Heller New York Get-Together

Friday, May 1, 2009
6:00pm

Houndstooth Pub
520 8th Ave Between 36th and 37th Street
(212) 643-0014

http://www.houndstoothpub.com/

We are in the Back Bar. When you get there ask for Heller Reunion or Alison Quan.

Exporting Your Outlook Contacts

If you haven’t done so already, you may want to export your Outlook contacts so that they are available at your new position and/or at home.  This information is important for networking and keeping in touch with other soon-to-be ex-Hellerites like yourself.

The instructions below walk you through the process of exporting not only to Outlook’s native format (.pst) but other formats that will allow you to import them more easily to a new system in the weeks and months to come.

Export Contacts to Outlook .PST Format

1.  Open Outlook 2003.

2.  Select Contacts.

3.  On the File menu, select Import and Export.  The Import and Export Wizard appears.

4.  Select Export to a file and click Next.

5.  Select Personal Folder File and click Next.

6.  Select the Contacts folder and mark the Include Subfolders checkbox.  Click Next.

7.  In the Save exported file as: field, use the Browse button to select a location for the exported file (your Desktop is a good location) and then enter a filename.

8.  Under Options, select Replace duplicates with items exported and click Finish.

 

Export Contacts to CSV (Comma Separated Values)

Note: the CSV format can be opened in Excel as a table and then cut and pasted into a Word table.  The CSV format will allow you to import the data into a wide variety of applications.  It is strongly recommended that you export to PST as well as CSV formats.

1.  Open Outlook 2003.

2.  Select Contacts.

3.  On the File menu, select Import and Export.  The Import and Export Wizard appears.

4.  Select Export to a file and click Next.

5.  Select Comma Separated Values (Windows) and click Next.

6.  Select the Contacts folder.  Click Next.

7.  In the Save exported file as: field, use the Browse button to select a location for the exported file (your Desktop is a good location) and then enter a filename.  Click Next.

8.  Click Finish.

References and Proof of Employment

Here’s another item or two to add to your to-do list: securing references and proof of employment. Realise that it is not easy to have a firm or company that no longer exists on your resume and it can actually make job hunting a bit more difficult. Here are some things to do over the next few weeks especially if you received a WARN notice:

1. Try to get one or more letters of reference on Heller Ehrman letterhead.

2. Also, get at least one person to agree to be a reference for you in the future.

3. Since you may not know where your references will be in terms of other law firms or companies, you will need to keep in touch with them. Rather than request their home contact info, ask that they sign up on LinkedIn and that they join the Heller Ehrman LLP Alumni group (http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=913787&trk=hb_side_g)

4. Save whatever documentation you have that shows how long you were with Heller Ehrman , your last job title, and your salary. Also, save a copy of your WARN notice and any other official documents related to your lay-off. In addition, save a PDF version of one or more of the news articles related to Heller’s decision to dissolve. The more documentation you have, the easier it is to wipe the skeptical look off that HR person’s face.

Over and out.

Heller Drone
Cruise Director

LinkedIn Group

Several readers have asked if there is a network or group set up on LinkedIn.  Well now there is.

The group is called Heller Ehrman LLP Alumni – it is open to all current and former Heller Ehrman LLP people including attorneys, staff, etc.  This will be a great way to stay in touch once we all drift ashore.

And I know you are all just dying to see who your cruise director really is.  Alright –  here’s my profile.  You know you want to.

Staying Connected

Several current and ex-Heller staff and attorneys have asked me the best way the can stay connected with those at Heller they used to work with.

While I’ve seen several free Alumni Programs around, I think the best bet right now is to make sure you have a LinkedIn profile.  Go to http://www.linkedin.com and get one then make sure you seek out people in the Heller Ehrman LLP network.