Archive | Careers

Fatal Resumé Flaws

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On November 14, 2019

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Magnus Insights, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

I’m thinking back to the thousands of resumés I have seen over the years about several that doomed the applicant from the time it was received. The impression one makes with a resumé is critical. Standing out in a crowd can be difficult. Fundamentally, the resumé should be well structured, organized, and easy to read. […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On November 14, 2019

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Magnus Insights, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

One’s resumé (or in the case of someone like me, one’s curriculum vita) should be a concise overview of one’s professional career and accomplishments. However, due to the fact that things other than mere words can convey important information about a person, attention to detail when preparing one’s resumé is essential. For example, a resumé […]

Comforts of home – travel candle

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On November 12, 2019

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Travel, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Mental Health, RoadWarrior, Small Business Success, Travel

In a previous post, I mentioned my use of earplugs to mask unwanted sounds while sleeping, particularly, in hotel rooms (where I spend a lot of my time!). In this, related, post, I will mention another helpful travel aid that I employ on a frequent basis: a small, scented candle. I have entered many hotel […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On November 12, 2019

This is another example of learning from others. Those who have been there, done that, and survived to tell about it, can be invaluable teachers. And, travel candles are quite popular when you begin looking for them. They are often in a tin jar with a lid that makes them easy to travel with, easy […]

Sleep – ear plugs

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On November 5, 2019

Category: Business Travel, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Mental Health, RoadWarrior, Travel

I am a light sleeper. I travel a lot, for both business and pleasure. These two realities often conflict, but, over the years, I have learned how to minimize the conflict with a simple and inexpensive solution: earplugs. Although I routinely request a room as far away as possible from the elevator and ice machine […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On November 5, 2019

Category: Business Travel, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Mental Health, RoadWarrior, Travel

Earplugs are but one of many travel tricks learned by years of being a road warrior. Not that you can’t use them at home as well; Melissa can, and often does, wear them for the rare occasions when sleeping late is an option. On the road though, with so many strange and unfamiliar variables at […]

I’m happiest when I have a new data set

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On October 29, 2019

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Jury Research, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

One of Magnus’ former employees once remarked that the times he saw me at my happiest were the days when I was analyzing a new data set. How true! There are few things in life I enjoy more than delving into a raw data file from a recently conducted survey of potential jurors. I eagerly […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On October 29, 2019

Some girls get excited about diamonds; Melissa gets excited about data (well, diamonds too). Data sets give her the chance to use her favorite computer program – SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). She fires up SPSS and digs in whenever she can. Sometimes the data sets are large and she can really poke […]

Unpaid Work

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On October 24, 2019

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Careers, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Litigation Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

As entrepreneurs, Melissa and I often work without getting paid. The most common example from “my department” is talking with a prospective client about a new case, preparing a proposal, following up, only to hear that the project is a no go. Perhaps the price was beyond their budget, or the client wanted to use […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On October 24, 2019

People who lack the entrepreneurial mindset often can’t relate to David’s and my perspective regarding doing copious amounts of work for which we are not compensated. As an example, I have made hundreds of presentations to attorneys’ and insurance companies’ associations, most of which have involved zero payment to me. Why would I do such […]

Ask Me a Question, then LISTEN to My Answer

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On October 15, 2019

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Careers, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Jury Consultants, Litigation Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Partnerships, Psychology, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

Recently, I have had several experiences in which someone asked me one or more questions, then constantly interrupted me while I attempted to answer the question(s). This has happened more times than I can count, however, it happened several times in the period of a few days, both in business and personal situations. One of […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On October 15, 2019

I think part of the listening dilemma is an occupational hazard. Our clients are mostly attorneys and attorneys are paid to talk. Listening seems more difficult for some, not all, of them. This manifests itself during jury selection when some seem to have difficulty actively listening to the responses to the questions they are asking. […]

In appreciation of Rats

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On October 8, 2019

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Psychology

I am among the psychologists whose education included taking a class in experimental psychology, specifically, animal learning. The basic premise of this class was, after being assigned to a rat, training the rat in all sorts of classical and instrumental conditioning paradigms. (Classical conditioning is when a stimulus is presented to elicit a response. Instrumental […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On October 8, 2019

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Psychology

While I’ll agree lab rats, and often other animals, serve a worthwhile purpose, I don’t share Melissa’s fondness for them. I particularly dislike rats and other critters that enter our human world uninvited. Especially the ones that get in the house, seen or unseen, and scurry about. A recent dead rat lodged in the engine […]

Talk to the Boss

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On October 3, 2019

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Careers, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Trial Consulting

Many years ago when we were first starting Magnus, we learned a lesson, the hard way, about trusting clients, even prior clients, or their associates, when making research plans. We met with a client from our prior employer, at his request, and we came up a research plan for one of his cases. After the […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On October 3, 2019

“Talk to the boss” was an early, and painful, lesson learned in the early days of Magnus Research Consultants. Related to this learning experience was the realization that, when a client says, “The check is in the mail” or something similar, the check might not actually be in the mail (or sent via overnight delivery […]

Lawyers on the Move

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 26, 2019

Category: Careers, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Jury Consultants, Managing Employees

Having “chased” lawyers as clients for nearly 30 years I’ve observed something that I find interesting. As a whole, lawyers move around, from firm to firm, with some regularity. Because they stay within their chosen profession of law, their career mobility is primarily among firms. From their own firm, to merging with another firm, starting […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 26, 2019

Category: Careers, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Jury Consultants, Managing Employees

Although, in many professions, people don’t spend their entire career in one workplace, working for one employer, lawyers seem to move from firm to firm more than many other professionals do. I don’t know the reasons for this, but I expect they fall into the usual categories: (1) increased compensation at a new firm; (2) […]

The Game Warden’s Badge

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 5, 2019

Category: Careers, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus Insights, Managing Employees, Psychology, Small Business Success

An event I observed decades ago on a dove hunting field created a memory I will never forget. Opening day of dove season is a social event, the hunt, or shoot, occurs on a large field, 30, 40, or more acres; hunters with shotguns are spread around the field. There are social norms of politeness […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 5, 2019

Category: Careers, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus Insights, Managing Employees, Psychology, Small Business Success

Jumping to conclusions is rarely a good thing to do. Sometimes, one may be right, however, other times, one may be wrong. David mentions authority figures who fail to consider all of the circumstances before wrongly accusing someone of something. We have all heard numerous examples of police officers who shoot first and ask questions […]

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Archive | Careers

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