We have had a great response to our Balance Beam series and are excited to present to you this week our sixth profile, brought to you by Imelda Argel from Imelda Argel & Associates. Imelda’s profile particularly focuses on her development on an internship program, and interesting way to enable better balance and reduce pressure on staff.
We would love to hear from you and what work life balance successes and obstacles you have experienced. Do you have any great tips to share? Have you experienced something similar? Do you have someone you would like to suggest for upcoming Balance Beam posts?
I hope you enjoy this ‘Balance Beam’ profile, and if you would like your organisation profiled on our blog we would love to hear from you. Please scroll to the end of this post for further information.
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Title: Principal Solicitor
Company: Imelda Argel & Associates, Solicitors and Attorneys, Migration Lawyers
Country: Australia
State/Province: NSW
Years in business: 17
Number of staff including business owner: 2 regular + 6 interns
Website: www.iargel.com.au www.migrationprecedents.com.au
1. What are some of the work life balance issues your organisation faces?
2. What work life balance initiatives do you have in your organisation, big or small?
3. What have been the main benefits to your organisation of these initiatives?
4. Have there been any obstacles or issues in implementing your work life balance initiatives?
Yes, as a result, 10% of those initially admitted to the internship program are terminated before completion of the Internship Program: applicants who submit “padded” resumes and are good at interview but cannot perform assigned tasks; those who demonstrate participation for the wrong reasons e.g. just to complete the required no of days of practical legal training placement before admission as solicitor; gross negligence or incompetence, not following the staff operating manual, absence without leave or regular tardiness;
5. Do you conduct any regular surveying or evaluation of your work life initiatives?
At varying times, upon completion of the internship program of each participant
6. What are some of your own personal work life balance and/or time management tips?
Life is short and you should enjoy it to the fullest – enjoy work, otherwise, change work.
Enjoy life after business hours and on weekends: there is so much to do: attend dance and cooking classes, management and business seminars or community networking functions; see other states and countries for pleasure and conduct migration seminars during these trips if the opportunity arises
7. What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
8. Tell us about your organisation. What are the key services of your organisation and what is your target market?
Imelda Argel & Associates, Solicitors and Attorneys, Migration Lawyers is legal firm structured as a sole trader, to provide legal and migration consultancy services to individuals and corporate clients, worldwide.
We guide visa applicants through complex application processes, handle the paperwork and present the case in the strongest possible way. We provide advice and assistance in preparing Australian visa applications through to visa approvals and representation in visa cancellations and appeals. We manage and deliver our immigration services by first determining your chances of a successful Australian visa grant through our pre-assessment forms. If there are special circumstances or the visa is not covered by our preliminary assessment forms, we recommend that the visa applicant attends our office or make an appointment call to discuss.
We take pride in having achieved a 90% success rate since 1996 yet charging comparatively low professional fees. In order to keep our success rate and maintain our credibility, we offer our migration services only to those who have passed our pre-assessment. This way, we do not sell dreams of Australian immigration. We make dreams a reality.
To add extra value to our quality services, we also provide a “One Stop Shop” for:
Languages spoken: English, Filipino, Cantonese, Mandarin, Tamil, Sinhalese, Korean, Japanese.
Our facilities allow us to communicate with clients worldwide via internet (email, Skype), telephone appointments and personally at our Sydney Central office.
9. What is your role within the organisation?
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Abbie’s Comments: “Have you considered an internship as part of your work life balance strategy? Perhaps this is one way you can reduce pressure on your staff, encourage more flexible work arrangements, as well as providing students with vital working experience.”[hr]
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