The road to becoming a practising solicitor is not without its obstacles as it includes several exams, years of studying and of course, standing out to achieve a highly sought after training contract. So, if you’re one of the 140,000 solicitors in the UK, what can you do to differentiate yourself once qualified? For our blog this week, we’re sharing tips to help you understand how you can stand out and achieve a career with longevity.
Listen, read, absorb
Knowledge is power, and will continue to be throughout the whole of your career, regardless of your level of seniority. When you’re training, knowledge comes from your experience within law firms as well as your academic learning, and wider reading. However, as you ascend the career ladder, although your base knowledge will remain with you, you may want to consider expanding your knowledge and skills through specific training. For example, you can look to enhance your professional service offering and consider a Higher Rights of Audience qualification. Undertaking this course and becoming a qualified solicitor advocate will help to enhance your service offering and therefore elevate you above many of your competitors.
Network, network, network
You should never underestimate the benefits of networking. It can help you to build connections with potential employers, colleagues and future clients. Although it isn’t everyone’s favourite pastime, networking gives you the opportunity to showcase your personality as well as your business flair. After all, networking is a skill which needs to be honed. If you can ensure that you do it regularly and to a high standard, it can be an incredibly effective tool in your toolkit.
Adapt new approaches
Law is regarded as a traditional industry, however there are always new ways of working to help improve and support firm operations, which can help you and your firm to stand out. Whether you’re looking for better ways to manage and measure your time by utilising apps such as Toggl, or are able to make client files more accessible, these changes can help you to stand out significantly. Adopting a mindset of continuous improvement is vital for the future success of each lawyer and law firm.
Consider your progression
If you can demonstrate a forward-thinking approach to your professional development, it can showcase your commitment to your firm and your career. One way to achieve this is through a Management and Leadership course. A course such as this can help legal professionals to develop essential management skills and learn how to balance client requirements and team morale. In turn, this can help individuals to meet the demands of their role whilst setting themselves apart from the competition.
Build client relationships
Client relationships will always be worth their weight in gold, which is why they need to be nurtured and treated with care. That’s because a client who receives positive customer service and useful advice will always look to your firm time-and-time again – after all, experience is everything. As a practising solicitor, you’ll want to ensure that your clients trust you wholeheartedly as their advisor and not see you as a faceless legal services provider. Demonstrating effective communication and negotiation skills, for example, can only help you to strengthen your approach with clients and colleagues. If these skills aren’t part of your arsenal, you should consider a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course to aid this.
Law is ultimately a competitive industry. From the very beginning, you’ll be competing for training contracts, and as your career progresses, you’ll be competing for additional opportunities, promotions and cases. However, if you wish to truly get ahead, professional training can help you to stand out in the crowd. To speak with us about our training courses such as a CPD, HRA or Management and Leadership, contact us today on 02920 451 000 or email us at infoaltior@barbri.com