Networking is hard

Okay, so I'm the lawyer who has been writing the seven part series titled "A Junior Associate's Networking Plan".  I know, I know, I owe Ms. JD a couple of installments of that series, which I promise to get to soon.  Anyway, I recently found myself on the receiving end of a friend's networking efforts and it was hard for me.  Therefore, I thought I would write here to tell you about how hard it was for me but also share how I talked myself into doing that which I knew I should.

Background:  My good friend, who is an attorney in my town, has decided to run for the board of directors of our local women's bar association.  This is something that I have strongly encouraged her to do and totally support.  In fact, it falls under items II and IV of my so-called "Plan".  I am also involved in the same bar association and regularly attend events and chair one of the association's committees.  Through this, I have formed relationships (both working and personal) with a number of the group's members.

Part IV in Series: A Junior Associate's Networking Plan

Today's post in the series I've named "A Junior Associate's Networking Plan" is Community Involvement.  See here for the start of this series.

Part V in Series: A Junior Associate's Networking Plan

Part V in my 7-part series is Pro Bono work.

I, like most junior associates, took on a pro bono client early in my law-firm career.  I took my first pro bono client/project based on typical factors: 1- a partner asked me to do it and 2- well, there is no second reason. 

Now, with a little bit of experience and having had the chance to work on a number of pro bono matters, I realize the networking and business development opportunity presented by carefully-chosen pro bono work.  At the outset I want to clarify that pro bono work is our professional responsibilty.  We do it to give access to the justice system to those that can't afford it otherwise.  However, for corporate lawyers particularly, there is a great side benefit of working for non-profit organizations and that benefit is networking.

Part III in Series: A Junior Associate's Networking Plan

Okay, so now to Part III: Law School Network and Alumni Groups.

I have found that the typical advice, both formal and informal, to a junior associate trying to start building her professional network is that she should start with keeping in touch with law school classmates.  Therefore, I have built that into my networking plan.

Part VI in Series: A Junior Associate's Networking Plan

I am short on time and energy today so I am skipping to Part VI of my seven part networking series to share with you today, my Online Networking Plan.

I'll have to admit upfront to be woefully behind the power curve on on-line networks.  As a member of Gen X, I missed the boat that was MySpace and was a late joiner on other online networks as well.  I reluctantly became a member of facebook in 2007 just because I repeatedly got friend invites from it and signed up just to have a shell of a presence so that I could accept the requests.  Well, just last July, when things were a little slow at the office, I decided to really join the online networking game and to make it part of my Junior Associate's Networking Plan.

Part I in Series: A Junior Associate's Networking Plan

This is the first part of a multi-part series where I will lay out my creatively-titled "Junior Associate Networking Plan" for your information, criticism and suggestions. I am writing this series because I have found the task of figuring out what a junior associate can and should be doing to build her professional network to be a little daunting and that is perhaps because there is no way to know how much effort one should put into it or where one should dedicate that effort.  I do not claim to have the right answers or be implementing the perfect plan.  Instead, I hope to share my plan with Ms. JD readers with explanations and pros & cons and then hear from others on what they are doing and/or what I should be doing.

A little background to set the stage for this series.  As you may know from my earlier posts, I am a junior associate in the corporate department of a large national law firm, where I have my sights set on making partner some day.  I have little "free time" on my hands.  I am a little compulsive about making the most of the time that I do have.  Some may say that I am overly goal-oriented and/or too ambitious.