Finding your people

As a trainee or junior solicitor, it’s easy to focus solely on passing exams, or impressing your supervisor. But there’s another critical part of your professional journey that deserves your attention: Finding Your People AKA building your community.

Start Building Your Community: A Guide for Trainee and Junior Solicitors

The Why

Building a strong personal and professional community is just as essential as your technical skills and legal knowledge. Relationships can shape your career path, open doors to new opportunities, and provide invaluable guidance.

A community of like minded individuals at the same career stage, or a few jumps ahead can help in the following ways:

1. Career development and growth: Referrals, recommendations, and job opportunities often arise through relationship’s you’ve built over time
2. Knowledge sharing: Engaging with peers and more experienced solicitors exposes you to different perspectives and practical insights not found in textbooks
3. Building confidence: Interactions nurture communication skills and establish your reputation
4. Client opportunities: Strong communities can lead new client opportunities

The How

Finding Your People doesn’t mean you have to attend large events or force awkward conversations with strangers. It’s about building genuine, personal and professional relationships over time.

This can start as simply as getting to know your cohort during training, keeping in touch with university peers, or joining local legal groups or online communities.

5 ways to Finding Your Community and nurturing the relationships:

1. Have a point of view: Too many of us are afraid of having a point of view in case the view is wrong (or others don’t like your point of view). Don’t be afraid, your views can change over time as you learn and grow
2. Be visible and generous offline and online: share your experience and knowledge with others. Remember we all started with 0 followers, 0 knowledge, 0 relationships. They are all built over time. Chances are your experience and knowledge might help someone who is where you were a few years ago
3. Ask, don’t sell: When connecting with someone new don’t approach them for a new job. They do not know you. Instead ask them for the point of view of view on a topic (you’ve researched they know). People are more willing to help when they feel valued for their expertise. Be polite and considerate, don’t be afraid to ask
4. Get involved in the conversation: It’s becoming easier to comment “that’s nice”, “100% agree”, “couldn’t agree more” etc. Don’t, instead communicate your point of view, ask questions, interact and learn about other people’s journeys. There are so many resources to be get involved in the conversation both online and offline
5. Enjoy your SQE Journey. Life is short, once the time has gone it will never be replenished. Not everything needs to be serious. I’ve met some amazing folks in the legal space through our joint love of cricket (if you are following the England vs. India test series, what a series so far!)

Summary

Your community is a long-term investment. The connections you make now can become future clients, collaborators, or even sources of unexpected opportunities. So, don’t wait for a promotion or qualification to begin. Start building your community today, your future self will thank you.