Trainee Talks: Business Development Opportunities
A year ago, if someone had asked me what my favourite element of Business Development (BD) or networking was, I may have told you it was going home afterwards. The term Business Development, thrown in with various key words and phrases such as marketing, representing the firm, good impressions and personal branding, are enough to send a shiver down any junior lawyer’s spine. So, how you might ask, do I find myself now avidly seeking BD and networking opportunities, to the point that this is one of my favourite aspects of being a TSP trainee?
At TSP I am afforded a wide range of opportunities as a trainee which I am very thankful for. We are encouraged to find our own way professionally and build our brand in collaboration with TSP, rather than on strict orders to do XYZ. We are entrusted as custodians of the firm to be ourselves, use our own judgement and represent the firm in a positive way. In the last month alone, I have been able to represent TSP at various different events such as the Colchester Business Awards, the Suffolk Show and Fiducia Wealth Management's seven a side football tournament. These are all very different activities but good fun and certainly don’t feel particularly laborious. I love all the experiences I gain from each event; whether bonding with my colleagues over my lack of ability to kick a ball or walking around the Suffolk Show and encountering at least five different flavours of sheep I didn’t know existed. Being able to watch senior colleagues interact and mingle with clients, contacts and friends, has taught me a thing or two about presentation and interpersonal skills. I also owe a lot to various LawNet courses such as Presenting with Confidence and other BD courses I have been given the opportunity to do by the firm.
The BD and networking doesn’t end there, with upcoming opportunities to take part in the LawNet Challenge which is a weekend away to the Lake District, with TSP and other affiliate LawNet members to participate in a challenging walk. I will also be attending the Tendring Show and I am guest speaking on a podcast to discuss issues and relevant topics effecting Junior Lawyers and Trainees. In addition, I was part of a panel of Junior Lawyers at the Law Firm Ambition conference. All of these things feel nerve wracking and the preparation feels daunting, but being able to rely on my colleagues has been extremely comforting, whether that’s asking my peers to listen to a run through on a random Friday afternoon or talking my Training Principal’s ear off about my worries, my clothes and even how I hold a knife and fork. She has always been there for me and helped me grow, as have my colleagues: every partner has a piece of wisdom to bestow on me, whether that’s to do with my demeanour, the pace of my speech or a personal anecdote of when they were a shy junior lawyer avoiding BD.
One part of networking, which I do think that many people overlook, is the internal networking with your colleagues and also personal branding, whether that’s in person or online. A friendly manner goes a long way, as does remembering and being genuinely interested in your colleagues’ and contacts’ stories and lives. Curating lasting friendships in work and outside is very important. So too is developing your LinkedIn presence - I can’t even begin to explain the opportunities I get through LinkedIn these days. Being a trainee is all about figuring out who you are professionally, and leaning into it in the best way.
Sometimes it’s the little things that help you grow in confidence with these events and opportunities, other times it’s the events and opportunities themselves. If I were to give myself a piece of advice when starting my career, it would be, say yes to every opportunity, you might be pleasantly surprised as to where it leads you. I know I am.