In the competitive world of law, it is important that you use every trick in the book in order to make yourself stand out and to get ahead. If all the hard work you have put in to qualify is to reap rewards, then continued toil and some strategic thinking is required.
So, what steps do you need to take to advance yourself within your law career?
Excel at Work
First of all, it is important that you make a good impression to those who have entrusted you to do a job. Not only do you need to make sure that your “in box” is addressed to an outstanding standard, but also in a timely manner. Get the basics right and you have a firm foundation from which to expand your reputation.
Whereas trying to run before you can walk will, almost inevitably lead to a fall.
Flag it up
Whatever it is that you are working on, if something is proving difficult or simply doesn’t feel right, flag the issue up. Many people are flattered when you reach out to them for help and as long as you aren’t asking for assistance too often, this shows that you are conscientious and that you are not willing to risk making mistakes.
Not only that, when you ask for help, especially from someone more experienced, you are likely to learn from them and so in a sense you are advancing you knowledge at the same time.
Time to Take it up a Level
When you are confident that you are delivering a high standard of work consistently, you should start to think about taking on extra work.
Here, you may wish to think about specialising in something that can make you stand out from the crowd. For example, specialising in an area like immigration, as do companies such as Withers Worldwide, will open opportunities at home and abroad that many of your peers will be unable to grasp.
Sparkle and Shine
Just as the work you do needs to be polished, so do you and working on your interpersonal skills can go a long way when it comes to making positive career steps. Try to make those around you feel special and important and make yourself available for them, but without turning into a “yes” person or a doormat on which they can wipe their metaphorical shoes.
Once you are considered “a bit of a star” within your own team or department, then begin networking and use your newly crafted charm on colleagues and contemporaries who are in positions that can help you develop and thrive.
Take Your Time
There is nothing worse than a person who is desperate to advance themselves. First off, it can appear frantic and people who may think that this could lead to mistakes or short cut taking. In addition, it makes people weary and could pigeonhole you as someone who may stab someone in the back in order to fuel their own fire.
In this scenario, you are unlikely to make friends, influence people or make any significant progress.
Employing a sensible strategy that has its foundations in being the very best at what you do is, hands down, the winning approach. This combined with an achievable route map to a future where you are indispensable and where you have collated skills and knowledge that very few others have is paramount to your goal – advancing yourself within your law career.
Taking these simple steps will mean that soon you will have the monopoly on your own law career.