Timeframe - Duke University School of Law



Examining your Skills and Interests, Personal Style and Values is the first step to forging a satisfying life in the law. Leave out any of these components, and a job may be interesting intellectually, for example, but not enable you to work in teams, where you often do your best work. Likewise, choosing a practice setting that is characterized by constant time-sensitive and deadline-driven work will be frustrating if you don’t thrive under high pressure, or if you prioritize time with family over other values.The following exercises will help you to choose and prioritize your skills, style and values, keeping in mind that every job requires compromise. After completing these exercises, we encourage you to make an appointment to speak with a career counselor about your responses and how they align with specific practice areas and settings. As you work through this process, family, friends and former employers can often provide additional insight, too. Self-Assessment ResourcesIn addition to the exercises which follow, the Career Center library contains a variety of resources for your review, including:Guerrilla Tactics for Getting the Legal Job of Your Dreams, Kimm Walton (2nd Edition)What Can You Do With a Law Degree, Deborah Arron (5th Edition)Do What You Are, Tieger & Barron-Tieger (4th Edition) The Official Guide to Legal Specialties (NALP)Exercise I:Circle those “Skills” and “Interests” that appear most often in your resume descriptions and/or represent areas in which you naturally excel. Choose ten (10), and then rank them in order of strength/relative priority.Your Skills and Interests: DataAdministeredAnalyzedComparedComputedCompiledCoordinatedDesignedDevelopedDirectedEditedFiguredImplementedInnovatedOrganized PlannedRecordedReportedResearchedSynthesizedTheorizedWroteYour Skills and Interests: PeopleAdvisedCoordinatedCounseledDirectedEncouragedEntertainedEvaluatedGuidedHelped InstructedInterviewedManagedMotivatedNegotiatedOrganizedPersuadedProtectedReferredServedSharedSupervisedTrainedYour Skills and Interests: ThingsBuiltHandledInspectedOperatedRepairedShapedTended TestedExercise II:Choose the three (3) traits which most closely define your personal style. Add others not included, but that are meaningful to you or necessary for your success (e.g., an organized workspace, predictable hours).Your Personal StyleWork as part of a group or teamWork alone or one-on-oneUse concrete facts and hard dataDevelop new possibilities (big picture)Use logical, objective analysisUse subjective, person-centered valuesCreate organization and structureSpontaneous, flexible, adaptableWork within clear parameters or guidelinesWork with people who know as much as you doHelp people without expert knowledge by teaching and explainingOthers:____________________________________________________________________________Exercise III:Choose the three (3) values that most commonly drive your professional (and personal) choices. Add others not included, but that are meaningful to you.Your ValuesAchievementAction, adventureAestheticsAutonomyCreativityPeace of mindSense of humor, witIntellectual challengeFamilyHelping othersLoyaltyIntegrityNatureFunRecognitionReligious or spiritual convictionSecurityWealthTravelLeisureWhat part of the process is holding you back? What information do you need to move forward? What are your next steps?Personal Development PlanTimeframeDevelopment Areas/ ObjectivesWhat knowledge or core skills do I want to enhance?Development ActivityHow will I do this?Target DateWhen will I do it? Do I need review dates in-between?Expected OutcomeHow will I know I have achieved this? What does success look like?Short Term (3 – 6 months)Medium Term (1 year) Long Term (3 – 5 years)Where do you have/need experience?Source of Tailored ExperienceCurrent ExperienceExperience NeededNext StepsSpecial skills and trainingPublications (what you read)Publications (what you write)Honors and AwardsTravel/Work AbroadProfessional MembershipsPresentationsGovernment or Military ServiceDemonstrated Interests ................
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