Q&A With Rising Star Jessica Miao

Calibrate: As you were thinking about next steps in your career, what were some characteristics that a law firm needed to possess in order to pique your interest?

Jessica:  I was looking for a place that highlighted mentorship and growth. Loeb was very upfront in their desire to invest in my career and this attracted me to the firm the most.

Calibrate: You began your new role at Loeb & Loeb during the pandemic and, as such, the entire onboarding process was virtual. In thinking about the onboarding process, what parts of the process stood out as noteworthy?  Anything that happened during the process that was different than an in-person onboarding experience from your perspective (other than it being virtual)?

Jessica:  In an office, you are able to turn to your colleague or supervisor and ask a quick question. Virtually, you have to schedule time to discuss any questions or issues or rely on email back-and-forth, so it’s even more crucial to have a list of prepared questions with new tools or workflow so all your concerns can be addressed during the allotted time. That’s something to be mindful of and during virtual onboarding, it is important to consider how best to communicate any concerns. Perhaps you need access and training on a specific marketing tool. Scheduling and optimizing the time to learn when you have an opportunity to ask questions is key.

Calibrate: Now that you’ve been in the role, what have been some of the challenges of working virtually that you’ve had to overcome?

Jessica:  A challenge we face as a team is not being able to bounce ideas between each other in a casual setting. In general, remote working limits meeting anyone outside of your department. In the office, I could pass someone outside of my department and have a quick conversation, a catch-up which could spark new ideas or provide feedback for a current project.

Calibrate: What are some factors that you can point to that have attributed to your success in the role so far?

Jessica: Team dynamics. I am fortunate to have a genuine and supportive team. I feel comfortable sharing ideas, asking questions, and at times making mistakes that I learn from. My role has recently expanded and I’ve taken on more projects and responsibilities, in large part due to my managers and mentors encouraging me to vocalize what aspects of the projects I found more rewarding, then suggesting projects which would align with these. I had expressed an interest in learning about other aspects of the marketing department, and Loeb accommodating that interest has definitely attributed to my success.

Calibrate:  Do you have any advice for anyone who may be thinking it’s time to move to a new firm?

Jessica: Before I was being interviewed, and was thinking of changing jobs, I asked myself,   ‘Can I envision my job being any different next year or in the next five years?’ Do I want this as a long term career? Besides the workload and salary increase, will I be doing the same scope of projects with the same skills? After I asked myself this multiple times over a short duration of time, I had to be honest and admit to myself,  I should leave now if I feel that I am not gaining any new valuable skills, if I am not challenged or growing. The longer I stayed at my current role, the more difficult it would be to leave and try something else at a junior level. I would become comfortable and complacent and still have to face the same line of questioning, and come to the same realization. My desire to leave would be the same, but my fear of change would likely overwhelm this desire, the longer I waited. The change needed to happen now.