1. Work smart
The foundation of developing a solid professional reputation is demonstrating your capability to do an outstanding job. By working well with others, both internally and externally, you can easily boost your brand by simply being considered a competent and engaging legal practitioner; after all, your personal brand is what people say about you, when you’re not in the room.
2. Have a positive online presence
Social media gives people an insight as to who you are, especially in the professional world. Having a comprehensive LinkedIn profile with a professional headshot that showcases your experience demonstrates you are someone clients, referrers and other contacts should take seriously.
Make sure you back this up with regular and meaningful engagements on posts, by posting your professional views on current affairs linked to work and by sharing content published by the firm.
Even if they are personal, make sure your other accounts – Instagram, Facebook etc – either reflect the person you want clients to see, or they are set to private.
3. Contribute to content
Thrings focuses on providing meaningful online content that is of relevance to its clients. Whilst this is often handled by the marketing team, if you have ideas for new articles (or even Take Five Guides), make sure you are putting them forward. Not only is this showing you are proactive, but it looks great when you are sharing on social media to highlight you had a hand in the firm’s PR function.
4. Network, network, network
Networking is a key part of the modern professional world and lawyers that succeed are the ones that go out of their way to make contacts and generate leads.
Thrings provides its employees – including juniors - access to a range of networking opportunities throughout the year through the range of events it hosts as well as the many events it is invited to. Through regularly attending such events, you will be able to keep your networking skills sharp and raise your profile within the professional community.
5. Follow up on new contacts
After you have been to an event, make sure you follow up with people you have met. Whether that is by sending a message and link request on LinkedIn, by sending an email or calling them, you should ensure that the work you put in whilst networking reaps rewards, especially if there is a prospect to bring in new business down the line.
Would you like to know more?
Thrings is an award-winning law firm that is ranked highly by the Legal 500 directories as one of the best firms in the UK for trainees. To find out more about opportunities within the firm, visit our careers page.
You can download a PDF version of this guide.
