation in the workplace?
There are lots of reasons why leaders should show appreciation in the workplace. Here are some of
them:
1. Appreciation improves productivity. When employees know their hard work is appreciated
and recognized, they feel that their work is valued. And this motivates them to maintain and improve
their great performance.
2. Appreciation improves workplace morale. Showing appreciation to an employee creates a

ripple effect in the workplace. An employee who feels appreciated is highly likely to show appreciation
to their co-workers and other team members.
3. Appreciation keeps employees engaged. In addition to improving productivity, showing

appreciation in the workplace also increases employee engagement and dedication.
Appreciation helps build staff loyalty. The Robert Half study show 66% of employees leave their job
because of a lack of appreciation.
How to give appreciation
4. Appreciation should be a daily event and it is giving positive feedback and thanks for good
ongoing work. It can be a simple thank you and positive feedback for a special project or special effort.
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Recently I was working with a client around the value of appreciation in the workplace. At the time,
my client thought the concept sounded fluffy. ―Why do we need to give appreciation to people who
are being paid to do a job? However, my client decided that they would embrace the idea of
appreciation and give it a go.
As it turned out one of my client’s long-term employees work practices had dropped off. They seemed
to be rushing their work and making a lot of errors. To make the situation worse, whenever my client
raised these errors with their employee, they would be dismissive
or they become defensive. This just added to my client’s frustration. Often my client would walk off
and go and fix the problem or they would go and complain to another manager about the employee.
Soon after our talk my client noticed that the employee had stayed back late on a Friday night to
complete a critical report before they went on leave. They decided to show appreciation and went
around and sat down next to their employee and said ―thank you I really appreciate that you stayed
back and worked on the report especially on a Friday night. This will allow the team to pick up the
document on Monday and be ready to deliver a strong pitch on Monday afternoon‖
A few weeks later my client came back to me and said that they had noticed some small changes in
their employee since showing appreciation. For the first time, the employee has acknowledged that
they had made an error. They apologized and said that they needed to slow down and ask more
questions.
Now it could be that the employee needed a break and that they have come back to work with a new
perspective. But the reality is my client could see that they had spent so much time focusing on what
their employee was not doing right and they had lost sight of the positives. They could also see that
they had contributed to the situation by not being honest and specific with their feedback about what
was expected.
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Discuss employing skills during employment interview process.
The Interviewing Process
Just as with the hiring of full-fledged attorneys, the company will have to establish an interview process
that reflects its values. One of the most effective ways to recruit top-notch legal talent is to conduct
individual OCI programs at law schools. Timing is critical to helping to secure the best talent. Keeping
abreast of the time-sensitive nature of the interviewing process will help your company fare well in
the long run and avoid many common pitfalls, such as missed deadlines. Many law schools establish
their own customized interview schedules in accordance with the NALP standards mentioned earlier;
it is best to secure a place on these schedules as early as possible in the interviewing season. As time
passes, students will begin to receive and accept offers from other employers—so a delay in beginning
your recruitment outreach may well result in a reduced candidate selection pool. Effective participation
in a law school’s OCI program will require close contact with its career development office. This office
functions as an employer’s primary point of contact in the interview program, and as a gatekeeper for
its students. Nurturing a relationship between the company and career development office should
represent a high priority, as a healthy relationship in this area ensures that the interview process runs
smoothly.
Law schools’ interview programs vary widely. To participate in an OCI program, most law schools
require employers to select from the available interview dates and provide basic information about
their company. This can include such elements as an ―about us‖ statement; useful statistics to help
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students make informed decisions (e.g., size of staff, office locations); and other details regarding
training and development, work environment, and diversity policies. A few weeks before the interview
dates, some career development offices will provide employers with resumes of students who have
expressed an interest in the company’s internship program. At this point, employers have the
opportunity to review the resumes and contact the career development office with names of students
they believe are a good match. Other schools may provide employers with the slate of students
preselected by the career development office for interviews. Under this scenario, employers may have
to engage even more actively with the career development offices to provide input and help ensure
the interview slate reflects the diversity of students the company most wants. The career development
office generally handles much of the process from that point forward, including notifying students
they have been selected for an interview and providing employers with a final interview schedule.
Again, each school will have slight variations in the process, so staying on top of these differences will
maximize efficiency and increase your company’s odds of locating a ―great find.
As part of arranging for OCI, employers will need to inform the school of interviewer names. Many
employers, including Microsoft, prefer to call upon staff attorneys to conduct interviews at their alma
mater. Presumably, graduates of a given law school have a better understanding of the school’s
nuances, can relate to students more effectively (having walked the same halls), and are willing to
spend a full day (plus travel time) interviewing law students on behalf of the program. Before
dispatching an interviewer to a school, companies should spend time briefing the interviewer on details
of the internship program. This ensures that he or she will relay relevant information to students
consistently and accurately, and answer comprehensively any questions interviewees may pose about
the program. Further, companies should brief interviewers on the criteria by which to evaluate
interviewees, as this will enable them to screen candidates according to tailored recruiting objectives.
Interviews are generally slotted between twenty and thirty minutes each, to be conducted during a
specific day. A number of employers prefer to focus on a few particular skills sets when meeting with
potential interns.
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For instance, Microsoft instructs its interviewers to focus on the following criteria to add clarity and
uniformity to the selection process:
• Legal aptitude, problem-solving skills, and ability to deal with ambiguity;
• Interest in Microsoft’s legal practice areas;
• Communication skills; and
• Organizational ability, leadership, and teamwork.
Microsoft tells interviewers to treat candidates as if they were interviewing for a permanent position.
This works to enhance the selection process and increase its competitive nature. Once your company
has completed its interview schedule, interviewers should select students whom they want to invite
for callback interviews. Depending on myriad factors (e.g., budgetary constraints, size of the internship
program, distance between the company’s office and the law school, and other logistical
considerations), each company will have to determine how many candidates it will invite for a callback
interview at the corporate office.
For example, Microsoft generally asks interviewers to rank the candidates, then select the top two
students from each institution for a callback interview. These two students should be ―offer-eligible,
reflecting the interviewer’s opinion that Microsoft could extend an offer to each callback candidate
based on the on-campus interview alone, with no further evaluation. These callback interviews often
consist of separate thirty- to forty-five-minute meetings with four to six members of the legal
department. When compared to the brief on-campus interview, this in-house process is much
lengthier, more comprehensive, and more useful in learning about candidates.
Unsurprisingly, many candidates are nervous when participating in a callback interview. To help
prepare them for the battery of interviews and to put them more at ease, Microsoft has an HR
representative meet and greet the candidates before handing them off to the first interviewer. Given
the likelihood that the same set of attorneys will not be able to interview candidate, the program
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manager meets with each candidate after he or she completes the day’s series of meetings in order to
establish a measure of consistency for the evaluations. Your program size or interview process may
not require the same two people to interview each candidate.
After all callback interviews are completed, the company’s hiring committee should meet and make a
final decision about the students who should receive an offer for summer employment. In order to
determine which candidates, represent the best fit for the internship program, the hiring committee
will review and discuss evaluations from the on-campus interview, the callback interviews, and other
feedback from interviewers. Once students have been selected, someone from the company (usually
the HR representative) should extend the offer over the phone and follow up with a formal letter.
This step should be performed in a timely fashion for several reasons: students can accept or decline
sooner; other students can be contacted if a student declines the offer; and your company can have
better chances at hiring the interns it wants before they are hired away by other potential employers.
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Discuss the role of internship office.
A legal intern's duties vary based on the needs of the firm and the student's level of experience, but
typically includes basic office work such as copying and filing, legal research, client assistance and
aiding lawyers with paperwork and courtroom. A large part of any legal internship is conducting
research.
Learn and gain experience
You’ll be expected to learn as much as you possibly can while you work, regardless of the kind of
internship you’ve signed up for. What kind of learning will you be doing? It can be broken down into
two main areas: Picking up hard skills: Hard skills are the technical skills you need to carry out your
intern responsibilities, and eventually job duties, successfully. Examples include learning some
technical skills to management skills to understanding data analytics.
Brushing up your soft skills:
Soft skills are as important as hard skills. Soft skills are all about your ability to relate to people and
building mutually-beneficial relationships. Examples are emotional intelligence, motivation, people-
skills, listening, and excellent communication. You need soft skills to manage clients, not to mention
get along with your bosses and colleagues. Soft skills are key to navigating your work environment and
can even contribute to job progression. Word of the wise, don’t underestimate them.
What to Expect from Your Internship Role?
It’s not a stretch to say internships have become indispensable. The competition for jobs has never
been stiffer. In recent studies, employers have indicated a pull towards those with relevant experience
before graduate vs those without. So how do you get relevant experience? Internships.
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Internships give your insight into your dream industry, network, grow your practical knowledge AND
give you a competitive edge over your peers. Sounds great, but there’s one key thing we are missing…
So, what does an intern do exactly?
Contrary to popular belief, an internship isn’t about organizing a filing cabinet or fetching coffee for
your boss. The responsibilities of an intern have evolved. In many internships’ programs, you’ll find
yourself working on project, managing a small team and even working along some executives.
It’s important you enter your internship with the right mindset. If you don’t know what to expect
from your internship role, you’ll be better prepared and know what you need to do to succeed. Also,
carrying out your intern responsibilities successfully will assist you in building up a potent skillset that
will shine in your next role.
What is an intern?
An intern is a trainee who has signed on with an organization for a brief period. An intern’s goal is to
gain work experience, occasionally some university credit, and always an overall feel for the industry
they’re interning in.
Internships may be paid, partially paid, or unpaid. However, there has been an increase in the number
of paid internship opportunities, woo! The engagement period may range from a handful of weeks up
to 2 years. With longer-term internships, you’ll almost always be compensated in some way. The
compensation may include a monthly wage, accommodation, travel expenses, and a food allowance.
Other benefits could be a stipend gym membership or even a personal laptop.
It’s also not uncommon to receive a full-time offer upon completion of your internship with a
company. Studies show that employers like to hire interns and use their internships as well to source
new talent for their company.
Where can you intern?
You can intern pretty much anywhere you would like. Fancy working for a digital marketing agency
in London or learning about corporate finance in New York or Singapore? Consider interning
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abroad! An international internship can help give you a competitive edge in today’s saturated job
market. Even better, an international internship is a fantastic way to help you build a global career and
network.
If going abroad or moving across the country is not quite what you’re ready for, you always have the
option of pursuing a remote internship. Remote internships are the ability to intern with a global
company in comfort in your own home as everything, you guessed it, is online. Though you may not
physically be abroad, there are still numerous benefits to interning remotely.
In addition to this, the amount of remote internship opportunities available has steadily increased. As
a result of this, you can now intern on your own terms.
Essentially what we are getting at here is that the world is your oyster. Take advantage of it!
What does an intern do?
So, what does an intern do exactly? That depends on the industry in question and the kind of
internship you’ve signed up for. Research internships come with a different set of roles and
responsibilities than, say, an internship in accounting.
An intern is primarily a support role – at least in the beginning. When you join up, your main job will
be to assist, learn, and grow. After you’ve settled in, you’ll be expected to pull your own weight.
Here’s a general overview of the work you can expect to do as an intern:
1. Assist and contribute to the team!
As an intern, don’t expect to spearhead a critical project right off the bat…at least not yet. In the
beginning of your internship, you may your time simply trying to learn how the company works. You
may shadow an employee to get an understanding of their role. After a day or a few days of learning
the ins-and-outs of the company. You’ll start to assist and contribute more to the team.
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Here are some day-to-day intern roles and their responsibilities:
• Performing clerical duties: Creating PowerPoint presentations, drafting reports, designing creatives,
researching trends and the like.
• Managing social media and emails: You may be asked to handle the company’s social media accounts,
write emails to customers, talk to clients on the phone, and similar duties. Your day may include
designing social media posts, scheduling them and creating a general strategy for your posts.
• Event handling: Interns are often asked to oversee the scheduling of important events. You may asked
to help get everything prepared for an important. From securing the location to assisting the creation
of a theme to sourcing your key speakers.
• Research: Interns fresh from a university education have a great deal of up-to-date knowledge. Your
organization may put this knowledge to good use by placing you in a research role. You may be asked
to look into a new project and give your recommendations on how best to execute it.
2. Learn and gain experience
You’ll be expected to learn as much as you possibly can while you work, regardless of the kind of
internship you’ve signed up for. What kind of learning will you be doing? It can be broken down into
two main areas:
• Picking up hard skills: Hard skills are the technical skills you need to carry out your intern
responsibilities, and eventually job duties, successfully. Examples include learning some technical skills
to management skills to understanding data analytics.
• Brushing up on your soft skills: soft skills are as important as hard skills. Soft skills are all about your
ability to relate to people and building mutually-beneficial relationships. Examples are emotional
intelligence, motivation, people-skills, listening, and excellent communication. You need soft skills to
manage clients, not to mention get along with your bosses and colleagues. Soft skills are key to
navigating your work environment and can even contribute to job progression. Word of the wise,
don’t underestimate them.
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3. Job shadow
Job shadowing has become the norm recently. As the name suggests, the practice involves
“shadowing” someone as they perform their daily duties, observing their activities, and learning what
the role entails via indirect experience. This is an especially popular practice in hands-on fields like
engineering and healthcare.
How does this work exactly? When you join the organization, you may be assigned a mentor. The first
few weeks, you may be tasked with following them around. They’ll show you the ropes while they
work. You may be asked to assist with light tasks here and there. You’ll be encouraged to ask questions.
Job shadowing is an excellent way to get a deeper understanding of what it will be like to work in your
industry on a day-to-day basis.
Once you’ve shadowed for a while, you may be asked to help your mentor on projects or eventually
take over some of their tasks.
4. Take on an increasing amount of responsibility
As time goes by, expect to shoulder an increasing amount of responsibility. Initially, they’ll gauge your
current skill set and reliability with your initial workload. As you prove yourself to your colleagues and
bosses, you’ll be entrusted with more crucial tasks. The better you perform, the more the
responsibilities you’ll be given.
This is an excellent opportunity to showcase your abilities to your employer. It can also help contribute
to you receiving a full-time role afterwards. However, don’t feel like you need to shoulder more than
you can handle. Employers prefer quality over quantity – don’t afraid to ask for help if you need
it. Interns who can display that they can handle additional work and keep with tight deadlines will be
more likely to impress the boss.
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5. Network
While networking isn’t an official requirement as such, it might as well be. Networking involves
building relationships with your bosses, colleagues, and customers and clients. You’ll need the backing
and support of people in places to build a successful career. Also, building good relationships with
customers is always good for the organization.
Here are some examples of the kind of networking interns do:
• Finding a mentor: Mentors act as anchor roles for interns. If you find a good one, you can follow in
their footsteps and build a successful career just like your mentor.
• Forming a peer support group: Interning is hard. Finding a peer support group who is going through
all the ups and downs with you will make it much more enjoyable for everyone involved.
• Getting in with bosses and coworkers: Interns who can build strong individual bonds with their
coworkers and bosses become a part of the “family”. You’re much more likely to be offered a full-
time role at the company down the road.
6. Make a career call
Finally, usually at the tail-end of your internship, you have to make a career-defining decision: continue
in the field you interned in or try your hand at something else entirely.
You got a taste of what working in your industry full-time would be like. Did you love the experience
and can’t wait to dive back in again? Or do you feel you’d be happier doing something else? That’s the
beauty of an internship0 you can always go into another field you would like.
Final Thoughts
Internships are usually short-term. They’re smaller investments in time and energy than full-time jobs.
But they are certainly without a doubt a great investment of your time. Consequently, they’re perfect
opportunities to explore your options. You deserve work that’s fulfilling. If necessary, you can sign up
for a different but related internship role elsewhere to see if you’re happier there.
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Your internship is going to shape the course of your career. It’ll assist you in acquiring the skills you
need to perform up-to-par when you’re hired full-time. It’s essential you use your internship as the
training opportunity it represents.
You’re sure to have a bright future if you work hard, build positive relationships, and use the skills
you develop in your internship to your advantage.
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Discuss research skills by finding law applicable to assignment
Being able to research in an effective manner is an essential skill whether you are a student or in
practice. The primary aim of conducting clear and methodical legal research is finding the answer to
a legal question in the most time effective way and knowing that you have searched in all the relevant
sources. Being able to show that you have good legal research skills can help in securing training
contracts in law firms or funding for study or research projects. In legal practice it can also help to
show any client that your work is accurate and that it is value for money.
Law research and writing skills: Approaching law assignments
Advice on writing and study skills is provided by the Student Academic Success division; if you need
further advice you can book a consultation with a Language and Learning Adviser.
Welcome to Approaching Law Assignments. This page gives you tips and resources for approaching
a range of law assignments.
Law assignments, in general, have three major types -
1. case notes (including a case summary and/or essay analysis)

2. advice on possible solutions to a legal problem, e.g., legal memos, letters of advice,
problem questions
3. research essays and policy papers
These three types have distinctive features which affect your examiner’s expectations, so it's important
to be familiar with each type of assignment. Note that assignments might have different purposes: for
example, a legal memo can be a 'legal practice' document submitted to a senior member of a law firm,
OR a policy advice document submitted to a politician or a policy maker.
We also advise you to complete the unit on academic integrity and familiarize yourself with the
different plagiarism and collusion. Both are serious academic offences that can result in failing a unit
or exclusion from the university, but it may also affect admission as a lawyer. Be aware too that
providing or accessing paid academic writing services is now a criminal offence.
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Tools
We have prepared the worksheets and checklists below to help you with each step of the assignment
research and writing process. We suggest you use each worksheet and checklist for each assignment
during your first and second semester of law school to ensure you are on track for success. You may
find it useful to return to the worksheets in your later years to refresh your memory.
Approaching your assignment
This worksheet offers a step-by-step approach to breaking down the assignment question and
determining a suitable structure.
Research planning worksheet
This worksheet is designed to assist you with the steps needed to undertake legal research. You
can add notes applicable to your own research.
Editing worksheet
This worksheet assists in improving clarity and conciseness in your writing. It will take some
practice to adapt to the type of writing law school requires. There are additional links below
which may be of assistance under “English language skills”.
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Discuss effective computer use in legal environments
The traditional image of a lawyer's job is that of a lawyer poring through stacks of paperwork. While
paperwork still is a reality, law practice has changed drastically in the past 20 years, mainly because of
computer technology. In firms large and small, the extensive use of computers is the norm.
Online Legal Research
One of the most important uses of computers in the legal profession is conducting legal research.
Many legal projects require extensive legal research, including references to previously decided cases.
Traditionally, companies such as West printed volumes of case law, requiring attorneys to read through
keyword indexes to find relevant cases. Now, online legal databases such as LexisNexis and Westlaw
make the process of searching for case law, legal forms and treatises much easier.
Case Management Software
The increased use of computers in the legal workplace has changed the way firms are managed. For
example, client case tracking traditionally was done using a large calendar; cases now are tracked
electronically, which makes the danger of a missed court date or filing deadline less likely. Meanwhile,
software such as Abacus Law frequently is used to track billable hours, resulting in more precise time
accounting by attorneys and savings to clients, who are able to track the attorney's work to the minute.
Electronic Discovery
Computers have changed the handling of legal discovery projects. Discovery is the process by which
opposing parties to a lawsuit exchange relevant information such as police reports, financial
documents and witness testimony. Traditionally, discovered items were provided as photocopied
documents. In many cases, attorneys and support staff had to manually organize and sift through
thousands of paper documents looking for relevant information. In electronic discovery, important
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legal documents are scanned and stored in computer systems. In addition to making document
exchanges easier, electronic discovery lets attorneys organize and examine the documents much faster
and more effectively.
Legal Marketing Online
Increasingly, attorneys use computers and the Internet to obtain new clients. Many attorney websites
provide valuable general information such as explanations of legal rights and the legal process. Some
websites allow a potential client to directly email or chat with an attorney before scheduling a
consultation. Lawyers also use social networking platforms to communicate with current and
prospective clients.
Communication via Email
Most modern law firms use email more than fax, which used to be the quickest way to send a letter.
Law firm emails combined with smart phones mean that attorneys always have access to their
communications and can stay on top of their cases.
Electronic Document Filing
All federal courts and many state courts now use the internet for all their case filings. Attorneys need
computers to access these online portals, where they can file lawsuits and any documents they need
to file within that lawsuit. Some jurisdictions will not permit licensed attorneys to file by paper.
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Discuss typical duties of internship.
They perform research and write memoranda; manage case files; perform administrative duties such
as filing, copying staffing receptionists’ desks; assist with preparation for trials, hearings, and
depositions; attend client meetings; assist constituents; attend trials, hearings, arguments, and
depositions; research legislative histories, etc. Interns are also usually involved in writing articles and
contributing to the booklets on specific legal topics. Internships are generally unpaid. However,
internships may qualify for academic credit. The interns are assigned a supervisor, or a mentor. They
work under the supervision, and with the assistance of, experienced lawyers. During summers,
internships are usually offered for the full time. Grade point average and class rank, participation in
extracurricular activities, oral and written communication skills, interest in public service, and prior
employment are all considering factors for students to be selected for internships. Every effort is
generally made to accommodate interns’ areas of interest. Preferences of the students are well taken
into consideration, as well as divisions workloads and hiring needs. Some rotation may be possible.
The student’s work is always evaluated and constructive criticism is also provided. An internship is a
great way to earn academic credit, gain relevant work experience, and build resume.
Learn about the key requirements, duties, responsibilities, and skills that should be in an
intern job description
Interns assist the company with tasks set out by various teams, such as research, data capturing and
working closely with different team members to learn more about the company.
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Intern Job Description Template
We are looking for a dynamic, energetic intern who is eager to learn about our company by assisting
various departments. You will be working closely with our team to conduct research, capture data and
attend meetings where you will be asked to take minutes.
To be successful as an Intern, you should be willing to help with any tasks assigned by a supervisor. You
will be involved in upcoming projects as well as assisting with current campaigns.
Intern Responsibilities:
• Fulfill tasks set out by supervisors from several departments.
• Attend meetings and take minutes.
• Perform research at a supervisor's request.
• Update social media platforms and write copy for posts.
• Create images for social media posts.
Intern Requirements:
• A final year student or recent graduate.
• Eager to learn and work with various departments in the company.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Ability to multitask.
• Cope well under pressure.
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Discuss the characteristics of an effective internship.
➢ Competitive drive to work hard and perform on the job
➢ Positive attitude and enthusiasm about the chance to grow
➢ Willingness to keep an open mind to learn new things
➢ Outgoing and able to connect with others to add to the culture of the business hare
You may think that the position as interns isn’t that important, but interns do have a vital role to play
during the completion of your internship. To succeed the internship program, you need to have or
develop certain characteristics that make the employers think you’re worthy. Having certain
characteristics below will also increase the chance of transitioning to full-time employment. Check if
you have one of these characteristics as good interns.
Determined
This is one of characteristics that the employees want in their interns. As good interns, you should
always be starting your internship with determination and ambition. Show to the other employees that
you’re excited to come to work and learn new skills. Ask questions, pay closer attention, and learn as
much knowledge as you can. The employees will cherish ambitious interns more.
Diligent
The next characteristic you need to have as good interns is diligent. You need to cultivate a diligent
work ethic before or during your internship. You can practice thus by arriving to work at least fifteen
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minutes early each day, wait until work is finished before starting to pack up, or not abusing break
time privileges. Know how to be diligent in every task you complete.
Positive
There must time when you’re having a bad day at work. The solution is to shake off the anxiety and
try to overcome it. The key is to maintain a positive attitude. Be willing to work on all types of
assignments and show that you eager to learn. Being positive will help you to create a better learn
environments
Having Self-Control
Having self-control isn’t only important if you want to be good interns but also to excel in the
professional world. This can be seen by knowing how to keep silent and respect people who are
currently talking at the meeting. If you have an idea to share, wait until the speaker finish talking. The
point is to know how to filter your words and behavior so that you can speak and act in a mature
manner.
Confidence
Good interns are they who have self-confident and able to get the job done. They don’t feel second-
rate compared to other interns and coworkers they will work with in the company during the
internship. This can be seen as simple as how you take on new projects that a supervisor adds to your
task list. Never allow anxiety to rule your behavior, but make an effort to confidently push forward to
do what it takes to succeed.
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Strong communication skills
You may not have strong communication skills at the beginning, but good interns are willing to learn
to develop the skills. Communication skills (verbal, written, listening) are crucial in the workplace.
Developing good communication skills will help you connect to fellow coworkers and work well as
part of a team.
Critical thinking
Having the ability to analyze a situation and make a decision or find a possible solution to a problem
will make the employers value you more. Practice these skills by looking at problems from a new
perspective. Gather information or ask questions if it’s needed to look for solutions.
Quality internship sites have the following characteristics:
• Provide substantive and challenging work experiences

• Planning and structure of position prior to student beginning internship (breadth and depth);
(minimal "go-fer" clerical work); opportunity to apply principles learned in and outside the
classroom; realistic goals/projects; predetermined outputs to make up a formal portfolio that
the intern can show future employers as evidence of their work and accomplishments.
• Strong training/orientation for student(s), including company culture, office procedures, etc.
in addition to training for specific job duties.
• On-going structured supervision by a primary supervisor that includes regularly scheduled (at
least weekly) meetings; opportunities for feedback; adequate opportunities for students to ask
questions; meet monthly to review progress on supervisor's and student's learning goals;
ideally, a mentoring* relationship.
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• Opportunity to observe professionals in action: participate in staff meetings, client meetings,

attend presentations and/or conference workshops, and talk with professionals in the
department about their jobs and career paths.
• Opportunity to develop specific skills (i.e., research, writing, computer, presentation skills).
• Provide evaluation of overall experience; provide closure through recognition of intern
contributions, reflection on learning experiences, and wrap-up on-going projects; provide
follow-up if necessary (letters of recommendation, networking, etc.)
• Some organizations provide professional development opportunities (e.g., presentations by
upper-management to all interns within the organization, informational interviews, brown bag
lunch seminars, etc.) and if there are multiple interns in a new location, some organizations
provide social opportunities (picnics, movie night, etc.).
• Encourage and provide opportunities to read professional and company publications.
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Discuss the critical importance of honesty and integrity in the legal environment
Honesty, integrity and behaving ethically are fundamental to what it means to be a solicitor and failing
to act with these moral characteristics diminishes the confidence and trust the public places in the legal
profession and the provision of legal services.
Honesty and integrity - honestly different?
Another month, another decision on the meaning of honesty and integrity. Given that the Standard
of ‘Honesty and Integrity’ is considered primus inter pares in relation to the other Standards, in that a
breach of it puts an officer at serious risk of dismissal, what amounts to this is important – for officers
and presenting authorities.
There has been a number of cases addressing this over the past couple of years. They have focused
on the meaning of integrity as opposed to honesty – whether integrity is something different to
honesty and, if so, whether it is measured subjectively or objectively. This post will suggest that
integrity is something different to dishonesty and is measured objectively rather than subjectively.
Honesty and integrity are separate and different terms in the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2012. The
Honesty and Integrity Standard is defined as being:
Police officers are honest, act with integrity and do not compromise or abuse their position.
The forward to the first edition of the Code of Ethics lists integrity as a separate principle to honesty.
This is repeated at chapter 2 “Policing Principles”, page 3, which draws specific distinction between
these concepts:
(i) Honesty / You are truthful and trustworthy

(ii) Integrity / You always do the right thing
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The Code of Ethics provides further illustrations of the distinction between these two terms in the
specific section on honesty and integrity:
Examples of meeting this standard are when you:

• are sincere and truthful
• show courage in doing what you believe to be right
• ensure your decisions are not influenced by improper considerations of personal gain
• do not knowingly make false, misleading or inaccurate oral or written statements in any
professional context
• neither solicit nor accept the offer of any gift, gratuity or hospitality that could compromise your
impartiality
• do not use your position to inappropriately coerce any person or to settle personal grievances.
The references to being truthful and doing the right thing and not using one’s position to settle
personal grievances refer to trustworthiness and public confidence. They are, in your writer’s opinion,
qualitatively different to dishonesty, incorporating the making of false, misleading or inaccurate
statements in any professional context.
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Discuss arrive to work on time and complete assignments on schedule
❖ Discuss arrive to work on time and complete assignments on schedule.

❖ The Importance of Arriving on Time
❖ The Importance of Arriving on Time
❖ Punctuality shows that you see others time as valuable, as well as your own.
❖ Punctuality helps create for a smooth, less stressful start to one’s day.
❖ Being that we are here to serve our clients and employees, it shows that they are a priority if
we are on time and ready to cater to their needs—providing excellent customer service. We
also would expect our employees to be punctual, so setting the example is important.
❖ Punctuality builds reputability and reliability.
❖ Morale and productivity in the workplace are higher when everyone is on time. In addition,
workflow is less likely to be disrupted.
❖ Importance of complete assignment on schedule;
It's important that your schedule makes time for your professional and personal goals. If you have
little or no discretionary time left when you reach step five, revisit your tasks to see if you can do them
differently – otherwise, your work-life balance will suffer.
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Discuss on how to take and follow directions well.
Tips on giving directions:
❖ Provide context and be specific: Give all the details. Provide any background to help that
person better understand the task at hand. Try your best to be as detailed as you can, especially
when you have a set idea about how the task should be done.
❖ Ask politely rather than barking orders: Tone of voice can change everything, especially when
telling someone what to do. Speak at a reasonable volume and use kind, respectful words. Try
to avoid negative language and don’t forget to say please.
❖ Offer the other person the opportunity to ask questions: Whenever the one receiving the task
is unsure, it’s important that you allow him time to ask questions. The better he understands
what to do, the greater chance for a successful outcome.
❖ Resist any urge to micromanage: If you give directions properly, you should not feel the need
to oversee or micromanage. Instill faith in your task-doer by letting him do things without you
to the best of his ability. Provide positive feedback and appropriate gratitude: When the task
is complete, be sure to affirm the person. This makes your team member feel respected and
trusted. And give clear, helpful feedback or constructive criticism if the task was done
improperly.
Tips on taking directions and fulfilling tasks:
❖ Actively listen: Try to listen intently, not just hear. When you actively listen, you can better
understand what you need to do. Here’s a trick that may help: pretend that there is going to
be a quiz after the conversation. Visually think about what's being said and maybe even repeat
it in your head.
❖ Take notes: Instead of trying to remember everything, write it down. There’s nothing wrong
with keeping notes; it shows that you are prepared, organized and want to do the job correctly.
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❖ Ask questions: If you are even slightly unsure of what you are being asked to do, don’t be
afraid to question. Make sure the other person allows you the chance to find out all the needed
details to move forward.
❖ Respond with a good attitude: Just as the person giving directions needs to speak respectfully,
it’s important to respond respectfully. If you go into the conversation with a bad attitude, it’s
likely that performing the task will be much more challenging.
❖ Before starting the task, make a checklist: Whenever there is a job that requires multiple steps,
try organizing a to-do list. Check things off as you go to make sure you don’t miss anything.
Then when you’re done, be sure to review your work.
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Discuss the initiative and a positive cooperative attitude.
What Is Initiative?
Initiative is the ability to be resourceful and work without always being told what to do. It requires
resilience and determination. People who show initiative demonstrate they can think for themselves
and take action when necessary. It means using your head, and having the drive to achieve. Initiative
is a self-management skill, and self-management is one of five key life and work skills for Young
Professionals.
When you use your initiative, you do things without being asked, solve problems that others may not
have noticed needed solving, and go out of your way to continue learning and growing. You do extra
research if required, ask questions, and seek help if you need to.
Using your initiative makes you a desirable candidate for jobs and opportunities as you are showing
you can think for yourself, as well as proving that you will continue to develop and grow in your role.
Initiative will allow you to get ahead of the competition and ensure
You’re up to date with what’s going on in your career sector. People who show good initiative often
win awards and promotions as they generate exciting and beneficial ideas
A cooperative attitude
A cooperative attitude is performance power. And a cooperative attitude is critical to building strong,
sustainable teams. We know that when teams are engaged by their leadership in a cooperative
environment not only is there in an increase in employee morale but increased productivity, and
improved safety and quality with fewer incidents of error and rework.
Cooperation is the act of participating, contributing, or helping to advance or accomplish a goal. It is

similar to collaboration in that cooperation requires the input of many people. It is different from
collaboration in that those involved in cooperation do not necessarily have to be members of the
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collaboration, and as such these individuals or groups can have their own agendas but still contribute
to the work of collaboration. For example, collaboration between hospital executives and physicians
benefits from the cooperation of nurses, other caregivers and support staff.
Collaboration cannot occur without cooperation, but cooperation can occur without formal
collaboration. A cooperative attitude is a mental model. It influences a person’s desire and willingness
to cooperate and produces an emotional response. For example, if an organization’s vice president is
convinced that cooperation creates more work but yields no advantage for himself and his department,
he will not volunteer his skills and knowledge to the effort; if required to cooperate he will perform
with half effort, constantly question the necessity of the process and harbor resentment. This behavior,
in turn, negatively impacts his staff and anyone with whom he has contact.
Conversely, an executive with a positive attitude about cooperation will do what they can to help and
will feel honored to be a contributor. Her attitude then inspires and encourages her staff and associates
to change their cooperation mind-set. Since a cooperative attitude is critical to true collaboration,
leaders must work to change their own mental model and guide their followers to do the same.
Learning the skill of Positive Presence to hone a cooperative attitude is a surefire place to start.
Cooperation is the new, constructive competition. A cooperative attitude inhibits destructive

competition. While competition among teams can be healthy in that it brings out personal and team
bests, energy and commitment to work, it can quickly lead to negative or dysfunctional behavior.
Competition can turn some people into fanatics, so single minded in their pursuit that they become
blind to the consequences of their actions. They desire to win at all costs, so they turn to unfair
practices, manipulate or alienate those around them and ignore rules or stated guidelines. In addition,
destructive competition can impact workers in ways a boss might not anticipate. Destructive
competitive behavior has no place in a cooperative and collaborative work environment.
Organizations with teams that cooperate gain greater rewards than those who compete.
―Is it not enough that I am good at my job? The simple and short answer to this question is, ―no! In
1627, English poet, John Donne, wrote that ―no man is an island unto himself.‖ No matter where we
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are in our given profession we are not islands unto ourselves, especially in today‘s digitally-connected
organizations. It is imperative that we learn to avoid relying and depending upon the ability of any one
person to simply ―do my job. We must begin to trust in and place value on the ability to connect,
cooperate, and work positively and harmoniously with other people.
Organizational success is based on how well people connect emotionally with their leadership and
with those around them in their work teams. What’s more, workers must emotionally connect with a
leader in a positive and energized manner before they buy into the leader’s vision. Some surveys show
that as many as half of workers feel low levels of work engagement stemming in part from poor
leadership. If any one person, regardless of technical ability, cannot connect and cooperate with other
people, their technical expertise will not advance the goals and objectives of the team.
A cooperative attitude is a behavior skill that is part of what creates effective collaborations and highly
functional teams. Without a cooperative attitude, disruptive competition and conflict reign two
conditions in which errors are highly likely, staff morale and motivation are low, performance is
inconsistent and unreliable, communication and cooperation are nonexistent, and everyone has a
secret agenda. Does any of this sound like a place you really want to work?
A corporative attitude begins with the skill of Positive Presence. Positive Presence is a new and
deliberate way of thinking and behaving that makes the connection between human energy and
behavior and is easily practiced and developed right on the job. For many, it is just a lot of common
sense, but for others it is a slow and gentle process that requires the help of both team mates and
leaders.
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Discuss on a professional appearance and demeanor.
Being a professional in your chosen field means much more than wearing a coat and tie or possessing
a college degree and a noted title. Professionalism also has to do with how you conduct yourself during
your business affairs. True professionals possess a number of important characteristics that can apply
to virtually any type of business.
Dress for Success
A professional is neat in appearance. Be sure to meet or even exceed the requirements of your
company's dress code, and pay special attention to your appearance when meeting with prospects or
clients. Even if your workplace tends towards the casual, strive for snappy casual rather than sloppy
casual. Keep something a bit dressier handy in case the big boss or an important client happens by.
Confident, Not Cocky
Your demeanor should exude confidence but not cockiness. Be polite and well-spoken whether you're
interacting with customers, superiors or co-workers. You need to keep your calm, even during tense
situations. Your body language and facial expressions communicate volumes, so be sure they are
conveying the message you want others to hear.
Do What You Say You Will Do
As a professional, you will be counted on to find a way to get the job done. Responding to people
promptly and following through on promises in a timely manner is also important, as this
demonstrates reliability. Be at work on time, start meetings on time and follow through on all your
commitments.
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Be an Expert in Your Field
Professionals strive to become experts in their field, which sets them apart from the rest of the pack.
This can mean continuing your education by taking courses, attending seminars and attaining any
related professional designations. A broad set of skills, from mastering software to clearing jams from
the copying machine, adds to the sense that you're an indispensable member of the team.
Behave Morally and Ethically
Professionals such as doctors, lawyers and public accountants must adhere to a strict code of ethics.
Even if your company or industry doesn't have a written code, you should display ethical behavior at
all times. It's not just a matter of the #MeToo movement; extend professional, respectful, appropriate
behavior to everyone you do business with and in every situation, you find yourself in.
Maintain Your Poise
A professional must maintain his poise even when facing a difficult situation. For example, if a
colleague or client treats you in a belligerent manner, you should not resort to the same type of
behavior.
Have Good Phone Etiquette
Your phone etiquette is also an important component of professional behavior. This means identifying
yourself by your full name, company and title when you place a call. Be sure not to dominate the
conversation and listen intently to the other party. Return calls in a timely manner and follow-up on
any actions you agree to during a conversation.
Strike the Right Tone
During written correspondence, keep your letters brief and to the point. Your tone should be polite
and formal without being "stuffy." This also applies to email correspondence.
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Be Structured and Organized
A professional can quickly and easily find what is needed. Your work area should be neat and
organized, and your briefcase should contain only what is needed for your appointment or
presentation. Few things say "unprofessional" as quickly as a hopelessly cluttered, messy work area.
Own Up to Mistakes
Professionals are accountable for their actions at all times. If you make a mistake, own up to it and try
to fix it if possible. Don't try to place the blame on a colleague. If your company made the mistake,
take responsibility and work to resolve the issue.
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Discuss on how to use good written and oral communication skills
Being able to communicate both verbally and in writing means that you can effectively articulate
messages, information, and ideas to a diversity of people, leading to shared understand.
If you have strong oral communication skills, you’re able to share your ideas and feelings in a way that
others can easily understand. You’re also skilled in public speaking, which means presenting
information with eloquence and confidence.
Those with strong written communication skills can write clear emails and reports, make complex
ideas accessible, and edit others’ writing to ensure accuracy. Additionally, they know how to adapt
their writing to different audiences, from managers to interns to clients. If you have strong
communication skills, you are able to speak and write clearly. If you can speak and write clearly, you
can think through problems, share your ideas, and connect with other people. Communication
encompasses all these crucial skills in one tidy package.
Additionally, people who are excellent communicators have leadership potential, as effective managers
need strong interpersonal skills. If you can communicate, you can engage and inspire others.
Employers look for oral and written communication skills for jobs that require interactions with
others in a clear and efficient manner in order to develop understanding relationships.
An effective oral and written communicator is someone who is able to deliver clear and concise
verbal or written messages that facilitate a mutual understanding in both parties.
Identify
Understanding what it means to have effective oral and written communication skills can help an
individual assess his or her current abilities and identify areas for improvement.
• Use syntax, grammar, and/or vocabulary appropriate to the context and modality
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• Ensure messages are organized, clear, and consistent with any supporting material
• Tailor the message and delivery method to the topic, audience, purpose, and context
• Reflect on one’s own messages and adjusting as appropriate
• Critically analyze others’ messages
• Engage diverse and competing perspectives and the ways they influence communication
Develop
Over the course of your educational experience at Towson University, students can gain oral and
written communication skills through some of the following methods:
FRESHMAN YEAR
• Join a student club or organization (Content Creators Club, Creative Writing Club)
• Write for The Tower light
• Create a LinkedIn profile
• Learn how to write Resumes and Cover Letters
• Learn networking and interviewing skills
• Use the Writing Center for assistance in writing academic papers
• Actively participate in classroom discussions and debates
• Find part-time or full-time work opportunities (find on- and off-campus work
through Handshake)
SOPHOMORE/JUNIOR YEAR
• Consider adding a Communication Studies Minor
• Enroll in elective communication courses
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• Attend networking events and campus career fairs (visit Handshake for a list)
• Complete internships and other experiential learning opportunities (schedule an

appointment with the Career Center)
• Update resume
• Continue visiting the Writing Center
• Continue to develop and practice interviewing and networking skills (Use Big Interview for
practice)
• Conduct informational interviews
• Attend Cook Library Public Speaking Workshops
• Explore and obtain on-campus jobs via Handshake which involve public speaking, such as
Orientation Leaders with New Student and Family Programs or Public Speaking Interns with the
Career Center
SENIOR YEAR
• Participate in employer information sessions
• Attend campus career fairs, networking events and conferences
• Update LinkedIn profile and resume
• Participate in experiential education (Internships, Study Abroad and/or Service-Learning)
• Complete a mock interview (Schedule an appointment through Handshake)

“Communication — the human connection — is the key to personal and career
success.” PAUL J. MEYER
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Articulate
Consider the following activities and identify specific tasks completed within each experience:
• Leadership roles
• Customer service roles
• Public speaking courses
• Internships which include drafting emails, writing reports, and/or giving presentations
• Social media usage
• Meetings
• Editing and writing experience
• Study abroad
• Languages
Use the following list of action verbs to describe activities related to oral and written
communication skills:
• Articulate; author; communicate; correspond; deliver; develop; draft; edit; engage; explain;
facilitate; inform; interpret; listen; persuade; present; promote; publicize; report; sell; speak;
translate; write
Sample resume bullet points
• Drafted and maintained budget through the Student Government Association
• Developed and participated in a group presentation detailing the relationship between politics
and power among South American nations
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• Communicated with current and potential clients in Spanish to address any problems
• Presented “Title of Research Presentation” at summer symposium to peers and faculty
• Edited poetry and photography for inclusion in Poet’s Corner and In Focus
For additional resume assistance, visit the Career Center's Resumes page or schedule
an Appointment.
Interview questions
Be prepared to answer common communication interview questions including:
• Describe a time when you effectively communicated something difficult to a supervisor.
• Tell me about a time when you did not communicate well. What did you learn from it and how
did you correct the situation?
• Tell me about a time when you had to “sell” an idea to your peers or co-workers. How did you
do it, and did they “buy” it?
• Describe a time when you kept other individuals informed about projects or things that impacted
their job or role.
• Describe the most effective written document, report, or presentation you completed. What
made it effective and why are your particularly proud of it?
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Discuss mature judgment, new assignments and employ problem solving skills
Maturity of judgment is the habit of seeing the complexity of issues and yet striving to make timely
decisions. A person with maturity of judgment understands that multiple solutions may be acceptable
while yet appreciating the need to reach closure at times even in the absence of complete knowledge.
The opposite, cognitive immaturity, is imprudent, black-and-white thinking, failing to make timely
decisions, stubbornly refusing to change when reasons and evidence would indicate one is mistaken,
or revising opinions willy-nilly without good reason for doing so.
Problem-solving skill
❖ Problem-solving skills help you determine why an issue is happening and how to resolve that
issue.
❖ It's one of the key skills that employers seek in job applicants.
❖ Problem-solving starts with identifying the issue, coming up with solutions, implementing
those solutions, and evaluating their effectiveness.
❖ Since this is a skill that's important to most employers, put them front and center on your
resume, cover letter, and in interviews.
There are six key problem-solving skills that you should look for when assessing job candidates:
1. Listening skills
Active listeners are generally great problem solvers. They can listen to those around them to gather
the information needed to solve the problem at hand. They recognize the importance of valuing
others’ opinions and experiences to help understand why the problem occurred and the best course
of action to remedy it.
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2. Analytical thinking skills
Analytical thinkers can identify the logical reasons why a problem occurred, what the long-term effects
of the issue could be, and identify how effective different solutions might be to select the most
practical one.
3. Creative thinking skills
Creative thinkers can balance their analytical skills with creative solutions. Creative thinking skills allow
individuals to uncover innovative and progressive solutions to problems. They’re able to provide new
perspectives and provide imaginative and experimental solutions to all kinds of problems.
4. Communication skills
Problem solvers should also possess great communication skills. The ability to effectively relay
complex information thoroughly yet succinctly is a huge benefit for employers working in fast-paced
environments.
5. Decision-making skills
Those with problem-solving skills will also possess the ability to make decisions and be confident in
them. This is important, as most problem-solving steps involve making firm decisions to provide a
successful outcome.
6. Teamwork
Although problem-solvers need to be independent thinkers, it’s also vital for them to work well as
part of a team. Determining the best solution often requires collaboration, so it’s important that
candidates can demonstrate how they can motivate others to come up with the best solutions and
work with them to help develop and implement solutions.
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Why are problem solving skills important?
Problem-solving skills allow you to find candidates who are cognitively equipped to handle anything
their jobs throw at them.
Problem solvers can observe, judge, and act quickly when difficulties arise when they inevitably do.
Moreover, they are not afraid of the unknown, which is invaluable to employers who rely on their
employees to identify and solve problems.
There are several important benefits of problem-solving skills in the workplace. Below, we’ll go
through five of the most significant traits that all problem solvers can bring to their roles and
workplaces.
1. Ability to organize their time intelligently
Time management skills can often be under looked as one of the benefits of problem-solving skills in
the workplace. However, those with problem-solving abilities also typically possess stellar time-
management skills. The ability to manage their time wisely and laser-focus on what’s important to the
business will lead to better decision-making and business impact.
2. Ability to prioritize, plan, and execute strategies
Problem solvers have no issue with carefully assessing customer and client needs and how to prioritize,
plan, and execute strategies for how to meet them. They can manage all moving parts since they can
strategize how best to meet multiple unique demands.
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3. Ability to think outside the box
Problem solvers can often identify opportunities in problems. Thinking outside of the box is an
important problem-solving skill in the workplace since it can often lead to better outcomes than had
been expected originally.
4. Ability to work under pressure
This is often one of the most important benefits of problem-solving skills in the workplace. Problem
solvers often have personalities that respond well under pressure, including accelerated deadlines and
changing project parameters.
Depending on your workplace culture, you might prefer someone who can deliver quick solutions or
someone who takes their time to identify the next steps -- both are valid problem-solving qualities.
5. Ability to address risk
Planning is an important problem-solving skill. Problem solvers are not just equipped to deal with the
problem at hand but are also able to anticipate problems that will arise in the future based on trends,
patterns, experience, and current events.
How to assess problem solving skills
Many organizations use problem-solving interview questions to identify the right candidates for their
job openings. However, the most effective way to assess problem-solving skills is with pre-
employment skills tests.
That's because skills tests provide an objective way to quantify a candidate's problem-solving skills in
a way that isn't possible during an interview.
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Discuss and understand legal processes and procedures
The legal procedure defines our rights and obligations as citizens. It provides the means for
enforcing those rights and obligations, fairly and effectively. It defines where, when, and how legal
action is to be started, conducted, and carried to a conclusion.
Where and When Cases must be brought
The first procedural questions in any case are: where must the case be filed, and when must the case
be filed. These matters are prescribed in the Ohio Constitution, state statutes, and the procedural rules.
In general, jurisdiction and venue concern "where" cases must be filed. Statutes of limitations concern
"when" cases must be filed. Jurisdiction governs the power of Ohio's courts to deal with different
types of civil lawsuits and criminal prosecutions. Venue concerns the location of the particular court
where a case must be tried. Statutes of limitations provide time limits for bringing civil lawsuits and
criminal prosecutions.
❖ Jurisdiction
❖ Venue
❖ Statute of Limitations
-How a Civil Case Begins
A civil case begins when the claimant, or plaintiff, files a written statement of her claim (a complaint)
in a court. Her opponent, or the defendant, must then be notified of the suit and given an opportunity
to answer or challenge the complaint.
141
❖ Complaint
❖ Notice to the Defendant
❖ Answer
❖ Motions
❖ Discovery Proceedings
❖ Pretrial Conference
How a Criminal Case Begins
There are four common ways to begin a criminal case:
1. the filing of a complaint by a private citizen;
2. the return of an indictment by a grand jury;
3. in certain cases, a proper arrest without a warrant, followed by the filing of a complaint; and
4. the issuance of a summons or citation.
❖ Complaint
❖ Indictment
❖ Arrest
❖ Bail
❖ Preliminary Hearing in Felony Cases
❖ Grand Jury Action on Bind overs
❖ Arraignment
❖ Pleadings and Motions in Criminal Cases
❖ Discovery in Criminal Cases
❖ Pretrial Conference
142
Trial
The main steps in a trial include the selection of a jury; opening statements by the attorneys;
presentation of witnesses and evidence (the complaining party always goes first, and the defense next);
closing arguments by the attorneys; instructions by the judge to the jury; and deliberation and decision
by the jury. Civil and criminal trials use essentially the same process.
❖ The Trial as an Adversary Proceeding

❖ Burden and Degree of Proof
❖ Jury and Non-Jury Cases
❖ The Start of the Trial
❖ Choosing the Jury
❖ Opening Statements
❖ Order of Presenting Evidence
❖ How Evidence is Presented
❖ Examining Witnesses
❖ How Witnesses Should Act
❖ Final Arguments
❖ Instructions to the Jury
❖ Verdict
❖ Judgment
Proceedings after the Trial
A number of legal proceedings may be conducted after the trial is over. In civil cases, it may be
necessary to take steps to enforce the judgment. In criminal cases, particularly serious cases, sentencing
is often a separate proceeding. The losing party may appeal in either a civil or criminal case. In some
143
criminal cases, there may be a probation revocation hearing, or the offender may, at a later date, ask
for post-conviction relief on the ground that his constitutional rights were not adequately protected.
❖ Enforcing Civil Judgments

❖ Sentencing in Criminal Cases
❖ Appeal
❖ Other Post-trial Proceedings
144
Discuss using a good working legal vocabulary
Words are the essential tools of the law. In the study of law, language has great importance; cases turn
on the meaning that judges ascribe to words, and lawyers must use the right words to effectuate the
wishes of their clients. It has been said that you will be learning a new language when you study law,
but it’s actually a bit more complicated. There are at least four ways in which you encounter the
vocabulary of law.
First, and most obvious, you will be learning new words that you probably have not encountered
before. These words and phrases have meaning only as legal terms. Words or phrases such as res
judicata, impleader, executor interest, demurrer and mends oblige students to acquire some new
vocabulary. Learning the meaning of these words is essential to understand any case or discussion
which uses them.
Second, and a bit more difficult, some recognizable words take on different or new meanings when
used in the law. Malice, for example, when used in the law of defamation, does not mean hatred or
meanness; it means ―with reckless disregard for the truth. Similarly, ―consideration‖ in contract law,
has nothing to do with thoughtfulness; it means something of value given by a party to an agreement.
When a party is ―prejudiced‖ in the law it usually means that the party was put at some disadvantage,
not that the party is bigoted. ―Fixtures‖ in property law are much more than bathroom and kitchen
equipment. There are many words like this in the law, and students must shake loose their ordinary
understanding of a word to absorb its legal meaning. Words that have distinct or specialized meanings
in the law are sometimes called ―terms of art.
145
Third, there are words whose meaning expands contracts or changes, depending on the context or the
place in which it is used. In one context (divorce, for example), a person may be considered a resident‖
of a state if she has lived there for 6 months. In another context (getting a driver’s license) a person
may be considered a resident‖ after just a few days. In one state, a person may be said to possess‖ a
firearm if it is within his/her reach in an auto. In another state, that person might have to be in control
of the firearm to be considered in possession of it. Thus, the same word can have a different meaning
depending on what question is being asked, and where it is being asked.
Fourth, there are words that have come to signify large bodies of law or legal doctrine, and act as
shorthand terms for complex concepts. The terms unfair competition, due process of law, foreseeable,
and cruel and unusual punishment‖ are a few examples. These terms have been subject to
interpretation by judges in many cases over long periods of time, and there is little hope of finding a
clear and concise definition that can serve in all contexts.
Finally, students need to develop a heightened respect for linguistic precision. Because the meaning of
words is so crucial to the craft of lawyering, students will be expected to use words carefully and
precisely. You will learn, for example, that there are legally significant differences between ―Sally lives
in the United States, Sally resides in the United States, Sally is domiciled in the United States, and Sally
is a citizen of the United States. Even grammar and punctuation can be crucial: a person who leaves
$50,000 ―to each of my children who took care of me, has a different intention than a person who
leaves $50,000 to each of my children, who took care of me. The lawyer drafting the will needs to
know how to wield that comma, or better yet, how to avoid any confusion in the first place Discuss
on how to organize tasks/materials effectively and pay attention to detail
146
Discuss on how to organize tasks/materials effectively and pay attention to detail.
Success is a result of long-term planning and daily action. Good organization helps you gain control
of your time so you can plan and complete the tasks needed to achieve your goals.
Here are eight organizational tips that will help you reach your long-term goals at work.
1. Focus on what’s important
Remind yourself of your long-term goals and revise them when necessary. Set daily priorities to meet
your goals. Keep photos of your family or inspirational pictures nearby.
2. Make lists
Make daily, weekly and monthly to-do lists of important tasks. Review your daily priorities at the
beginning of each day.
3. Manage your time well
Schedule quiet time at work to accomplish task need extra concentration. Do your most challenging
work when your energy is at its highest; save less demanding work for other times. If you tend to
procrastinate, focus on the sense of accomplishment you’ll feel when the job is done. Use commute
time to plan your day’s activities.
4. Use calendars and planners
Check your work calendar daily to review your activities and avoid conflicts. Write down all
commitments in pencil rather than trusting your memory. Use planning and scheduling forms and
software to help you map out long-term projects.
147
5. Delegate tasks
Assign tasks to others when the task is not on your level of expertise. Provide adequate training and
feedback on assigned project
6. Manage your mail and phone calls
Sort incoming mail into categories by priority on action. Use voice mail to screen phone calls.
7. Reduce clutter
Clear your workspace. Keep only the most critical items and information you need daily on the top
of your desk. Archive resource materials you rarely use. Toss out duplicate information and materials
that will soon be outdated. Leave blank space on bookshelves for growth.
8. Stay organized
Organize files by priority and keep the most important ones within arm’s reach. Spend 15 minutes at
the end of each day clearing your desk and 15 minutes the next morning planning for your day’s
activities. Review items one through seven on this list.
148
Discussion
As an intern you should know the legal terms. Also intern learn how to draft the petition, replies,
written submission, etc. they have to learn how to write organize, concise and persuasive prose. Interns
are required to do all those things that lawyers do in daily life and work.
Conclusion
This internship not only teaches the student of legal office procedure, but it also teaches to mix work
with the right amount of fun to give a very satisfying and invigorating work environment. The
internship is very chill experience where you stand to learn a significant amount whilst also having the
freedom to express yourself.
149
Recommendation
Internships are usually short-term. They’re smaller investments in time and energy than full-time jobs.
But they are certainly without a doubt a great investment of our time.
Consequently, they’re perfect opportunities to explore our options. You deserve work that’s fulfilling.
Our internship is going to shape the course of our career. It’ll assist you in acquiring the skills you
need to perform up-to-par when you’re hired full-time. It’s essential you use our internship as the
training opportunity it represents.
I’m sure to have a bright future if you work hard, build positive relationships, and use the skills you
develop in your internship to your advantage.
150
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all, I would like to thank the supreme power of the almighty god who always guides me to
work on the right path of life, without his grace this project could not become a reality.
Next is I would like to express my gratitude and give my warmest thanks to my professor Mr. Arnaldo
Bernabe who made this project possible. His guidance and advice carried me through all the stages of
the project. Many thanks to the lectures that gave us ideas and guiding us in achieving the goal as well
as their encouragement to maintain our progress in track. My profound thanks go to all classmates,
especially to my friends for spending their time in helping and giving support whenever I need it in
fabricating my project.
Finally, I thanked God for letting me through all the difficulties. I have experienced your guidance day
by day. I will keep trusting you in my future. I am thankful to all my friends and classmate who have
been always helping and encouraging me though out the year. I have no valuable words to express my
thanks but my heart is still full of the favors received from every person.
151
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154

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ST.

IGNATIUS TECHNICAL INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS AND ARTS

A RESEARCH STUDY ON LEGAL OFFICE INTERNSHIP

A project Research Study

Presented to our professor of

St. Ignatius Technical Institute of Business and Arts

MR. ARNALDO BERNABE

and supervisor evaluation

❖ Characteristic of an effective internship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117-120

Acknowledgement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .…. . . .... 151

Introduction to Internship /Literature

Legal environment myths and reality

Determine information on internship experiences; Describing office work, Assignments, and

Analytical and Logical Reasoning

Knowledge of Substantive Law and Legal Procedure

NON-LEGAL WORK-RELATED SKILLS

Describe record keeping procedures, different work environments; Insights, difficulties,

3. Return original documents/documents provided by the client immediately after imaging.

Describe office systems (filing, billing, timekeeping, calendaring, etc.)

❖ Automatic and easily adjustable date entries.

❖ The system should be backed up daily.

Accounting and Billing Systems

❖ Establishes and accurately maintains a firm’s financial records.

2. Extend confidentiality training to legal and non-legal staff

What forms can confidential Information take?

Examples of Confidential Information

Business & Marketing Plans Information Received from Third Parties

Company Initiatives Company Financial Account Information

Customer Information and Lists Social Security Numbers

Information Relating to Intellectual

Invention or Patent Health Information

Research Data Self-Restricted Personal Data

Passwords and IT-related Information Credit Card Information

Confidential information is generally defined as information disclosed to an individual employee or

5 Examples of How Confidential Information Can Be Used

Protecting Company Confidential Information

Receiving Confidential Information from Third Parties

How can a business be damaged by accepting the confidential information of others?

Nondisclosure Obligations and Agreements

What is a Non-Disclosure Agreement?

Choosing the Appropriate NDA

Describe client relationships, role-playing exercises on managing difficult clients

Take on the right clients

Pre-screen and pre-qualify clients by:

❖ Asking the right questions

Manage clients’ expectations

Know your boundaries and set limits

Provide excellent service

Obtain client feedback

Handling Difficult Client Conversations

Focus on the client.

Lay the groundwork for bad news – and go slowly.

Acknowledge the client’s feelings.

Let clients know that they’re not alone.

Work toward a resolution based on where you are now.

Focus on the positive.

Client Relationships Are the Heart of a Business

Building Great Relationships

Respect the Client’s Time

Treat Clients as Individuals

How to get it done?

• Use personalized communication

• Use the right term