As a law student, from the very first day, you are told to start networking and building up connections. We all know there are many sites that you can log in to and build-up connections. Here, I am going to list out the importance of networking as a law student.
To be honest, networking is easy- hear this from an ambiverted introvert. (I don't even know whether that term exists but that is how I describe myself)
Let's start with the basics first.
What is networking?
It is the ability of people to connect with other people and grow their network and their connections.
But what makes networking important for young law students as compared to other forms of meetings such as internships?
While internships, conferences, moots, seminars and other activities provide you platform to interact with people as a law student, but connecting with them is a completely different story altogether.
While these events may give you access to connections, the burden of connecting with them falls entirely upon yourself. It is never too early to start networking.
Now the question arises- how to find the best connections?
This can never be completely answered but there are obviously many ways to find people who might help you most of the time, which is quite close to finding the best connections at all times!
Your seniors-
Connect with your seniors and they'll provide you with an insight at an early stage. Be it academic-related matter or even for fun, connecting with your seniors is probably the easiest way to network
Your teachers-
Your teachers are definitely your best connections. They provide you with a lot of insight, experiences and good ways to secure internships, competitions, papers etc. Being in their good books means you get to learn a lot about them, and a lot from them in your field. Stay connected to them.
Social Media sites-
Social media in today's world plays an important role in networking. Be it through Linkedin or Instagram or Facebook too, it plays an important role in building up connections.
I have also made a recent post on why every law student must have a LinkedIn account on Instagram. Check it out!
That being said, it does not mean that you would completely ignore the point of networking and start spamming people. NO! Build connections, make friends, make acquaintances, but do not spam people or they might report/block you or simply ignore you.
A person with a good networking skill is always subtle, polite and even respectful. You tend to come across a lot of people in your life. How you connect with those people is entirely based on your skill of networking!
The thumb rule of networking in every case is not to be shy. That does not mean that you have to be very outgoing and indulge yourself in parties and all. It simply means that you need to be stern, polite and confident about yourself.
You must develop the ability to talk to people and engage them in your conversations. People tend to avoid boring people. So make sure you have the right audience in your mind. Your target audience sets the base of your networking. You tend to be more interactive with people who share ideas which are similar to yours, so don't be shy about opening up.
Ask for advice too! Often, people who are experienced in their fields would love to share ideas with the younger generation. Never miss an opportunity where you would have to ask for advice from them. They would be more than happy to share their experiences, their struggles and their thoughts with you!
The importance of networking lies in the fact that you can always access information or advice which would have not be accessible to you had you not networked with the organisation/ person. You would have also not been part of the group which has the same passion as yours had it not been your networking skills.
As a law student, networking with people on Instagram and LinkedIn (I don't use Facebook for this purpose) has let to me being a part of an amazing group of interactive people from around the world. It has also given me access to a lot of opportunities which I believe I would not have had access to if I would have not connected to the people/ organisations over there.
If you know people, and if you connect with people, it would help you immensely in your field, given that you will need to talk to a lot of people and make a lot of deals as a lawyer. Even if you plan on getting into academia, you would realise that having connections would help you improve in your field, be it your research or even just writing down articles.
Most people would love to support you, especially if they have worked hard to be where there are at the moment. So never miss out an opportunity to connect.
I hope you found this blog post insightful and I hope it would help you understand why networking is important as a law student!
HAPPY READING!
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