Stravo wrote:The job description includes "daily interaction with litigation teams including paralegals, attorneys and partners to support legal software and electronic discovery issues" We expect these support folks to attend meetings, come to our desks to investigate and troubleshoot software issues and advise on the proper way to use the software we have to meet our electronic discovery needs.
I actually think it's an awesome job oppurtunity in that you're not stuck in a cublicle somewhere in the background but actually become part of the litigation team, get face time with people and are an integral part of any electronic work we do. You actually get to do more than just fix computers and such.
Unfortuntately it seems the vast majority of candidates WANT the faceless nameless mindless cublicle work. I don't get that.
I can only talk for myself, but there wouldn't be enough money in the world to make me take the position you just described.
Before you ask I should add that yes I'm the IT Department of a small ad company, no I'm not in it, these days I'm pretty much all of it. My job includes holding the odd course; fixing computer problems for the rest of the company; helping draft (and occasionally translate) mission statements; etc etc. Most of the time I still spend developing webpages, and webpage systems.
If I wanted to be in marketing I would have gone to Business School, if I wanted to be a lawyer I'd go to law school. I didn't, I went for an education in English followed by IT science.
However integrating them as a part of the litigation team? Having them sit in on meetings (other than meetings that deal more or less exclusively with the IT segment)? This is helpful how? What conceivable benefit could you or they get from this?
No really I'm baffled here!
If you want them to have an understanding of the issues that face you, then yes I could see that it'd help to meet with them; to talk about what kind of IT systems you need, and asking then for opinions and options. I could see how getting lots of feedback during the planning and implementation phase would be excellent (there's not enough of that I can tell you).
I can certainly see that it's a benefit to be able to give face to face assistance if you need that, or to give courses and classes in how to use it.
Beyond that? Not so much.
Then there's the fact that a lot of IT technicians, even the ones that can be outspoken and helpful, chose the job precisely so they could
avoid the kind of situation you describe. Being with people, going to meetings, being part of "the team", is really a horrid chore that can only be endured for a short while if absolutely necessary.
In such circumstances sitting in a no name cubicle (or better yet small office) working on computers is wonderful; it gives you the luxury of being allowed to be alone without having to pay attention to a bunch of morons yatting about stuff you don't give fig about. Indeed comparing it to a luxury good is a very apt example, if you consistently buy luxury goods it has a similar effect to you having a lower wage: You have less money available. Accepting a lower wage in return for being left alone most of the time is, by many people in the IT industry, a luxury comparative to a fancy car or a big apartment.
I'm not a true hard case in that department, since I'm fully capable of handling a lot of social activities. However the job you describe? Sheeze, I'm not sure if I'm qualified as I have two years of college level IT education (I got a job before I finished the three year course), and several years of experience. However even if I was qualified I would, at best, regard it was something to tide me over until I could get something else.