Have you always dreamed of becoming an attorney? It is an ambition you share with thousands of others who see the legal profession as a respectable one where lawyers can make a difference in people’s lives. However, not everyone can afford to study law full-time. Their best bet is to get a job at a law firm, so they have a foot in the door.
Here is how to make the most of your law firm job to achieve your dreams:
Get the necessary qualifications
Abraham Lincoln University is one of several law schools in Los Angeles that caters to part-time and online students. Therefore, students can register and work on a legal degree while gaining experience in a law firm. Naturally, you will have to work as a paralegal, legal secretary, or legal assistant during your studies.
While such positions are not where you want to end up forever, they offer a great learning opportunity for understanding how a law firm works from the bottom up. This experience could be invaluable in a career as an attorney. Apply a lot of what you glean at work to your studies and vice versa.
Do your job well
Regardless of your position, put your all into any task assigned to you. It might be something as mundane as scanning documents and uploading them to the cloud or taking legal files from one office to another. Regardless of how insignificant a task seems, do it with efficiency and enthusiasm.
This will earmark you as someone with drive and a willingness to learn among a law firm’s partners. They might recognize a spark in you that secures a promotion or some financial assistance with your studies.
You never know when someone is observing you in action at work. Fulfill your work obligations as if someone is always watching. The day someone decides to slack off might be the one on which a partner sees them at your worst and will not consider investing time and resources in them.
Take on extra work
No one is advocating straining yourself by working 18 hours a day to achieve this goal. However, if there is additional work that needs to be completed, volunteer to assist. It could mean a few extra hours in the office, sacrificing your lunch breaks, or a weekend at work.
However, this is a small price to pay for the recognition you will receive among the powers that be for being assertive and taking the initiative. However, walk the tightrope between showing a willingness to take on extra work and becoming a workaholic slave that everyone takes advantage of.
Ask for help
If you have a task and are stuck without knowing how to accomplish it, find someone to ask. People who sit at their desks, paralyzed and unable to do their jobs because they are too scared to get assistance, seldom make it far up the promotional ladder.
There is no harm in admitting that you do not know something. On the contrary, people will respect you more for it, especially if you are willing to learn new things and master them quickly.
Finetune interpersonal skills
Few people focus enough on soft skills in the workplace. These are not the legal knowledge you need to do a job. Instead, they are skills that help you keep a job. Soft skills relate to concepts like teamwork, leadership, accountability, and communication. Working on these can help you stand out from your colleagues.
Take online short courses to improve your written and verbal communication skills. Get advice on making speeches and presentations. It will enhance your self-confidence and make you an attractive promotion prospect.