Using the free online web tool Wordle.net, I generated word clouds from two very different Canadian legal-themed blogs (one similarity: they are both excellent). It makes me think about the words I use most frequently to share my perspective on legal issues and the law.
What are yours?
^inspired by http://slaw.ca (generated using http://wordle.net)
^inspired by http://thecourt.ca (image generated using http://wordle.net)
Finding what’s relevant online can be a real challenge at times. The speed and urgency with which RSS feeds, social media titans (e.g. the Seth Godins, Chris Brogans and Guy Kawasakis of the world) and Twitter pros push content have the power to make even the most tuned in info-sponges feel like river weeds being held under by the current.
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed, here’s a simple way to find content you care about: ask 2 friends to share 2 links they feel are important, and pass them along. This method was inspired by Six Pixels of Separation‘s Mitch Joel, who makes a weekly effort to post “6 Links Worth your Time” with help from 2 friends.
Here are mine this week (which happens to be National Volunteer Week):
James Lockyer – a professional bio on one of Canada’s great legal heroes, James Lockyer of Lockyer Campbell Posner, based in Toronto, Ontario Canada. Why is he a hero? Lockyer spearheaded the late 90’s wrongful convictions movement as a reaction to “get tough on crime” policies and irresponsible media coverage that locked innocent people behind bars. People like Guy Paul Morin and David Milgaard are two of his most famous clients — both convicted of heinous crimes they didn’t commit. Stories of wrongful convictions like this one are heartbreaking, and it’s because of champions like James Lockyear that the stories don’t have to end in tragedy.
Governor General David Johnston – a fairly comprehensive bio on Wikipedia of Canada’s newest GG, and former President of my alma mater, the University of Waterloo. Johnston is a hero of mine because of his distinguished academic career, his dedication to public service, and the way he remains approachable despite it all. A true leader, he helped grow Waterloo into the city and academic hub it is today. He had this message for Canadians on National Volunteer Week — a message he has practised in the past, and continues to uphold in one of our highest appointed public offices. If only more Canadians could be more like the Right Honourable David J.
If you’re not inspired after reading about these two gentlemen’s distinguished careers, please share a link or two of people who DO inspire you — I look forward to learning about them.
After a long slumber, IvanMerrow.com has reawakened and has started to evolve along with a changing set of priorities. This is a brief breakdown of some of the changes I’ve made and the reasons why.
New Header; Accepted to Queen’s
For about a year now the header for IvanMerrow.com was a picture of the beautiful Toronto skyline, where I was proud to reside as a co-op student over a few seasons. Soon after my location changed back to Kitchener-Waterloo (KW), and then to Ottawa for co-op, and then back again to KW so I could finish my undergraduate degree. All the while I kept the Toronto skyline on IvanMerrow.com, knowing I’d be back before long. However, I’m proud to say that in August I’ll be moving to Kingston Ontario, where I’ve been admitted as a dual JD/MBA candidate at Queen’s starting September 2011. My header has been updated to reflect the change.
Out with the Old, in with the New
Old sections I got rid of that were no longer applicable:
New features I added to keep up with the times:
IvanMerrow.com remains an ongoing web development project as its goals change. For now I’d like to see IvanMerrow.com originated blog content show up via links in Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn feeds to drive traffic. To gain exposure, I’d also like to start generating content worthy of contribution to some top Canadian legal blogs over the next two years. Check back soon — you might be surprised at how much things have changed.
For many students at the University of Waterloo, the third weekend of class is spent applying to co-op jobs for their next 4-month semester. Thousands of students polish up their resumes and log onto JobMine (our campus co-op job posting server) to look for opportunities that resonate with them. This past weekend I did the same thing, but this semester is a little different. Fall 2010 will be my last co-op term before I graduate.
Looking back at my experiences with co-op, I sometimes wonder what my degree might have been like without it. It’s hard to imagine, because co-op has been such a huge part of my university experience. Here are a few reasons why I think co-op is so essential – and why I can’t imagine having an education without it.
Interview IQ
Some of the greatest opportunities available to us in life require an interview – but how often does the average person get to practice interview skills in real life? Answering questions appropriately, dressing to impress, and preparing intelligent questions are all difficult skills to master by studying theory alone.
Co-op students may have up anywhere from 5-15 interviews every academic semester, both in person and on the phone. Completing a battery of three interviews in one day between classes, projects and presentations isn’t rare. Interviews have taught me how to present myself professionally to not only potential employers, but also clients and business partners – an important skill I’ll use for the rest of my life.
Learning How to Hit the Ground Running
In just 4 months, co-op students have to learn a new job quickly so we can become productive as soon as possible. Unless employers have a strong co-op orientation program, it’s usually left up to us to learn on the job. In a new environment, we need to quickly integrate into a new work culture and master new skills depending on what is expected of us.
One thing every student learns at university is how to learn. Each academic semester and work term builds a portfolio of professional skills we can draw on, and we always keep learning new things. The Microsoft Office suite quickly becomes second nature to most co-ops. Programming languages are practiced and picked up, as are soft skills like writing effective emails and telephone etiquette.
It’s often said that most 21st century professionals can expect to change their career at least once in their lives. Knowing how to quickly adapt to new environments allows co-op students to embrace these changes and succeed no matter where they go.
Clarifying Career Goals and Objectives
Entering university, every student has lots of ideas about what they might be one day. Co-op work terms help clarify those goals with each 4 month experiment. Trying different industries, work cultures, and company sizes helps university students discover their passions before they graduate and commit to a full time job. If they are lucky, a co-op may stumble on their dream job half way through their degree and return once they graduate. The diverse group of people we meet in each workplace helps us find both role models and people we never want to be.
In essence, co-op helps define our ideal career by letting us try up to six different ones. And that has helped me define my own career path, starting April 2011.
Sometimes metaphors reveal themselves in ways you’d never expect. Recently I spent an afternoon outside carrying a truckload of chopped wood across the yard, and stacked it in a neat pile. At the end of it I had two things: a nice pile of wood and the realization that stacking wood is a lot like life. Here’s why.
1. Starting with a plan is a good idea.
A stack of wood without a plan is just another pile of wood. Mine needed to be tall and straight, and located in a key spot next to the fire pit, because that’s what I wanted. We begin a lot of tasks by determining what we want and tracing the steps we need to take to get there. So why don’t we approach life that way?
Determining what we want out of life can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. Visualize what you want your life to look like. Then map out the steps you need to take to get there.
2. Optimism and confidence can only take you so far.
I’m a big believer in optimism. Keeping an open mind allows you to take chances other people might not. You can’t drown in what-ifs when you’re optimistic – you start things – you learn and grow from everything new you try.
However, when you’re building up a stack of wood, optimism doesn’t keep the stack from falling down. You still need to place each piece in a stable position if you expect it to stand up for long. Life is like that. Optimism helps you get started and get over those unavoidable mistakes. It doesn’t keep your life from falling apart, it helps you pick up the pieces when it does. Laying down a strong foundation is what supports your stack, so take the time to do it right.
3. One bad log can’t take down the whole pile.
In my final stack of logs there was more than one that was a little unsteady. But if my pile collapsed it wasn’t because of any one log, it was usually because it wasn’t supported from below.
Work, relationships, health, finances and spirituality– these are all things that play a role in our lives in one way or another. Keeping a balance helps us deal with the odd log that starts to roll out from under us.
4. Things don’t always fit together the way you think they will.
Sometimes it’s tough to tell where to put a piece of wood. You can tell by the shape if it’s going to fit on top of the others, but you never really know until you slap it on to see if it wobbles.
Relationships, jobs and many other parts of your life are like that. You think you have an idea of what’s perfect for you, but you really have no idea until you try it out.