Connect Series: Meet our Wiki Reboot Team Members!

/in , , , , /by

Gaynell, Jamie, Jenni and Miki

At Reportex, one of our most prized resources is our ‘Wiki‘. It’s exactly as it sounds… a master repository for anything and everything our team needs to succeed. The Wiki is akin to a Reportex manifesto containing detailed information to support each department and staff member in their role and is edited on a regular basis. Updates can be an enormous undertaking and we’ve recently recruited a team to tackle some of the more intricate details of our latest sweep of updates – The Wiki Reboot Team.

For the past several weeks, our Reportex Legal Wiki has been undergoing a review by our Wiki Reboot Team members – Gaynell, Jamie, Jenni and Miki.

We recently caught up with these team members to ask them a few questions as part of our ‘Connect Series.’ Here is what they had to say:

Gaynell Noel

What do you like most about what you do?
What I like most about proofreading is the variety of topics that I get to read. I have learned a lot about so many things that I would never have been exposed to before.

What is your favourite read?
Because my job is reading, I hardly read for pleasure anymore. I read news articles online if the headline grabs my attention.

Top grammar tip:
Watch out for homophones! There are many words that sound alike but are spelled differently. “Its”/“it’s”, “there”/“their”/“they’re” and “your”/“you’re” are common ones that are frequently used incorrectly. Just remember a contraction is made up of two words. If you break them up, it helps to figure out the correct word to use. “It’s” becomes “it is,” and “they’re” becomes “they are.”

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
To compensate for not reading as much as I used to, I listen to audiobooks and podcasts. I love putting one of these on when I’m in the kitchen, walking or driving. Some of my favourite podcasts are This American Life, Radiolab, The Moth and Crime Junkie. And I use the Libby app to borrow audiobooks from the library. Check them out when you get a chance.

Jamie Kurzdorfer

What do you like most about what you do?
Doing research and learning new things.

What is your favourite read?
My favourite book is To Kill a Mockingbird. I can read it every year, and it never gets old.

Top grammar tip:
Use a semicolon or a period to separate two complete sentences. 

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
Reading and teaching my puppy tricks.

Jenni Reed

What do you like most about what you do?
As I work exclusively with spoken (not carefully thought out and arranged) words which cannot be corrected, it gives me such pleasure to face what seems to be a tangle of words, and by using the art of punctuation turn it into something that makes perfectly good sense and flows nicely.

What is your favourite read?
I’m currently rereading an old favourite of mine: The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco — monks, murder, herbals, libraries, labyrinths, oh my!

Top grammar tip:
Speak in complete sentences!!!

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
I enjoy getting out graph paper and plant catalogues and losing myself planning/imagining the flower and landscape garden that I don’t yet have…or going for a hike with my hubby or playing games (card games or Carcassonne) or trying new recipes! And a bit of yoga makes a great break in the middle of a workday.


Miki Patel

What do you like most about what you do?
What I like most about proofreading is that it can be applied to any industry. Where there are words, there’s a need for proofreaders to ensure that the quality of what is written is met. I also like the fact that proofreading is a skill that can’t be completely automated, so there will always be a need for proofreaders no matter how far we get into automation. Working from home on my bed is also a perk. I can work anytime, anywhere.  

What is your favourite read?
It’s been a while since I’ve read for leisure, so I’m going to have to go back to my teenage years. My favourite book would be Night World. I really did enjoy reading fiction back then. I’m sure I would still enjoy it if I had the time to sit down and read.  

Top grammar tip:
Memorize homophones (words that sound alike but have different spellings, meanings or origins) and learn how/when to use them. There’s no way around this, and it drives us proofreaders crazy when we see people using words like “effect” and “affect” incorrectly.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
I enjoy learning new skills. I consider myself to be a lifelong learner. I didn’t want to just stop at learning how to proofread court transcripts. I’m currently enrolled in Internet Scoping School so that I can also potentially scope in the future. I want to learn transcribing, bookkeeping and graphic design in the near future. I always like to say that no skill is a wasted skill. All these skills that I build might all come in handy one day in my professional life. 

 

 

All of our offices are OPEN!

/in , , /by

The future is here. 
We have fully equipped our offices with leading-edge technology and videoconferencing systems in every boardroom at each location to accommodate remote attendees for all of our in-office proceedings. Not only that, we have a stellar team of onsite and virtual technicians who will be on hand to assist at every turn and keep things running smoothly! 

Innovate. Adapt. 
Chef Nye is back! He and his team will be preparing gourmet boxed mediation lunches, handcrafted hand sanitizer and safely pre-packaged treats. It may be a new landscape, but you can look forward to the high-quality service, excellence and thoughtful extras you have come to expect from the Reportex team.

All three of our locations (HQ in Vancouver, All-Star by Reportex in New Westminster and Island Reporters in Victoria) have re-opened for in-person proceedings! For ongoing remote options, please click HERE.

For a full list of our detailed protocols please click here to view our COVID-19 Protocol, which will be updated as needed.

Connect Series: Meet our Office Managers!

/in , , , /by

Avang Aboubakr (Headquarters, Vancouver), Alicia Tobias (All-Star by Reportex) and Kelsey Fletcher (Island Reporters, Victoria).

With our offices slated to safely open on Monday, July 6, we couldn’t think of a better time to introduce you to our office managers at Reportex – Avang, Alicia and Kelsey.

We recently asked them each a few questions. Here is what they had to say:

First up, is Avang Aboubakr, our office manager at Reportex Headquarters, Vancouver. Avang joined the team right in the middle of our office closure and has hit the ground running.

What are you most looking forward to about the safely re-opening?

I am overjoyed to be reuniting with my colleagues, as well as adhering to our safety protocols.

What has been the silver lining in having the offices temporarily closed?

The opportunity to spend more time with family and having their support as I embarked on a new position with the Reportex team.

How have you connected with yourself during these challenging times?

I have focused on centering myself through meditation, and finding my inner ‘handyman’ with home renovations. I’ve also discovered some at-home fitness routines… and red wine has been a huge part of my diet.

Fun fact: When not in the office, Avang enjoys meditation, wine and Korean dramas.

Next, is Alicia Tobias, our office manager at All-Star by Reportex located in New Westminster. Alicia has been a member of the All-Star team since January 2012.

What are you most looking forward to about the safely re-opening?

I am most looking forward to reconnecting face to face with my co-workers and clients. Prior to our offices shutting down I had been on mat leave for a year so it has been an extra long time since I have seen everyone’s smiling faces.

What has been the silver lining in having the offices temporarily closed?

Something positive that has come from having the office temporarily closed is being able to catch up on a large backlog of work emails.

How have you connected with yourself during these challenging times?

I found that at the beginning of the pandemic I was spending too much time cooped up in the house. This was adding to my anxiety and stress surrounding everything going on in the world.  So now I try to spend as much time outdoors as I possibly can, whether it be going for a walk, or sitting outside and enjoying a cup of coffee.  I realized that it is the simple things like getting fresh air or reconnecting with nature that help ease my mind and give me a sense of calm.

Fun Fact: When not in the office, Alicia enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching Netflix, reading, travelling and exploring local trails and parks.

Last but not least, is Kelsey Fletcher, our office manager at Island Reporters located in Victoria. Kelsey opened Island Reporters three and a half years ago, with a partner Colleen Murray. Kelsey doubles as an Office Manager and Realtime Court Reporter. Kelsey has been instrumental in the Cowichan trial in Victoria.

What are you most looking forward to about the safely re-opening?

I’m looking forward to having the office stop looking like a ghost town! It will be great to start hosting in-person discoveries again because it’s hard to feel connected to our clients from afar like this.

What has been the silver lining in having the offices temporarily closed?

For me personally, I have been involved in a lengthy and intense land claim trial, and once COVID hit and things shut down, the courthouse closed and I found myself on an extended holiday. After the initial stress wore off, I realized that I had been given an amazing gift of plenty of time off at the perfect time of year. I live on a farm with a big garden, and it was spring, so I threw myself into gardening, breeding chickens, incubating/hatching eggs, baking, and I tackled some projects that had been on the back burner for a long time. It was amazing to have eight weeks off.

How have you connected with yourself during these challenging times?

I’m introverted and used to spending time on my own, so the social isolation wasn’t really something I found terribly difficult. And I don’t tend to get overly stressed or anxious about stuff in general, so the pandemic didn’t really have a big impact on my life, other than in a positive way with the bonus time off. I would say I fared well through this strange COVID time, but I’m aware that many people weren’t so lucky. I found myself feeling grateful more often and appreciating everything I have. 

Fun Fact: When not in the office, Kelsey enjoys sailing.