The aphorism “it’s not what you know, but who you know” may be a cliché, but it is half true. What you know clearly matters in the search for employment. A good honours degree is a minimum requirement for most professions. But every year tens of thousands of law graduates receive good honours degrees. Within that talented pool of graduates, those who have the most expansive professional networks are the most likely to flourish and find success. Some researchers find that as many as 85% of all vacancies are filled through professional networking. The simple reality is that the more people you know, the greater your chances of finding job vacancies and being recommended for the roles.
In my experience as a tutor, undergraduate law students know, at least on a general level, that professional networking is important. However, often I find that students are a little hazy about why networking is particularly relevant in the legal context. Fundamentally, law firms are businesses. The success of the business depends on its ability to acquire new clients. And while marketing departments are important in advertising a firm’s legal services, much of the grunt work is left to the lawyers. Americans have a wonderfully evocative word to describe this process: “rainmaking”. A good partner is one who “makes it rain” money by bringing in new clients. Drumming up business in this way necessarily requires lawyers to go to conferences, to meet people, make connections, and promote their firm.
And nor is this merely a concern for solicitors. Barristers thrive or die on their ability to form relationships with solicitors that ensures a steady stream of cases to litigate. As a law student, learning to network is therefore not just a means to an end. Certainly professional networking will help you find job vacancies; it may even help you find a mentor. But equally, by demonstrating networking skills to potential employers, you are effectively signalling that you too have the skills needed to “make it rain”.
Understandably, many current students are concerned about the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic will have on their ability to network. The current restrictions undeniably make meeting people more of a challenge. But in some respects, the pandemic offers opportunities. The golden rule in expanding one’s network is to meet as many people as possible. The more connections a student makes, the greater the size of the network. Today’s pandemic means that many lawyers are becoming familiar with new communications technology, such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom. You may have struggled to schedule a face-to-face coffee with a partner at your dream firm in the past, but that partner now may be able to squeeze in a quick call with you.
At the same time, enterprising students that successfully adapt to the new environment will really stand out to employers. Legal recruitment has not stopped in this period; it is has simply moved online. Many firms are conducting open days and vacation schemes remotely. Showing employers that you have the digital literacy and the time-management skills to work remotely will demonstrate that you have what it takes to be a lawyer in the 21st century.
Lastly, one might legitimately ask what a non-practising academic knows about networking. In which case, an anecdote is in order. As a young PhD student, I attended a conference and made a connection with an important professor. I maintained contact with that person over time. When a prestigious postdoctoral position was advertised, that professor recommended me for the post. I applied for the role and was successful. Now, I certainly could not have achieved this success without the necessary academic skills. But, of the many excellent candidates applying for the position, I was chosen because I came recommended by a recognised authority in the field. And I expect that if you ask any lawyer about their own professional journey, many will have a story much like this one. Scores of us (academic and otherwise) realise their success is partly a product of hard work and partly a product of serendipity. So I recommend that you waste no further time and get out there; you never know who you’ll meet.
Patrick Goold is a lecturer and co-director of the LLB programme at the City Law School
