Just like international companies manage how their products are marketed and promoted, professional people increasingly need to manage matters around their reputation - and around how they are perceived by colleagues and others they deal with.
If you want to get on well in your career as a solicitor, it’s smart to be careful about the impression that you give to colleagues and others. Your reputation is built upon these impressions and by actions that combine together to, hopefully, build goodwill and respect.
In this article, tips are provided on key ways that you can look after how you are perceived career-wise.
Be courteous
Some things never change. We respect and we tend to like people who are respectful to others, who are socially responsible and who have good manners. Tidy up after yourself, hold doors open for others, eschew profanity and make sure you’re not overly loud.
Make friends
Get to know and stay in touch with what is going on in the lives of your colleagues and clients outside of work. Find out about their interests, their families, challenges they face, matters they are concerned about. Similarly, let these people get to know you; tell them about your personal life and about matters that interest you.
Master your job
Whatever your job is, make sure you stay on top of everything. Don’t let problems develop. Do necessary homework, finish projects ahead of schedule and prepare properly for meetings. Get in early every day and focus on your work when in work.
Be future ready
Watch out for developing matters. Try to anticipate what your boss and clients are likely to need next and work quietly on being ready to deliver on that front.
Dress well
How you dress indicates to others how they should treat you. If you dress in a professional manner, you’ll be treated as a professional person by people whom you have contact with.
Model high performers
Identify people who are respected and observe them. How do they treat others? How do they carry themselves and behave in a crisis? What behaviours can you take on board?
Keep learning
Draw up a list of five things you need to learn in order to develop in your job. Take the initiative to learn each one and as you master each item, replace it with something new.
Admit mistakes
Admitting errors that you make is smart. Firstly, it lets people know that you know you made a mistake. Secondly, your efforts to learn and to make amends will strengthen your overall skills.
Visit the Advice and Tips section of the website for more career management and job seeking advice.