Law firms and legal departments are starting to think about creating their own employment brands to attract the legal support talent they need. But what many legal support candidates don’t think about is how the power of a personal employment brand can help them connect with these employers as well.
Why Brand?
Your personal employment brand demonstrates, clearly and concisely, what kind of candidate you are. It encapsulates your skills, summarizes your approach to work, and communicates the value you will bring to a law firm or legal department.
Your personal employment brand packs a lot of information into a small space. By doing so, it makes it easier for you to communicate and connect with the recruiters and employers who can help you reach your career goals. Once you’re in a legal support position, your brand helps you expand your professional network and communicate your strengths, allowing you to pull in projects that align with your capabilities.
Strategies for Building Your Personal Employment Brand
Just like the organizations your job search targets, you can develop an employment brand. Here are some short- and long-term strategies for doing so:
- Make (realistic) promises. A brand should promise your best work, but it should be grounded in the reality of your strengths and abilities. Spend some time making an inventory: What work are you best at? What do you love to do? What types or projects gain you the most praise when you complete them? Talk to current and former co-workers and supervisors for input.
- Consider your approach to work as well as your results. Do you work best when you collaborate, or in an environment with healthy competition? Are you motivated by “crisis” moments, or do you prefer to plan thoroughly before you proceed? Work these into your employment brand to communicate the sort of cultural “fit” you’re looking for in an employer.
- Communicate your brand. Use your newfound understanding of your strengths and work style to reshape your resume, LinkedIn profile, and other application materials. Your brand can also become the basis for answers to common interview questions like “Tell us about yourself.”
- From connecting with a recruiter to reaching out to your own professional peers, communicating and sharing your employment brand offers the long-term opportunity to become known as an expert in your field and a source of help to other professionals, making them more likely to offer help in return when you need it.
At Kent Legal, our recruiters specialize in placing legal support staff with law firms and legal departments that make the most of their skills. Contact us today to learn more.
