Using LinkedIn as a qualified lawyer

Making connections

LinkedIn is not like Facebook or Twitter; primarily business-oriented, it’s mainly used for career progression and can provide you with valuable advice and opportunities.

For LinkedIn to be effective, you need to connect with relevant individuals in your field. These can be people you’ve met and want to stay in contact with, or even strangers whose work or influence in your field draws you to them; these could be associates, partners, barristers, judges or academics.

Include a personalised message with each connection request to outline why you’re connecting with them and what you aim to gain from this connection. Be specific and engaging, and let them know why you’ve reached out to them above anyone else. Establish and maintain a connection with them; you might even find a mentor for yourself.

Tailoring your profile

To make a good first impression, it’s important to tailor your profile specifically towards professionals in your field who may be attracted and impressed by what you have to offer. To do this, you need to air your experiences, achievements and the type of opportunities you’re seeking.

Think of your LinkedIn profile as being a slightly less refined version of your CV. Keep your most relevant experiences and skills on display, and show how you have learned from them. For example, if you’re seeking career progression in a firm renowned for intellectual property law, it helps to show that you’ve been published in the IP section of a magazine or that you’ve gained work experience in the IP department of a firm. Keep all of your experiences as up-to-date as possible.

This is the most basic step to increasing the likelihood of you gaining advice, experience or a job in a field you’re interested in. Professionals may even reach out to you themselves and offer you opportunities if they’re impressed by what you have to offer.