Networking is an important tool for law students and young
attorneys alike. Finding that first or next job is much easier when
the hiring attorney knows the applicant. Networking early and often
allows you to put your name out in the legal community. Below are
some helpful tips on how to successfully network.
Business cards -- Never leave home without your
business cards. You never know when or where you might run into
someone looking for legal assistance. If you are a student, the
career services office at your school may provide you with
personalized business cards. Otherwise, websites, such as
vistaprint.com, allow you to design your own business cards at an
affordable price.
Build your brand -- People remember brands.
Obviously, as a young attorney and potential employee, you want to
be remembered by prospective employers. First you must decide what
you want your brand to be. Do you want to be a Porsche -- expensive
and elegant with a niche customer base -- or a Honda Civic --
affordable and reliable with a larger customer base - or somewhere
in between? Once you decide on your brand, you will want to
establish and build it. Building your brand involves more than
having a two-minute elevator speech ready for when people ask,
"What do you do?" Your brand involves everything from how you
dress, to what networking events you attend, to how you answer
questions about your area of law. If you plan to be a Porsche you
will likely want to appear as the best dressed person in the room
and focus your networking on events where you most likely rub
elbows with white collar individuals.
If you decide your brand is more of a Civic, you would want to
appear approachable and concentrate your networking efforts on
interacting with blue collar employees. The most important
component is deciding what your brand is and following through with
establishing that brand.
Keep networking -- In order for networking to
be successful, you need to be proactive in your approach. You want
to be at the front of mind when others are looking to hire or make
a referral pertaining to your particular area of the law. Simply
meeting someone at a networking event and handing them your
business card will not be enough to secure that job interview or
referral. Potential employers may have met a dozen other
individuals at the same event. In order to stand out, you should
email the new contact the next day and try to arrange a one-on-one
conversation. The one-on-one does not need to be formal and can be
had over coffee or drinks after work. Most individuals at
networking events are there for the same reasons you are -- to meet
other people -- and are more than happy to have a follow up
meeting. You will want to have follow up conversations with as many
people as you can because, even if it is unclear whether a certain
individual will help advance your work search, that individual may
be able to refer you to someone else who can.
Robert C. Heaney is the owner and principal attorney of
Heaney Disability Law, specializing in representing individuals who
can no longer work due to physical or mental impairments and
helping them obtain federal Social Security benefits. Heaney is a
member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimant
Representatives, the Boston Bar Association, and the Massachusetts
Bar Association, where he sits on the Law Practice Management
Section Council.