LINDA BYSTROWSKI

Attorney Recruiting Manager
Crowell & Moring LLP

How long have you been a member of WALRAA? What has been your favorite experience so far?
I've been a member of WALRAA for an entire decade.  WALRAA has given me the opportunity to keep up with friends and former colleagues as we have changed jobs and progressed in our careers.  WALRAA is a "common ground" organization that keeps us connected. I love coming to a meeting and unexpectedly being able to catch up someone I haven't seen in years!

How did you first learn about and get started in Attorney Recruiting/Career Services?
Like many of us, I fell in to attorney recruiting by chance.  My first job out of college was as a paralegal.  After two years I decided I didn't want to continue in the paralegal field nor go to law school, and I sat down with a member of the HR team to ask about other opportunities.  There just happened to be a recruiting assistant position available at the firm, and I took it, having basically no idea what "attorney recruiting" even meant.  Much to my surprise, it turned out to be a good fit, and I've been in the field ever since.

What is your favorite moment of your career so far?
I love seeing people on my team achieve their goals and get excited about their work.  As a manager it is most rewarding when I can see someone work through a challenge, or have an "ah-ha" moment that gives them confidence and energy.  I am motivated by the success of others around me, and my favorite moments are when everyone on the team is engaged and productive and working towards a common goal.

How do you balance your career and personal life?
I put things like daycare pick up, gym time, and lunch with friends on my Outlook calendar.  This protects the time that I need for myself and for my family, and also reminds me when I'm having a long day and work keeps piling up, that it is important for me to take a break and go for a run or call a friend.  Visualizing those pockets of time by having them pop up on my schedule throughout the week helps me keep balance.

What is the best professional advice you have received?
Read everything.  This advice was given to me when I was an intern at the Department of Commerce and my job was essentially to make copies and hole punch large stacks of paper for hours on end.  My supervisor told me that the way to lend meaning to these tedious tasks was to read everything - it would keep my mind active and I just might learn something. I've found this to be useful in all of my roles: if you're typing resumes in to a database, read them.  If you're filing papers in personnel files, read them.  If your boss asks you to print out reports for a meeting, read them.  You may discover some useful information, and by keeping yourself occupied, you'll become a more integral part of your department or company.

Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
I had a college job at the National Archives, and during a building renovation we were moving the Declaration of Independence, and I was able to touch the original document.  Through a plastic sleeve, but still!