Name: Tim Slater
Job title: Digital Learning Designer
How did you get into your current role?
With seven years’ experience in training, I was looking for a new challenge. My role at the time as a digital learning consultant was 100% home based and I missed the office environment that I had enjoyed in previous jobs. I saw the Latham role on LinkedIn and put my application in after doing some research in to the firm. My background in training, my passion for tech, and my portfolio of interactive and engaging digital learning content all helped me on the road to success.
What do you enjoy most about working at Latham & Watkins?
There are some great benefits to working at Latham and Watkins but my overall favourite has to be the fantastic culture at the firm. This, of course, is made so great by the people that work here. Latham employees come from a range of different backgrounds who are all great at what they do. People here are welcoming, helpful and always happy to have a chat, it makes the trips in to the office feel really worthwhile; and I continue to build relationships. There are often both professional and social events going on in the office too which helps bring people together to connect.
What does a typical day look like for you?
My typical day involves collaborating on projects, for example, coordinating training resources for the launch of Microsoft Teams. I work with an international team of technology trainers and we draw on the expertise of this global team to weigh in on key decisions and output. Scripting, recording and editing training videos is a key part of my role along with managing the firms learning management system with my counterpart in Los Angeles. The team and I are always looking for new ways to bring creative and informative content to our firmwide audiences keeping people engaged and helping them to learn all sorts of technology skills.
What skills are required in your daily work?
Project and time management are both absolutely key. There is a fantastic level of autonomy in my role, so it’s important I plan out the high priority jobs to ensure they’re done on time. Video editing, script writing and voice-over recording are three skills that form the foundation of my role along with development of digital learning content. Learning theory, including accommodating different learning styles, is an important part of the role too. Effective stakeholder management, is essential to helping the department run smoothly. The ability to work both independently and collaboratively are also key.
What is the most exciting thing you have worked on?
I designed an interactive simulation of Microsoft Teams for our New York Trainer Summit. I was new in to the role and this was a great opportunity to show off my eLearning design skills. I enjoy working in Articulate Storyline which is the tool I used for this project. The final module allowed users to interact with Teams in a sandbox environment and included some humorous feedback when they got the tasks wrong. The module was well received by all; key stakeholders enjoyed using the model, and it felt great to make wins so early in my time at Latham.
