It is true that gender equality in the workplace has come a long way in recent times, but there is still a lot more that needs to be done. The legal profession is one area where entry-level rates are more equal, but at partner level, you will find that women are underrepresented. Not only this, but retention rates are quite poor and females often find that they need to work much harder than men.
As a female in the legal profession, it is vital that you know how to succeed and stay ahead as, although hopefully things will change for the good in the near future, you need to be the maker of your own career.
Team & culture
A law firm is powered entirely by the team. This means that, first, you need to make sure that you hire the right people for the job and those that will be a good fit for the firm culture that you are trying to cultivate. In addition to helping the firm to be a success, this will also create a positive working environment which everyone can benefit from and avoid high staff turnover.
Keep improving
In terms of career progression, it is important that you keep on learning and finding ways to improve in order to stand out from the crowd and achieve your specific goals. This could include earning qualifications, attending industry events, reading respected publications, putting your name forward for presentations etc. Set yourself goals so that you are always moving forwards – complacency is a career killer, especially in law.
Know your clients
It is simple, but taking the time to get to know your clients and to put yourself in their shoes can have a huge different and give you a competitive advantage. You need to think about why they are choosing your services and how you can provide a great legal service to them.
Embrace technology
Technology is always changing industries so you need to familiarise yourself with the latest technology and be willing to change. As an example, you can use smart call tracking as part of your marketing strategy from specialists like Mediahawk which will help to reveal what ads, keywords and pages are leading to people calling the firm.
Gender equality remains a huge issue in the professional world and particularly in the legal profession. Things are looking better but you may have encountered difficulties in your career so far or noticed that you have to work harder than men. It is important that you know how to excel in this industry and the above are just a few ways that you can develop your career and stand out from the crowd which should help you to rise to the top and achieve your career goals.
