NETWORKING: A HOW-TO GUIDE
Making contacts and forming strategic relationships is helpful to your career at any stage, from student to partner level. Nevertheless, networking can be a daunting prospect for the novice. Read on to find out how to hone your skills and make the most of these opportunities. Go forth and network! Most people hate the idea of networking, as it seems so forced and artificial, but it is an essential skill for a successful legal career. Networking actually covers a huge number of interactions that you will find yourself in as a student (eg, law firm presentations, law fairs, open days and vacation scheme/pre-training contract socials) and in your legal career (eg, lunches with clients, contacts or colleagues, black-tie events, drinks after work and conferences). Networking is about gaining something useful, whether that is the name of a new contact, general information, advice or interview tips. In order to be a good networker, you need to listen attentively and demonstrate that you are interested in the other person. Generally, the best networkers are those who listen well. Try to put the other person at ease by being relaxed and comfortable yourself, rather than cocky: smile, listen and ask interesting questions. An excellent networker is able to strike up a good rapport with another person or group. When you have that rapport, the other person or people respond to you intuitively and feel like they click with you. You do not necessarily have to like someone in order to have rapport with him or her; you just need to be on the same page. This means letting go of your own agenda for a few minutes and concentrating on the point of view of the person you are talking to. A problem that many people have when they are in a social
networking situation is that they are chattering away in their own head and so cannot take in or remember what other people are saying. This is a natural reaction to being nervous and uncomfortable, but it is important to focus on what the other person is saying and let the conversation flow naturally. A great networker is always more interested in giving something to the other person than in getting something for themselves. Never be blatant about deciding if someone can be useful to you – it creates a really bad impression that is likely to be passed on to others. The real goal is to expand your network with information and further avenues to explore, not necessarily to get a job – although if you do, that’s an excellent bonus. The most important thing about being a really good networker is to stop selling and to concentrate on forming relationships. Building a network First, you need to identify your own network. Who do you already know? If you are interested in commercial law, for example, who do you know who works in a business environment? Do they know any lawyers? Think about the type of law firm that you really want to work for and consider who you will need to target. You could use the Law Society’s Directory of Solicitors or LawCareers. Net’s (LCN’s) training contract search function to work out which firms match your areas of interest. Sources such as Chambers & Partners will give you an idea of leading lawyers in specific areas. At this stage you will need to rely heavily on research to work out who you need to be making contact with and to find professional groups or sources of news and updates. Consider joining groups such as the Chamber of Commerce or the Law Society Private Client Section, where you are likely to have contact with lawyers working in your field of interest.
It is then a case of biting the bullet and making contact with your chosen few. It is worth giving some thought to how you might go about this. Are you confident on the phone? Make a few calls. Are you someone who is able to eloquently express their thoughts and views on paper? Try commenting on an article or writing directly to an individual. At this stage in the process you need to be creative – this means staying alert to potential new opportunities and thinking how best to approach different situations. The important thing to remember is that the worst that can happen is that you don’t benefit from the connection; there’s nothing too scary about that, so you really have nothing to lose. crucial step is showing up and putting yourself out there. It is useful to have a few entrance strategies prepared in advance so that you can be confident that you will not end up stranded on your own in the middle of the room, looking lost. For example, if you are involved in hosting the event, a good entrance strategy is to pick up a wine bottle (even if there are waiters) and go round topping up people’s glasses. It is an excellent way to butt in to any conversation with a cheery smile and a promise to return in a few minutes when you have fulfilled your wine duties. And a person with a bottle of wine is always popular, and looks extremely relaxed in their environment. A simple variation if you cannot get hold of a bottle of wine is to offer to get the people you want to talk to a drink. You have broken the initial conversation barrier and you can confidently and legitimately return with their drinks or with your own if they refused. The more traditional, “May I join you?” is still very effective when delivered with an expectant smile. Or if you see someone else standing on his or her own, it is quite acceptable to simply walk over and say, “Hi, I don’t think we have met, my Initial strategies Having made contact, the next
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