|
Written by Stacey Scorza
|
|
Thursday, 04 October 2007 00:42 |
Everyone “networks”, whether it’s through people you meet at work, or “friends-of-friends” met at parties and other social gatherings. However, networking encompasses a lot more people than you may think; law school is another place where people network, meeting fellow classmates and professors, guest conference speakers, and school advisors. The key is to view networking as a symbiotic relationship, introducing others to your “contacts” and finding that they will gladly introduce you to people as well. Chances are when you begin law school, your mind is focused on surviving Civil Procedure and not chatting to classmates with an eye on building your professional network.
This is not to say you should be focusing on networking from day one; you do have to survive CivPro. However, your classmates and professors are prime networking subjects. You will meet professors who are specialized in different areas of law, and classmates looking to practice in areas different from your own. These people will be great contacts later on should you need advice or objective opinions in your future practice. They are also valuable in who they may be able to introduce you to in the future. The “Networking Web” is a complex entity, where connections to people who might help you, or vice versa, may not be as straightforward as you think. What about all the people you have randomly met through someone outside of Law School? Now is your chance to plan in an organized way the type of people you want to meet and also who may be able to assist you as you go through your career.
Although you are initial networking goal is to just meet different people, learn from their experiences, and meet other people who can teach you even more, it is also good to keep in mind that each meeting is akin to a pre-interview. It is a chance to vocalize your career aspirations and to offer some of your own expertise. From here, you may discover that the person to whom you are speaking actually is looking for or knows someone who is looking for someone just like you. Most jobs are found by networking, so this most certainly can happen to you. You just have to be aware of it and be aware of an opportunity when it knocks.
Try not to be fooled into thinking you do not know anyone who knows someone in a field of law you may want to enter. You can start building your network with nothing but an internet connection. Once you know what field you want to enter, look up the contact information for someone in the field that you think may have valuable information to share with you. You may be surprised, as I was, to discover how many people really want to share their personal and/or professional experiences and offer guidance to you. The “work” on your end is to pick up the phone and call. Briefly tell them who you are and that you are looking for guidance or information regarding either your job search or how to enter an area of law, or even what steps you should take to move into a position like theirs in the future. Ideally, you will be able to set up a 20-30 minute meeting where you can go through a list of questions with them and get as much information as possible. It s that easy!
There are other outlets for networking such as different organizations that may put together public networking conferences or networking fairs. These events are great ; however, you do not always get as much face time with someone as you would like. Since these gatherings are aimed towards networking, the speakers generally cannot spend much time with you because there are a hundred other people who are there to speak with them as well. It is the one-on-one uninterrupted face time that gets you noticed and remembered. You are less likely to get the attention you deserve in this setting simply because the event is not designed as such. In my experience, the assertive yet respectfully polite phone call trumps the networking fair.
I have been lucky enough to have had a great networking coach. So, write yourself a script, practice on people you know, and go to it. After you’ve mad e the first call, they just get easier. I have been there and it is not as scary as it seems! External Links:
Get 250 premium quality, color business cards FREE! Order today! Click here.
BOOK: Make Your Contacts Count: Networking Know-How for Business and Career Success
|
