The Dangers of Getting Jobs Through Friends and Family

Men are more ready to repay an injury than a benefit, because gratitude is a burden and revenge a pleasure. -Tacitus (c. 55-120 A.D.) “Oh, I already have a friend there. I’ll just contact them.” In the legal recruiting realm, this is one of the more common things we hear after informing an attorney that a certain law firm has a job opening. There is a lot you need to consider before you decide to apply to a job through a friend or relative or take a job working for a friend or relative. First, it is exceedingly rare that a friend or family member will ever be able to get you a position. The reason for [Read more]

The Greek Parthenon and Your Career

One of the most important lessons for our lives and careers comes from the Parthenon in Greece. The Parthenon has been standing in the same location for almost 2,500 years and is considered one of the world’s great cultural monuments. It is largely because of the Parthenon’s multiple columns that the Parthenon has survived for so long. If you understand and employ the lessons of the Parthenon, you should never have any issues with feeling secure in your career and life. I personally have run my career according to what I call the Parthenon [Read more]

Do Not Be Influenced by Others’ Negative Opinions of You

I have kept a journal for years.  Today I opened the journal and found a quote that I had written down on July 4, 2002.   I had written this quote down because at the time I had just gotten out of a relationship in which the person I was with had decided that I could do absolutely nothing right whatsoever.  At that time I was reading a self-help book about recovering from bad relationships, and this particular quote had really hit me with a tremendous amount of gusto, because I believed it really described what I had been going through.  I was sitting [Read more]