6 Job Search Trends Every Job Seeker Should Know

6 Job Search Trends Every Job Seeker Should KnowWere a whats next? kind of society, and that means that everything has trendsfrom what we wear to which social media platform just became uncool after everyones grandparents signed up. This applies to the job hunt, too. Some things about looking for a job are pretty evergreenlike using active verbs in your resume and dressing in your professional best for an interviewthere are trends that could give you an edge. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Before you convert your resume to an all-Vine format, consider ansicht less-extreme options for joining the 2016 race.1. Emphasize skills over school.A degree is always going to be a great asset in your application package, but your resume should focus on your hard skills and experience over the school name. The educational landscape is getting more diverse all the time, with online degrees becoming more common, so brand-name schools may be less impor tant than the overall package.2. Find your career community.Not so long ago, general job sites like Monster were all the rage, as one could find all sorts of jobs from pretty much any field. This year, try looking for communities and sites specific to your area, and take advantage of their forums, articles, and meetups to network in your own field. When youre looking for jobs, try thinking specialized instead of general, and see what you can find.3. Be mobile.If youre reading this on your phone, this one might not be the advice for youyoure probably already plugged in. But if youre mucksmuschenstill limiting your job search to sites you find on your computer, try using mobile job apps and search tools on your phone or tablet to find opportunities that might not be living in a standard web browser.4. Consider a career jump to a hot industry.In 2016, areas like healthcare (especially healthcare technology), mobile marketing and analytics, and other tech fields are growing at an incred ible pace. If youre looking for a change of pace, take a close look at jobs in those industries that might dovetail with skills you already have.5. Be flexible about work environment.This does not mean you should chase those internet ads that promise youll earn $80,000 a month working from home, like my sisters cousins best friends cat. However, many companies do offer flexible work arrangements, since so many tasks and meetings can be handled easily via communications tech. A job opportunity in another state might have been a non-starter before, but these days you should take a closer look and see if you actually can live here, but work there.6. Just be flexible.Its not just the geographic boundaries that are stretching. With companies finding new ways to meet economic challenges, you could find opportunities outside of the 9-to-5 template. That may be freelance openings that help you build relationships, or part-time jobs that help you build experience. Everything is customizable now, and why should your career be any different? If youre open to change and different ways of doing things, you may discover opportunities you didnt notice before.2016 could be a great year. If you know which areas where you can jump on the trends and find a way to make them work for you and your professional goals, it could be a year of great changes as well.

How To Promote Gender Equality In The Workplace

How To Promote Gender Equality In The Workplace If youre reading this, youre probably on hauptplatine with Fairygodboss mission to promote gender equality in the workplace. Most of your friends and colleagues probably are, too. But its difficult to figure out how to get there. mora and mora companies are embracing gender diversity, setting ambitious targets and improving their parental leave policies. But if we leave it entirely up to companies, we wont reach true equality as quickly as wed like.Thats why our co-founder, Romy Newman, has put together a list of 9 practices that we, as individuals, can employ to enhance workplace equality. This past Tuesday, during a webinar hosted by Professional BusinessWomen of California (moderated by Michele Zumstein of Oracle), Romy outlined these practices1. Help sell the story. While a lot of leaders at companies will likely say they believe gender diversity is the right move, theyre not prioritizing it because they dont necessarily see how it contributors to their chief goal of maximizing their companys performance.Yet research from Morgan Stanley shows that better diversity leads to better stock performance. As Romy put it, More women means better corporate performance, which is something every company can get behind. Arm yourself with facts (theyre out there) to make this case to leaders at your company.2. Stop apologizing. Women, by nature, apologize too much. They also tend to experience more shame than men do.Romy admitted that she herself is guilty of this phenomenon. When she worked at The Wall Street Journal, the company allowed her to go down to a 3-day-a-week work schedule when she had kids while keeping her title. It welches really progressive of them, she said. But instead of thriving, I felt ashamed that I wasnt at work every day. It consumed me, and the reality was I was doing a good job, and the company wanted me there, but I couldnt capitalize on the opportunity because I was letting shame bog me down.Ro my encouraged all listeners to pursue their own career trajectory, citing Lisen Strombergs new book Work auszeit Thrive, from which she read an excerpt We used to think women who opted out were failures. Now we know them for what they are inspiring career innovators.3. Ask for a raise. Then ask again. If you suspect you deserve a raise, assert yourself. Among other examples, Romy pointed to the case of Leyla Seka and Cindy Robbins, two employees at Salesforce, who suspected inequality in corporate compensation practices. They took it upon themselves to raise this issue to the top levels at their company and asked for a company-wide compensation audit, or in effect, asked for a raise on behalf of all the women at Salesforce.Their CEO, Marc Beinoff, listened and wholeheartedly supported the initiative. Salesforce did an audit, found instances of inequality both for men and women, and corrected them. Whats incredible, Romy explained, is that the headlines that next week didnt read, Sa lesforce pays women less than men. The headlines were about how Salesforce wasnt afraid to put its reputation on the line to help promote gender equality. Its a case study that hopefully will make improvements for women everywhere.4. Brag. And be visible. You should let everyone know what you do that is awesome, Romy said. Because if you dont, no one will. McKinseys Joanna Barsh has said that women are promoted based on performance men are promoted based on potential. In other words, for women to get promoted, they have to actually be doing the job they hope to get promoted into.This isnt going to change overnight, but we can start to change patterns by bragging and being visible. Romy explained how this will become a self-fulfilling prophecy Once we get women promoted into more senior roles, well have more women evaluating women and promoting them.5. Advocate for more flexibility and then take it, unabashedly. Fairygodboss research shows that flexibility is among employees top pri orities and its the way of the future.Romy can attest I cant tell you how many phone calls I do right now when people say, youre going to hear my dog barking in the background, she said. She pointed to GE as a company thats leading the way in promoting flexibility by encouraging flexible working arrangements and offering unlimited time off. GE employees control their schedule, and their job is to get their job done and deliver results.In addition to being highly productive and having highly engaged workforce, Romy said, people feel good when theyre treated like adults. Its really paid off for GE. 6. Advocate for paid parental leave for men and women - and take it. The reviews submitted to Fairygodboss prove that there is a relationship between amount of leave a woman takes and satisfaction with her job.Companies are catching on, and many have recently improved (or are in the process of enhancing) their paid leave policies. This is so important, especially because the U.S. is the o nly developed country in world where theres no federally mandated parental leave policy. Still, right now, only 12% of private sector workers have access to paid leave through their employer and everyone else is figuring out how to pay for the time they have to take off when they have a baby.Romy offered examples of companies that enhanced their leave policies after individual women not those in an HR function came together and advocated for better benefits. She added that taking leave and setting an example that its OK to do so is just as important7. Find your sponsors. Women spend more time doing and less time networking, Romy said, quoting Carol Bartz, the former CEO of Yahoo, but we should always be thinking about how to direct our career. She suggested making a list of three internal sponsors within your company and three external sponsors who are helping you to advance your career.8. Mentor and support women.Romy referred to a Fairygodboss poll that found that women believe its very hard to find sponsors and mentors at work. She said she saw this firsthand when she worked at The Wall Street Journal and was the only woman at the VP level. The majority of those worked below Romy were much more equally split so there were so many entry- and mid-level employees looking for advice from a woman senior to them. What I ended up doing was setting office hours to make time for women to be able to come see me and talk to me, Romy recalled. I carved time out of my calendar as if it were part of my day-to-day responsibilities.9. Support transparency. When women are willing to share information with each other, we make each other more prepared and more powerful. That was one of the reasons Romy co-founded Fairygodboss together with her friend and former colleague, Georgene Huang. The Fairygodboss mission is to improve the workplace for women by creating transparency. Your contribution to Fairygodboss will help advance gender equality much more quickly -- so leave a review on Fairygodboss today -- and dont forget to share Fairygodboss with your friendsInterested to learn more? The full presentation can be found here.Fairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women.Join us by reviewing your employer

How to Improve Employee Diversity - Spark Hire

How to Improve Employee Diversity - Spark HireDiversity is key to your companys success.A McKinsey report claims the same. It shows that, by inserting racial and ethnic diversity into your teams, organizations are 35% more likely to generate revenue higher than the national industry median.Still, businesses are not taking workplace diversity seriously. For example, Deloitte and the Alliance for Board Diversity did a thorough study and found the majority of Fortune 500 boards consist of only 30% of women and minorities.So, what are the major challenges businesses face when investing in employee diversity and how do businesses overcome them to create a unique workplace culture?Lets find outRedefine your Hiring ProcessesBuilding an employee diversity program cannot be done overnight. It needs to be implemented strategically, starting with your recruiting and hiring practices.When creating job ads, optimize them for different channels to get yourself noticed by wider audiences.LinkedIn a nd major job posting platforms are a great starting point, letting you connect with professionals with different abilities, interests, and experiences.You should also rely on local job fairs and local institutions like colleges and nonprofit organizations. Consult local disability employment services that would help you recruit and hire employees with disabilities with the experience in your niche. This is also an amazing way to boost your companys prestige and contribute to the fight against workplace discrimination. Namely, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics emphasizes that only 18.7% of people with disabilities were employed in 2018.As for hiring processes, set flexible hiring criteria. Extensive experience in the industry and great grades are sometimes important, but they should never be the only criteria you consider when hiring an employee. Observe their soft skills as well to make sure they are the right fit for your organization. Some companies use the so-called blind recru iting, where they hide all personal information about a candidate (their name, nationality, marital status, etc.) to focus on candidates relevant qualities and make unbiased decisions. You could also ask for employee referrals, which is always a great way to spread the word about your organization and attract more top-talent to it.Train Your Managers to Value Empathetic LeadershipNever assume that your team managers understand the importance of employee inclusion and diversity. If you dont train them to grow and nurture a diverse workplace culture, dont expect them to do so on their own.Teach your managers to manage staff members empathetically, appreciating their individuality and differences. Provide comprehensive diversity training programs for employees across the entire organization. They should learn to walk in their colleagues shoes, understand the issues they face, and the stereotypes they need to overcome every day. Most importantly, evaluate your workplace culture and ask for employee feedback regularly. Only by gaining insights into your companys culture and employee satisfaction will you be able to keep your employees happy and successfully integrate your workplace diversity plan across all teams.Set up Mentorship ProgramsHiring a diverse team of people is just half the job done. The other half is making your employees heard and feel appreciated. This is where mentorship programs step in, giving your employees an amazing opportunity to advance irrespective of their age, race, sex, and so forth.You could either build an in-house mentorship program sponsored by your organization or opt for outside options dedicated to different groups of employees, such as veterans, women, minorities, workers with disabilities and so forth. The idea behind this idea is simple letting your employees improve their skills and become their best selves.Let Your Employees Know their Individuality is AppreciatedWhen starting out, your new team members will want to fit in. Afraid to stick their necks out, they will ignore their own traits, needs, and habits to conform to your overall corporate culture. Over time, they will feel theyre not accepted as unique individuals and become frustrated about that.This is something you want to prevent.For starters, build diversity-friendly workforce policies and make sure they support your employees needs.Give your employees the opportunity to work from home occasionally.Let them take off work for major religious holidays.Celebrate all major holidays, such as International Day of Human Rights, International Day to End Racism, International Womens Day, or International Day of Persons with Disabilities.Single parents should also have flexible work hours and work remotely whenever the need arises.Build detailed policies against any kind of workplace bullying.Adapt your offices based on the different needs of your employees. Irrespective of their abilities, they should perform their daily abilities safely and uninterr upted.Once your diversity-friendly corporate policy is created, you need to keep revising it and adapting it to your employees needs. Talk to staff members regularly. Ensure theyre comfortable coming to your office and voicing any concerns they have. Listen to your employees to understand their expectations and revamp your corporate policies regularly.Wrapping It UpWorkplace diversity is the backbone of your companys image and success. It helps you attract and retain top talent, enrich corporate culture, and makes your employees happier. It celebrates differences, helping you create a vibrant workplace atmosphere, where people feel heard and appreciated. This will help you retain your top talent and contribute to your companys growth by driving neuschpfung and gaining new perspectives.Precisely because of that, you need to implement your workplace diversity strategy wisely. Integrate it into every aspect of your workplace culture, from your hiring efforts to diversity-friendly compa ny policies. There are numerous ways to do so and I hope these tips will helpHow do you build a diverse corporate culture?About the AuthorJacob Wilson is a business consultant, and an organizational psychologist, based in Brisbane. Passionate about marketing, social networks, and business in general. In his spare time, he writes a lot about new business strategies and digital marketing for Bizzmarkblog.com.

How to Make a Job Offer And Get a Yes

How to Make a Job Offer And Get a YesHow to Make a Job Offer - And Get a YesAfter you make your final hiring choice, you may think you can just sit back and relax. Not just yet. Have you closed the deal? Are you sure the candidate wants you? If you want to know how to make a job offer thats successful, you need to make sure its followed by an acceptance.In todays competitive employment market, you should be prepared to entice top talent in accounting, finance and bookkeeping. Otherwise, you can lose the job seeker to another company.Do you know, for instance, what factors are fruchtwein critical to applicants as theyre weighing job offers? A new study by Accountemps shows it isnt just salary, although thats a starting point.Keep the following five tips in mind regarding how to make a job offer that will be received positively.1. Make sure your compensation is competitiveThe first step is to do some research. Look over the average starting salaries for more than 400 accounting and f inance roles in the latest Robert Half Salary Guide for Accounting and Finance. Then narrow down the information by city.Do you know the top jobs and in-demand skills for accounting and finance professionals? Do you know how to prepare for salary negotiations? When its time to talk money, you need to be ready.Visit the Salary Center, where youll be able to adjust salaries for accounting and finance jobs in your city with the Salary Calculator, and get your own copy of the Salary Guide.2. Find out what matters to workersCompensation is about more than just money. In the Accountemps survey, more than a quarter of the respondents (26 percent) cited vacation time as the most important benefit beyond the paycheck. Corporate culture (24 percent) and career advancement potential (21 percent) came in close behind.Not only are those prized perks important when job offers are evaluated, but they can also help when youre recruiting and retaining top talent.3. Know how to make a job offer quick lyTop applicants today typically weigh a number of options, so even a short delay could cause you to lose them. After you make up your mind and think youve won over the candidate, make the job offer immediately. Even a delay of a day or two can cost you the employee of choice. If your business has procedures that slow down hiring - for example, no one gets hired unless the president interviews the individual personally - look for ways to streamline the process.You have no reason to be coy at this point. Call the person you want to hire and outline the details about pay, benefits and anything extra. If you dont have these details nailed down yet, youre not ready to make the offer. Most small businesses make verbal job offers by phone, then follow up with an official letter. Making the offer by phone rather than waiting to get the candidate back into your office helps you avoid letting too much time elapse between the interview and the offer.Robert Half has been helping companies wi th their hiring since 1948. Have you considered bringing in skilled professionals on a temporary or temporary-to-hire basis? WORK WITH US4. Set a deadline for a decisionGive candidates a reasonable amount of time to decide whether to accept the job offer. Whats reasonable generally depends on the schriftart of job. The time frame for an entry-level job may be a few days, but for a mid- or senior-level candidate in a competitive market, or for a position that involves relocation, a week isnt excessive.Thinking about making a counteroffer, if it comes to that? Read these reasons to think again.5. Stay connectedWhile the candidate considers your job offer, stay in touch. The purpose is for you to reinforce your enthusiasm about having him or her join your team, and that may help seal the deal. Just be sure to avoid being pushy, or you could give your ideal candidate second thoughts.

Electricians Mate - Navy Enlisted Rating Description

Electricians Mate - Navy Enlisted Rating DescriptionElectricians Mate - Navy Enlisted Rating DescriptionIn the Navy, Electricians Mates (EMs) are responsible for operating a ships electrical equipment. This includeselectrical power generation systems, lighting systems, electrical equipment, and electrical appliances. These sailors may perform their work aboard ships or submarines or on equipment onshore installations. Wherever there are electrical parts for ships, these sailors will be needed. If youre someone with an affinity for repairing things and have experience with electronics, youd be suited for this rating (what the Navy calls its jobs). Duties of Navy Electricians Mates These sailors are responsible forinstallation, operation, adjustment, routine maintenance, inspection, test and repair of electrical equipment. EMs also perform maintenance and repair of related electronic equipment. This can include everything from installing power and lighting circuits and repairing di stribution circuits to running wiring for lights and other equipment. The job also entails maintaining operating efficiency of distribution panels, switches, switchboards, controllers, voltage regulators, current transformers and voltage transformers and electric motors. Theres also a ritterlich amount of repair work involved in this job everything from repairing electrical equipment and appliances to maintaining and repairing shipboard elevator systems, propulsion controls, and auxiliary control systems. Youll install and maintain storage batteries, inspect and test electric power equipment, and connect electric power machinery and electric power equipment. Youll repair and maintain auxiliary control consoles, and interpret electrical sketches, diagrams, and blueprints. Working Environment of Navy EMs Most work in the EM rating is performed indoors, under varied conditions at sea and ashore. Work may be done in a shop-like environment. EMs do mostly physical work of a technical nature and usually work closely with other ratings. USN EMs are stationed primarily aboard USN deploying ships, Full-Time Support (FTS) EMs are stationed aboard Naval Reserve Force (NRF) ships that deploy or conduct local operations. Theres likely to be loud noises and inclement weather conditions as part of this job. Training as a Navy EM After technical school - also known a boot camp - at Great Lakes in Illinois, youll spend another 12 weeks at Great Lakes for technical school. Before you get to boot camp, however, you have to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) tests. To qualify for this job, you need a combined score of 210 on the verbal (VE), arithmetic (AR), mechanical knowledge (MK) and mathematics comprehension (MC) sections of the ASVAB. Theres no Department of Defense security clearance needed for this job, but you will need normal color perception. Promotion opportunities and career progression in the Navy are directly linked to a ratings m anning level at the time you enlist. Sea/Shore Rotation for Navy EM First Sea Tour 60 monthsFirst Shore Tour 36 monthsSecond Sea Tour 60 monthsSecond Shore Tour 36 monthsThird Sea Tour 48 monthsThird Shore Tour 36 monthsFourth Sea Tour 48 monthsForth Shore Tour 36 months This is a sea-intensive community. Manning conditions at sea may require the need to request sea tour extension or shore tour curtailments to ensure all sea duty billets are filled.

What makes Americans take out personal loans

What makes Americans take out personal loansWhat makes Americans take out personal loansPersonal loans are an increasingly popular product, and people are using them to either consolidate some other type of debt, titelbild an emergency or fuel irresponsible consumption.Thats according to an in-depth study fromLendingTree, which looked at anonymized data from customers in 2018. The study is packed with lots of great insights about consumer debt, including a breakdown of the reasons for taking out personal loans by leistungspunkt score and across states.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreResearchers were able to show, for example, that people with low credit scores frequently use personal loans to cover everyday expenses. On the other hand, people with high credit scores tend to leverage personal loans for home improvements.This image welches first featured on Howmuch.netThe tarif at which Americans are using personal loans is increasing, totaling some $125 billion in outstanding balances.The two most common reasons for taking out a personal loan is to consolidate debt and refinance credit card balances, symptoms of the larger problem of indebtedness in America.Lots of people say they use personal loans for other reasons, suggesting they are alternatives to payday and car title loans.The trends discussed in the LendingTree analysis are immediately clear in our visual. The vast majority of borrowers are using personal loans to consolidate debt and refinance credit cards, combining for a total of 61% for all personal loans. Its easy to understand why. It would take most peopleover a year to repay credit card debt. Combining multiple debts with varying interest rates into one payment with a fixed rate makes sense.But heres the scary thing about our visualization. The third leading reason provided for taking out a loan is other, a vague category (14.6%) that could include many different things. The researchers at LendingTree suspect these loans are meant to cover everyday expenses and emergencies. That means people are turning to personal loans as a stopgap measure to avoid falling into poverty.In fact, the figures only represent a percentage breakdown of the reasons applicants provide when taking out a loan from LendingTree. They represent only a partial view of the entire personal loan market. Our visualization also says nothing about the size of the loans. People dont frequently take out personal loans for home improvements, but when they do, they probably take on much larger overall debt loads than those who use the money for a vacation.Most importantly, LendingTree acknowledges that people with low credit scores often use personal loans instead of payday and car title loans. Consumers are no doubt looking for products with the most favorable terms, including the lowest interest rate and flexible repayment terms. If youre going to take ou t a loan, it always pays to shop around.Indeed, theres a larger and deeper problem with consumer behavior when unsecured loans cannibalize other types of financially unhealthy debt. It begs the question, how long are current trends sustainable?This article first appeared on HowMuch.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will ersatzdarsteller your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong peopleWhat makes Americans take out personal loansPersonal loans are an increasingly popular product, and people are using them to either consolidate some other type of debt, cover an emergency or fuel irresponsible consumption.Thats according to an in-depth study fromLendingTree, which looked at anonymized data from customers in 2018. The study is packed with lo ts of great insights about consumer debt, including a breakdown of the reasons for taking out personal loans by credit score and across states. Researchers were able to show, for example, that people with low credit scores frequently use personal loans to cover everyday expenses. On the other hand, people with high credit scores tend to leverage personal loans for home improvements.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThe rate at which Americans are using personal loans is increasing, totaling some $125 billion in outstanding balances.The two most common reasons for taking out a personal loan is to consolidate debt and refinance credit card balances, symptoms of the larger problem of indebtedness in America.Lots of people say they use personal loans for other reasons, suggesting they are alternatives to payday and car title loans.The trends discussed in the LendingTree analysis are immediately clear in our visual. The vast majority of borrowers are using personal loans to consolidate debt and refinance credit cards, combining for a total of 61% for all personal loans. Its easy to understand why. It would take most peopleover a year to repay credit card debt. Combining multiple debts with varying interest rates into one payment with a fixed rate makes sense.But heres the scary thing about our visualization. The third leading reason provided for taking out a loan is other, a vague category (14.6%) that could include many different things. The researchers at LendingTree suspect these loans are meant to cover everyday expenses and emergencies. That means people are turning to personal loans as a stopgap measure to avoid falling into poverty.In fact, the figures only represent a percentage breakdown of the reasons applicants provide when taking out a loan from LendingTree. They represent only a partial view of the entire personal loan market. Our visualization also says nothing about the size of the loans. People dont frequently take out personal loans for home improvements, but when they do, they probably take on much larger overall debt loads than those who use the money for a vacation.Most importantly, LendingTree acknowledges that people with low credit scores often use personal loans instead of payday and car title loans. Consumers are no doubt looking for products with the most favorable terms, including the lowest interest rate and flexible repayment terms. If youre going to take out a loan, it always pays to shop around.Indeed, theres a larger and deeper problem with consumer behavior when unsecured loans cannibalize other types of financially unhealthy debt. It begs the question, how long are current trends sustainable?This article originally appeared on How Much.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Law Practice Management Software to Maximize Efficiency Legal

Law Practice Management Software to Maximize Efficiency LegalLaw Practice Management Software to Maximize Efficiency LegalAlmost all law firms are now using some form of law practice management software to streamline workflow and improve client services. From solo practitioners using Outlook to manage email trails and schedules, to large firms using integrated enterprise systems, law practice management software has become a popular tool in the legal profession.Take a look at Robert Half Legals Future Law Office research for more on the latest ways law firms are making use of technology to manage the practice of law.Law practice management software to increase efficiency and case capacity Many law firms, even small firms and solo practitioners, have eagerly embraced law practice management software as a means to substantially reduce the number of work-hours legal teams are currently investing in low-end tasks like tracking billables and generating reporting, and increase case capacit y .Results from a Blue Hill Research study recently released by LexisNexis reveals that many law firms using law firm practice management software are able to convert 20 to 100 percent of their nonbillable time to billable hours. Average break-even periods vary, but depending on the size and complexity of your firm, the system you choose and how much of the implementation you can handle in-house, the numbers suggest some smaller systems can pay for themselves in weeks.To evaluate the many law practice management software products on the market, its important to remember that vendors offer a wide variety of options. Your choices will vary from comprehensive full-enterprise systems, a kind of all-you-can-eat model, to bausteinfrmig packages, where you select individual components a la carte from a menu of options. You will want to consult with your IT specialist to effectively evaluate software.What about case management?Certain case management functions are ranked as more important t han others by lawyers themselves, and this ranking should be taken into account when evaluating software programs. According to the American Bar Associations annual report on technology trends in the legal industry, lawyers rate these case management software features most highlyCentralized case managementDocument managementTime and billingScheduling/calendaringContact managementA final feature to consider in your evaluation is client access, which is quickly growing in popularity. Access portals allow clients to easily and conveniently locate case information, view case-related documents, pay their bills and exchange secure messages with attorneys using the Web via desktops, laptops and mobile devices.Law practice management software may notlage be a make-or-break issue for your firm at this time, but with statistics showing more and more firms moving ahead in this area, its best not to be left behind at the starting line when your competitors are already in the race.Want to learn more about best practices with law practice management software and other trends in the legal industry? Download Robert Halfs Future Law Office 2020report now.