Get Spotted, Then Promoted!
Whether you are working in private practice or in-house, getting noticed can be a challenge particularly in the larger organisations. Even if you are regularly delivering quality work, it may not be spotted as other solicitors vie for recognition as well.
Here are some Thornton Legal tips to get noticed:
1. Be visible. Sometimes being good at your job just isn’t enough to get spotted. Get in involved in office events so colleagues and Partners get to know you over and above your day to day work. These include CSR, regular socials, networking events etc.
2. Refine your interpersonal skills. As you climb the career ladder you will interact with a wider network of professionals and you’ll need to be able to work with them all effectively. Strong communication skills aren’t just needed for technical legal cases, just also for explaining information to clients and external contacts. The more people who know and rate you, the better chance you have of word getting back to the key decision markers at your firm.
3. Do more than your job description. To get spotted you need to go over and above the call of duty sometimes. Don’t go overboard as you’ll never get your own work done, but stepping up to help otherwise with their work, projects, events etc will put you on the path to progression as you mix with others your firm, including the decision makers.
4. Be client Focused. From the early stages of your legal career you should be thinking about how you own network of clients and refers who give you work but also business to other practice areas. Building a following is one of the best, if not the best way of getting noticed, promoted and financially rewarded. Having good clients doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time and investment. What is your firm doing well, what can be done better, how can the service be improved and how can client’s costs be reduced?
5. Become an expert in business. A law firm is a business after all! Solicitors who understand their client’s goals will always be highly regarded by Partners. Show them that you understand business clients demands for better value for money spent, and don’t be afraid to make suggestion that respect traditions but that also show you have a grasp of what the future of the legal progression looks like. These may include alternative billing structures, new approaches to managing client relationships or different recruitment strategies.
Use these tips to improve your profile in the office as well as in the legal community. Get involved in non fee earning activities, work on your communication skills, go over and above sometimes, build your own following of clients and become an expert in your client’s business. Before you know it, you’ll be Managing Partner!
Joe Rees
07903222898 / joe@thorntonlegal.co.uk
Thornton Legal is a leading recruitment agency, working in private practice across Merseyside, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, West Yorkshire and the West Midlands. Main locations include Liverpool, Chester, Preston, Manchester, Leeds, Shropshire and the surrounding areas. At Thornton Legal we work with partners, solicitors, paralegals and legal assistants across a range of practice areas including (but not exclusively) corporate, commercial property, employment, litigation, private client, family and residential conveyancing.
