Rose….
How do I start my New Law career journey? How can I get my foot through that first elusive door? How can I pivot my career from one track to the next? What do I do, if I do not know what I want to do?
My answer, invariably, to all these questions is the same: get involved, so that you then create own luck. This pearl of wisdom manifests in action items like:
(A) attend industry events
(B) putting your hand up for a new opportunity that pushes you outside of your comfort zone, or
(C) joining a professional association. While I will go into more detail on each of these points in due course, this post will focus on how you can create your own luck by getting involved in a professional association.
If you want to progress your career to the next level, then getting involved in a professional association is invaluable. Joining is typically as simple as filling out a form and paying an annual fee. Getting involved in a particular industry niche will help you gain knowledge you need to progress to the next level and introduce you to the people who are already there.
I believe strongly in value of community, and currently am the Head of Community Education and Engagement at Legally Yours, an online network of progressive Australian lawyers, and have this year joined both One Roof and Off- to inspire me to grow Rose Tinted Law from my passion project into a flourishing business (watch this space).
It will also help build your CV.
Getting involved the legal profession via an association provides an excellent opportunity to:
- Demonstrate leadership, build new skills and gain confidence
- Meet like-minded people
- Create more organic and personal professional connections through meeting people you know you already have something in common with
Importantly, you will be able to bolster your CV, through adding to your “Professional Associations” section or adding to your “Leadership” credentials, if you volunteer for a committee leadership position or to lead a project. This helps you stand out from your peers as it demonstrates to a potential employer that you are:
- proactive about your professional development
- already building your professional network, and
- an interested and interesting professional.
How easy is that?!
What professional memberships have worked well for you? Have you joined? What is holding you back? Did you find this advice helpful? I would love to hear from you.
