The old adage of the more things change the more they remain the same holds true. In a recent survey by Robert Half Legal, 48% of attorneys interviewed stated that networking is the most effective way to find work in the legal field. "In a tight-knit legal community, knowing the right person is often the
most effective way to discover the best opportunities. Attorneys can
use professional networking sites, in addition to traditional
networking activites, to meet new people and uncover new job
leads,"said Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal.
The results were broken down as follows:
- Networking/friend or peer referral 48%
- Staffing or placement firm 16%
- Internship 13%
- Law school recruiting programme 8%
The survey was conducted by an independant research firm for Robert Half Legal included responses from 300 attorneys.
Although all professionals intellectually understand the importance of networking, having a plan and implementing it is entirely another matter, particularly with competing demands on time. To ensure success of any networking endeavours, at its very basic means not only being clear on your networking purposes and goals but incorporating some form of online networking.
