The legal field is extremely competitive regardless of what type of law that you practice. A passive approach to advancing in your career is a recipe for disaster with many professionals willing to do nearly anything to be named partner at a firm.
There are a vast number of variables that will impact how fast you climb the legal industry ladder. Productivity to winning cases with a large amount of media attention are perfect examples. The following are tips that will help you take your legal career to heights you never thought were possible.
Understand Long Hours are Required
Being an associate at a firm with a great reputation is going to require long hours. You are on the bottom of the legal totem pole but with hard quality work, this stage will become a thing of the past. If you feel like you have earned your way to a higher position it might be time to start asking other peers in similar situations.
You might find the firm you work for is far harder on the new attorneys than others but this in turn creates far better attorneys. If you are not willing to put in the time, there is going to be somebody that will have no issue with it with promised career advancement.
Networking is Imperative
Networking is going to be imperative to being a successful attorney as relationships within the industry can result in quite a few clients. Meeting up with other attorneys for industry events or with friends from law school can be quite fruitful.
The whisperings of openings can allow an attorney to reach out about a job before it is even open to the public. Utilizing platforms like blogs to build a personal brand is important as well. When looking at attaining a new great position you are going to want to sell your personal brand of professionalism/hard work.
Keep an Eye Out for Intriguing Positions Across the Country
Working at a top personal injury law firm can allow you to get jobs in the future that many people would only dream of. Keeping an eye out for positions around the country is extremely important. The ability to relocate to an area that potentially can allow you to advance your career more rapidly can set you up for success.
Even if your current firm wants to open in another state this can be the perfect opportunity to run the firm as you see fit. Do not underestimate the value of being flexible enough to relocate as many companies see this as very desirable.
Embrace Technology to Make You More Productive
Technology can be a huge distraction for a young attorney that has quite a bit of research to do for a case. Tech can also be a huge assistant in a variety of ways as organizing files becomes far easier digitally. The ease of access to information can also allow an attorney to be more organized which helps in productivity.
No attorney should be late or miss a phone call with a client as these are manageable situations. Project management systems for cases can allow for seamless workflow among the entire firm whether it is an expert witness or paralegal gathering information.
Take your career to new heights through smart job searching, networking, and working as intelligently/hard as possible. Do not settle in your career as it is a huge part of your life!
