Plona Partners’ Post

This question shows up a lot in interviews: What is the proudest moment of your career? My proudest moment of my career was completing my bachelor degree in spanish. - I became more informed on social issues - I saved much time and money with my translation skills - I gained people's trust - I learned practical general writing skills I have two bachelor degrees. One in spanish and the other in criminal justice. Criminal justice was my first choice because I thought it was a more practical degree, and honestly, I didn't know if I was smart enough to finish a spanish degree. I realized later that I didn't need a criminal justice degree; a minor would have sufficed. I could have earned the same jobs and more if I had focused more on the degree I had more fun with, but didn't have the confidence to do. In all honesty, CJ classes were also very redundant. In Spanish, there was always something new, and it took much more skill to learn. I missed out on many fun spanish classes and travel opportunities because I truly thought my criminal justice degree should be the priority though my heart was with spanish. Because COVID ruined my plans, it also took me so much longer to graduate and I never got to travel. I would not tell myself to hyper focus on one goal like that again. It is better to be a well rounded person. When I started working in the criminal justice field, there was so much pressure to move up the ranks as quickly as possible. Recruiting bonuses and credit are not always a good incentive to bring out the best in people, though they can be useful. They didn't really care if I got in because they still got credit for the referral, which is a bad system. When others got in, I didn't see much support from people who were aggressive about getting their referral credit. I couldn't let go of the fact that I was progressing through my spanish, and I found so much belonging doing my studies. So, I didn't prioritize that career field at that moment. I didn't regret it. Then, I prioritzed my daughter. I was not supportive of the demands of the culture in the field I chose. I was too nerdy, and I wasn't going to make my work partnerships the pinnacle of my life, with or without my daughter. The fact I was still allowed on the street during my pregnancy was actually very unique compared to other police departments. 📚 Finishing school and getting a taste of the bigger picture in life gave me so much confidence. I am no longer afraid of rejection. When one door closes, another one opens. 🤝 Your message and personality is meant to attract and repel. These days, I'm attracting people who want the best for others, and love having and idealist on their team. I never want to stop my language studies. I am continuing my growth in writing, and keeping up with my Spanish. I found an inner talent because I changed from a practical woman to someone who followed her heart. I have been enjoying the other things I am up to whole heartedly too. 🎨💪🩰👗

Want to step into the exciting and fast-paced Tech Legal World and gain some valuable first work experience while studying? 👩🎓 🤓 🚀 Then have a closer look at our brand new job opening in our Legal team and come work with me and my team as a Working Student in #dataprivacy and #commerciallegal. #jobsinberlin #legaljobsinberlin #legaljobsinsaxony #workingstudents #saasjobs #lawandtechnology

Aspiring solicitor with no experience? This is how to land your first legal role. 1. 📄 Develop and draft a STRONG CV. Make the most out of your opportunities. Demonstrate how your academic study and other experiences will help you thrive in your work at a law firm. The stronger your CV, the better the opportunities that will come your way. 2. 👨💼 Find LEGAL RECRUITMENT AGENCIES in your local area, and send them your CV. Agencies are often looking for students and recent graduates for entry level roles. These roles are great for getting your foot in the door. 3. 💻 Upload your CV to websites like CV LIBRARY so recruiters can find you easily and can contact you about suitable positions. 4. ⚖️ VOLUNTEER at a law firm or other organisation. Do PRO BONO work. This may count as qualifying work experience, and will help you land your first paralegal role. Legal work experience is extremely valuable. Aim to get your foot in the door as quickly as possible, and learn as much as you can. It will open up lots of doors for you in the future. ☺️

As someone deeply passionate about empowering fellow legal professionals, I believe it's important to explore alternative avenues for income and professional fulfillment, especially in light of rising unemployment rates within the legal sector. Here are some ways I’ve embraced opportunities beyond the traditional legal career: 💡 Diversifying Income: I've found that leveraging my legal knowledge can open doors to consulting services, tutoring, freelance writing, or content creation tailored to a legal audience. Exploring entrepreneurship opportunities within legal niches can, and has been incredibly rewarding for me. 📚 Education and Tutoring: I offer tutoring services for law students and aspiring legal professionals preparing for board exams. I also host workshops, seminars, and classes, where I share my knowledge, skills, and expertise. Sharing specialized knowledge in this way not only supports others but also provides a valuable income stream. 🌐 Digital Presence and Content Creation: Embracing platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn allows me to create engaging legal content. By sharing insights, tips, and career advice, I've been able to build a following and explore monetization opportunities through partnerships and sponsorships. 🤝 Networking and Collaboration: Actively connecting with like-minded individuals across diverse industries has been transformative. Through networking, I've discovered opportunities that I didn't even know existed, leading to exciting collaborations and ventures that align with my interests and skills. Unemployment can serve as a catalyst for exploring new horizons and discovering untapped potential within ourselves. Let's embrace creativity, resilience, and the power of our legal backgrounds to forge meaningful careers outside traditional norms. Together, we can navigate these challenging times and build a future filled with purpose and prosperity. What alternative career paths or income streams have you explored in the legal field? I'd love to hear your experiences and ideas! 🚀 #unemployment #lawgraduates

TikTok accounts to help with your revision (because scrolling can count as studying) 🧑🏻💻📚📲 @jakeh4rper Day in the life of a UoL student Dissertation Diaries  All the final year feels and making the most of your time in Liverpool @izzydrake01 Daily, content about her dissertation journey Realistic content - no magic filters here! Helpful budgeting advice @studymatic Medical student POV Productivity tips and general student advice 'revision methods for lazy students' is a personal fave @hype_collective Funny and relateable uni content Advice for first years, final years and everyone in between @legallylucy Law student advice Tips on writing essays, revision schedules and how to actually be productive Job advice like cover letter tips, interview points and how to get work experience @excelcamp Your Excel best friend

A wise man once told me "Stop relating with what you do, start relating with the skills you have. You will make more money that way." I thought through this statement and some things make sense to me. Let me explain it this way ⬇️ I wear a hat. I call it the "Law hat". It is a hat I am privileged to wear by professional training. "Law is a noble profession", they say, and I agree. I love this hat because it is esteemed as noble and prestigious. But then I realised . . . Being a Lawyer makes it easy for me to do every other thing. If I am interested in Tech, I can be a Tech Lawyer. If am interested in Intellectual Property, I can be an Intellectual Property Lawyer. If I am interested in Telecommunications, I can be a Telecommunications Lawyer. ...And so on. I can be everything and anything, and that is because of the SKILLS I have. There are transferrable skills acquired in the course of professional training which makes it easier to adapt in any other field. Other examples? Today, I am skilled in ➡️ Writing ➡️ Mentoring ➡️ Brand Communication ➡️ Negotiation I know a thing or two about sales and marketing. All because of the skills I have garnered from my training, expertise, and experience over the years. What is the point? You can be a trained Medical Doctor and build a thriving career in Virtual Assistance because of the organisational skills you learnt along the way. You can be a trained Engineer and excel in Management because of your expertise and experience. So, whenever you desire to advance, look within and relate MORE with your skills than any "professional tag". You will just be amazed at how much value you can offer and how much returns will come to you. So, going by the counsel of the wise man, I am NOT just a lawyer, I can be anything and everything depending on the skills I need to invest per time. How about you? 📌📌 THERE'S MORE WHERE IT CAME FROM. Share this post and follow Grace Kalu for more! #gkthementor

I would struggle to tell you what university any of my staff went to, what school they attended or what was on their resume. In fact, I rarely read resumes and have hired many lawyers and support staff over the years without seeing a resume. I figure if you have a practicing certificate you have a level of understanding for the law, you clearly are able to commit to your goals (because law school is boring) and you must be able to read and write. I don’t care about your scores. You may have failed a unit because you had a rough semester, you might have aced another because the lecturer went easy on everyone. At the end of the day your uni results aren’t a reflection of who you are as a person (P’s get degrees, right?) I have been in business 9 years. I hire with intuition. I just need to meet a person to know if they are the right fit for our office. The law can be taught, moulding a lawyer in to an epic negotiator and advocate can be done with a bit of mentoring but I can’t teach genuine kindness, empathy, warmth and a good sense of humour. Your character is important in the law. Don’t dull your light to fit into a corporate world, shine it bright so people can see the best of you. ☀️

The most important lesson I've learned throughout my career is the power of saying these four words — "I need your help." As a shy kid with a stutter who began his career in sales, I wouldn't have lasted a second if I hadn't sought out help. As a shy adult who sometimes still stutters, I wouldn't have lasted a second teaching communication skills if I hadn't sought out help from others. As someone who has trouble writing 700-word articles, I would have never gotten my upcoming book over the line if I hadn't sought out help from others. In fact, every time I screwed up or got stuck for an abnormal amount of time, the one red thread is I tried to go at it alone. Some people view asking for help as a sign of weakness. Ignore those people. Admitting you don't have all the answers and seeking out guidance is a career accelerant. Plus, if I've learned anything in my career is that most people want to help, but they'll never know you need it if you don't ask for it.

🎉 New year, new languages. 📣 We're happy to announce that we've added two new languages to the Clevry assessment platform: German and Slovak. 🚀 If you're hiring in the DACH region or Slovakia and looking to level up your hiring process, check out how Clevry can help. 👉 https://lnkd.in/dHZ7kUFB #Clevry #SoftSkills #SkillsFirstHiring #TalentAssessments