So, I have an interview on Monday. With Legal Aid.
My Director passed on my resume to their Director, who happened to have an opening, and she called me and asked if I wanted to interview for the position. Never one to turn down a rollicking good interview, I said “absolutely”!
And now I am pondering this – on the plus side, it’s close to my current work, I wouldn’t have to leave the OPS to take the job, since my Director said she would arrange a secondment. It pays about the same as my current position, is only for 6 months, and it has a writing aspect to it that my current job lacks. I’d be preparing speeches and news releases and feature articles and whatnot.
Also, Legal Aid is a really cool concept, and I’d be working for and with a lot of the same stakeholders we have in my government job (single mothers fighting for child support from delinquent fathers, domestic abuse cases, new immigrants, seniors living below the poverty line, persons with disabilities). So there’s that aspect of helping the community and using my communications skills to further social causes.
But on the other hand, I’d be working with lawyers all day (I sense they’re not all as cool as Paul), and I would be really probing new territory while also learning a new corporate environment. It’s one thing to change companies, it’s quite another to change companies AND learn the finer points of business writing at the same time. This ain’t LiveJournalling, kids, it’s SPEECHifying!
What do you think? Should I really push for this change?
You haven’t been watching, have you? …good. 🙂
Actually, it sounds like it could be really cool. It’s only temporary, so it’d be a crash course without permanent consequences. I can’t imagine you’ll be bad at the writing part of it. Do some research for basic tips and then let your natural talent do the rest.
I’ve been thinking about working on speechwriting, actually, because it’d be a good skill to have (here, Big Boss Man would never unclench to let someone else write his speeches, but further on it could be really useful) so I’ll be interested to follow your progress. 🙂
do it. Like you said, it’s only for six months. Also, I have an idea that lawyyers working at Legal Aid are not at all like corporate lawyers, so they may be cool. And yu get to fight the good fight every day! Superheroine Moira! You need a better name than that though.
-caellum
….as I like to picture all lawyers as being like Alex on Law and Order SVU, but it sounds kind of cool. If you’re not losing anything by taking it, it could be a good move. Couldn’t it?
Well, there’s always the hope that I’ll suddenly start looking more like Sam Seaborn, and then suddenly they’ll be grooming me to become the next President of the United States. Although I suppose that’s unlikely, given my birthplace is Ontario, which only a few misguided Americans mistake as being located in upstate New York.
Alternately, I could turn out like Toby Ziegler – balding, divorced, and severly embittered, but with the madd skillz. Ugh!
I choose Toby, every time. Rob Lowe lost me circa St. Elmo’s Fire.
The Moirinator? No, no. Sounds too much like “Urinator”, implying that my secret weapon is pee. (Which it might be. But it’s a secret!)
Moiratron?
The Incredible Moira?
Legalatrix?
The Silver Solicitor?
Notary-ous?
The Advocator?
The Caped Attorney?
Moiranda Rights?
Do it. It’s new skills, a good credit on the resume, an almost painless transition, and a time-limited experiment. There are no downsides here.
Legal aid lawyers have a better chance of being cool, even if if they’re also probably a little crazy, harried and under-appreciated (see ‘This is Wonderland’).
Do it!
Do it! Change jobs for a while! All the cool kids are doing it!
Seriously, I think that having the speechwriting to diversify your writing portfolio will be great for you in the long run, not to mention the fact that it demonstrates you’re willing to push the limits of your skills. Plus, the fact that your office is willing to arrange a secondary for you is a good endorsement to the Legal Aid people that you’re worth the risk on their part as well.
The Moirinator? – yeah, what you said. -1 score
Moiratron – Forget it, mister high-and-mighty Master Control! You’re not going to make me talk! +1
The Incredible Moira? – redundant, but catchy, +1
Legalatrix? – the power to summon Legolas, who will pepper your enemies with arrows. I hate Legolas of LegoLand. -1
The Silver Solicitor – No international appeal, we Yanks thnk of solicitors as those annoying people who show up at your door to sell you magazine subscriptions. While that would be an effective power… no. -2
Notary-ous? – A good name for furthering your rising rap career, and with the right costume you could fight crime and rhyme and make criminals do time, cos they are slime and out of line. +7
The Advocator? – I think they have a commercial here with a guy named that. He sells advertising spots in the daily paper. And he is lame. Also lest we forget international intellectual property laws. +1
The Caped Attorney – We all know the dangers of caped costumes from watching The Incredibles. No capes, you may get sucked into a passing jet or hauled into the sky by a rocket. -5
Moiranda Rights – Better suited for a detective show. You could team up with Sipowitz. I always hate Ricky Schroeder, what a little tool! Neutral score.
Alright, my vote is for Notary-ous.
You appeal to my neverending need to be judged and graded. Thank you for your feedback, Professor Bastion.
Notary-ous it will be, should I beat out the (rather stiff) competition.
Or, you could be like the other guy (from later seasons) – I’ve forgotten his name. He’s cute – in a young Brian-Switzer kind of way – and deeply devoted to doing the best thing for the world…never bad!
C
Do it – it’ll be a great opportunity, and the `only six months’ thing is a real boon. I agree with all the above re: `legal aid has more potential for cool’ (or at least not highly un-cool).
Yay Moira!
C
go to the interview wearing your bling-bling style, yo, and represent free-style about LegalAid keeping tha sisters outta Cell Block H. Or not. It’s up to you.
-caellum
*moral support, blah, blah*
I guess you’re anxious about the possible change… Just remember the litany against fear…
What, “fear is the mindkiller, the little death”?
Yes, you’re right, it’s considerably better than facing the Gom Jabbar and the box of pain.