Note that we have a dedicated comprehensive course covering networking and using LinkedIn effectively, delivered by ex-Freshfields lawyer Jake Schogger and LinkedIn "Top Voice" Rob Hanna. The content in this lesson simply gives a high level overview of practical tips and guidance.

Some claim that nowadays, you are on average only four connections away from anyone on the planet, so you’re likely closer than you might think to people who could help you do great things. With this in mind, networking can be an incredibly important skill to develop if you want to succeed throughout a City career.

What is networking?

In short, “networking” means interacting with people to exchange information and develop professional relationships. For many people, the term “networking” brings to mind an image of a large soulless event, filled with people in formal dress drinking prosecco and trading business cards. However, networking is so much more than this.

You can network in professional settings (e.g. at client events, training sessions or conferences), online (e.g. via LinkedIn, email or virtual groups), in social settings (e.g. when participating in sports teams or music ensembles, over coffee, during casual conversations etc.) and in many other contexts, each of which can be beneficial in a number of different ways. However, making a new connection is one thing. Maintaining and strengthening these relationships is a whole other challenge. It’s therefore important that you develop your networking skills from an early stage, which is why I decided to cover this topic in this handbook.

How can networking benefit you?

In short: when utilised effectively, networking can offer a fantastic way to source and exchange information, access feedback and mentorship, make new connections, maintain or strengthen existing relationships, and create opportunities. 

As your career progresses, networking can equip you with the contacts and information you need to capitalise upon opportunities and transition into more senior roles. At a more senior level, you might then be expected to rely on your network to attract new work and clients to the firm, at which point networking essentially becomes a marketing tool. To that end, networking as a junior employee can provide the foundation you need for success at a senior level, as you will climb the ranks whilst junior employees at client organisations also climb the ranks. Don’t be short-sighted: if you have proven yourself to these people and built solid relationships over time, they will likely be more willing to send work your way in the future. For this reason, some firms allocate budgets to juniors to encourage them to network with lower-level employees of potential (and actual) client businesses. 

In addition, if you ever want to move to another office, work for another firm, or change careers altogether, your network could be essential for helping you to discover the opportunities available, get a foot in the door, and hit the ground running. It’s also highly likely that you will end up working with or for people from within your network throughout your career, and networking from an early stage can help to lay the foundations for positive working relationships further down the line.

In general, the longer your history with people, the more likely it is that they will be willing to help you. And if you’ve already built a rapport, some good will and a degree of trust with a colleague or collaborator, you’ll be in a great place when it comes to tapping up those connections later on. So always strive to make a positive first impression, and make the effort to keep in touch with your connections. Even something as simple as sharing one of their LinkedIn posts or dropping them a congratulatory email can have a tangible positive impact on your relationship with them.

Building your network

At the point at which you graduate from university, your “network” is probably far broader than you may think. It theoretically includes your family, friends of family members, your childhood friends, your school friends and university peers (including those in other years and even alumni), your tutors, lecturers and career advisers, and the people you’ve met at networking events and during insight days and internships. Then when you start work, your network will expand almost immediately to include other graduates and colleagues in your team. As you carry out more and more work, your network will further expand to include colleagues in other departments and international offices, representatives from the firm’s clients, and individuals from firms that work alongside (or opposite) your firm. This might include bankers, lawyers, accountants, consultants, representatives from regulators and an almost infinite range of other stakeholders. 

What can you do to meet more people and speed up the process of building your network once you’ve started work? Well, according to Steve Weiner: “where possible, try to build a rapport outside the rigid hierarchical constraints of the firm. Doing so means a senior colleague can become less than just a name at the foot of an email and more a genuine contact in the organisation”. With this in mind, try to maximise your visibility by getting involved in non-fee earning activities. Volunteer to contribute to corporate social responsibility programmes and pro bono initiatives. Join committees and employee networks. Offer to help with business development or client relationship management. Join sports teams or music ensembles. Attend team training sessions, lunches and socials. And so on. 

It’s also important to remember that networking is not just about what you can gain from somebody else. It’s as much about assisting others. Networking should be mutually beneficial, and this is something that the most effective networkers are well aware of. For this reason, you shouldn’t wait until you have a favour to ask before connecting with someone; build the relationship without a goal in mind and – if at all possible – seek out opportunities (professional or otherwise) to offer help to others whenever it’s needed. This approach will help you to expand your network. Plus, if your network is full of people who you’ve helped without (initially) seeking anything in return, you’ll be very well positioned if you need help at a later stage.

Practical tip: consider maintaining a spreadsheet of who you’ve met, including information such as their contact details (or LinkedIn profile URL if you’ve corresponded via LinkedIn), how you met them (e.g. via an introduction), when and where you spoke to them, what you discussed, and how they might be able to help. You never know when you’ll want to get back in touch in the future, and if you meet dozens (or hundreds) of people in the interim, you might struggle to keep track of names and the relevance of each interaction. Having a database of contacts to hand has certainly helped me on countless occasions!

Building your confidence

Let’s be honest, networking can be intimidating. The fear of knockbacks, rejection and making a fool of ourselves can cause us to be hesitant, or to give up altogether. This is perfectly natural, and (almost) everybody feels this way when they start networking for the first time. However, the only way to get rid of the fear of networking is to go out and do it. 

Back when I was a touring musician, every time we visited a city for the first time, we knew we had to convince at least 10-15 people to show up to watch us play, otherwise the venue wouldn’t invite us back to perform in the future. As a result, we used to go to each new city a few hours before soundcheck and walk around shopping centres, town squares and any other busy public spaces we could find, then approach groups of people and talk to them about our music. And it was terrifying. Initially. However, as we started to do this hour after hour, day after day, the fear started to subside, the knockbacks seemed less personal, and the whole process became more natural. We no longer hesitated before approaching groups, as we were no longer worried about the outcome. We didn’t focus on the possibility of a negative interaction, as we had enjoyed enough positive interactions to know that it would likely be ok. And we simply trusted that it would all be worthwhile, in the end.

As a junior professional, you can go through a similar process simply by engaging in as many networking opportunities as possible, virtual or otherwise. Don’t worry too much initially about saying anything profound. Just aim to build your confidence, and the rest will come. You’ll naturally pick up on and learn from the positive things that other, more seasoned networkers are doing, and can then start to adopt some of these techniques yourself. 

Getting into the right mindset

You should always follow up any potential leads and never discount somebody that you haven’t met before. I can’t stress this enough. If a friend tells you that they know someone who might be able to help you or collaborate with you, take the opportunity to meet them, even if you can’t immediately see why the meeting might be relevant. You just never know. Some of the best opportunities that have come my way have resulted from a meeting that – at the time – didn’t seem to have any obvious relevance to my professional goals.

How to approach a prospective contact

Securing direct introductions

If somebody recommends that you speak to one of their contacts, ask that person to introduce you to that contact directly, e.g. by copying you into an email to that contact and explaining who you are and why they are making the introduction. The “direct introduction” exponentially increases your chances of receiving a response, as the contact likely won’t feel comfortable ignoring you, in the knowledge that this could reflect negatively on them to the person who made the introduction. 

Finding an “in”

If you’re reaching out to a potential new connection but aren’t able to secure an introduction from somebody, try to find some kind of shared experience to mention in your initial message to that person. In other words, do your research so that you can find an “in”. This “in” might be (for example) that you both studied the same course at the same university, worked at the same summer camp, grew up abroad in the same country, or transitioned to law from a different career. Anything that can help them to remember what it was like to be in your shoes. 

Note that you could use the LinkedIn search filters to find people whose experiences are somehow connected to your own in this way, then reach out to them in priority. Of course, it would be unrealistic to expect a 100% response rate, but this approach can at least help to shift the odds your way. 

Once you’ve found your “in”, make sure you highlight this (e.g. in a LinkedIn connection request) so that the person knows why you have decided to approach them in particular. Next, explain what you are approaching them about and what you’re looking for (e.g. advice), then be sure to end with a clear call to action. This might be, for example, a request for some written insights, a quick phone call, or a coffee.

Respecting people’s time

Throughout the process of reaching out to others, remember that the people you are contacting are likely to be very busy, slightly (or very!) stressed out, and juggling a wide variety of personal and professional responsibilities. Demonstrate that you’re aware of this, you respect their time, and you’ll appreciate any help whatsoever. Tying into this theme, do everything you can to make the other person’s role as easy as possible and don’t ask too much of them, as this can show a lack of respect. Don’t ask for 2 hours of their time, ask for 10 minutes and then take it from there. Offer to meet them whenever and wherever suits them best. And if they do meet with you, at least offer to buy them a coffee to show your appreciation. I’ve genuinely had people whom I’ve never met or spoken to ask me to proofread a lengthy application late at night, with a follow up message to say that the application deadline is actually the next morning! Needless to say, this didn’t come across well.

Practical tip: if somebody does agree to speak with you at some point in the future, send them a calendar invite and include in the invite a few brief notes reminding them of who you are, how you met, and what you wanted to discuss with them. That way, they’re less likely to forget about the call/meeting (or to delete the calendar invite having forgotten who you are).

How to interact with others

It’s all well and good perfecting the craft of breaking into group discussions or persuading someone to speak to you. However, you also need to give some thought as to what you’re actually going to say when people do speak to you. 

Your narrative

Think about your narrative. Your elevator pitch. What you will say if somebody picks up the phone and says “tell me about yourself?, or “so, how can I help?”. In these situations, you should clearly and concisely articulate what you’re currently doing and what you are looking for. It could be as simple as “Hi, I’m Jake, I’m a second seat trainee in the corporate team and I’m looking to learn more about the employment team as the deadline for choosing my next seat approaches”. Or, if you are looking for more specific insights or information, be ready to clearly explain what you already know, and the knowledge gaps you’re looking to fill.

Asking questions

According to author of 21^st Century Solicitor Steve Weiner: “networking for junior lawyers means less networking (the verb) and more cultivating a network (the noun). And, surprise surprise, it isn’t rocket science. It is what you should be doing every day; internal and external relationship-building, being calm, light-hearted, likeable, bright and charming. And the key to this lies in showing a genuine interest in the people you meet, both in your professional capacity as a lawyer and in your non-professional capacity as a human being. People generally like to talk about themselves, so asking questions is a good way to show you are interested and to build trust and credibility. And asking open questions in particular can give you material to ask further questions as the conversation develops”.

If possible, look up people you may be meeting – and their companies – in advance, as this can give helpful background that enables you to tailor your questions and conversation topics accordingly. On that note, avoid questions that you could easily find the answers to online (from personal experience, I know this can be boring and even frustrating for the professionals present), and tailor your questions to the role and seniority of those you are networking with. 

If you’re talking to a partner, don’t start asking them about the mechanics of training contract seat selection. Take advantage of their knowledge and experience! Perhaps ask about their career: what has kept them at the firm for so long, how has their role changed over time, what is their favourite thing about the job, what are their career highlights, what is the biggest challenge they have faced etc. If the person then starts talking about their career, think of follow-up questions. For example, if they say they moved between firms or departments, you could ask why they chose to do so, and what differences they noticed in the subsequent role.

If you’re speaking to a representative from a client, perhaps ask questions that demonstrate an active and noticeable interest in the client’s business, industry, needs and objectives. Maybe ask what work they have in the pipeline, whether anyone has been promoted, who has left and who is joining, and so on. However, if you’re in a social setting, be sure to use your emotional intelligence to ascertain whether the individual is actually interested in talking about work or their career.

Following up

If possible, follow up your meeting with a thank you. This could be by email or via LinkedIn, or (if it is someone internal) you could briefly pop into their office. Perhaps mention something specific that you talked about during the original interaction (this will help them to remember you), or share a related article or resource. Doing so creates another networking “touchpoint”, which increases the likelihood of that person remembering you. The more touchpoints you accumulate with someone, the more familiar you will become with one another, which is all part of maintaining and strengthening relationships. 

Practical tip: when reaching out to someone via LinkedIn for the first time, send a personalised message with your connection request. In the connection request, remind them who you are and how you met. Senior professionals will likely receive hundreds of anonymous connection requests per month, so a personalised message can help you stand out. Conversely, failing to personalise a connection request can make you appear lazy and unprofessional, which may result in your request being ignored. In addition, including such a message with your connection request means you’ll always be able to refer back to when and why you originally connected with someone (as the message will permanently sit in your LinkedIn message chain with that person).

Formal networking events

Preparation

If you know in advance who you’ll be meeting at a formal networking event (e.g. a client seminar, networking drinks etc.), perhaps do some prior research. See if someone you’ll be meeting has published thought leadership articles on LinkedIn or through their firm’s website and if so, give some of these articles a read. If you later approach that person, tell them you enjoyed one of their articles, and ask them a couple of thoughtful follow-up questions, they’ll likely be flattered and very impressed. They’ll also remember you, at least for a while. 

Practical tip: consider bringing a pen and paper with you to networking events so that you can take notes. You will likely otherwise forget all the insights you have worked so hard to pick up. People won’t necessarily think it’s weird if you write while they talk, as long as you maintain some level of eye contact and actually respond if they ask you questions (although you could always write your notes once the interaction concludes). In fact, when I represented firms at career fairs and networking events, I sometimes felt like my time was being wasted if people I spoke to didn’t take notes, as I knew they would likely forget our conversation as soon as they moved onto the next interaction.

Make sure you dress appropriately (first impressions and all that) and respect those around you. In a group scenario, don’t monopolise a particular person by trying to dominate the conversation if others are waiting patiently for their turn. This can come across negatively to all involved, which won’t buy you much good will. In contrast, when I was networking with students and one was gracious enough to take a step back and let others have their turn, I would go out of my way to try to make time for them again later on.  

Practical tip: if you want to talk to a range of people, but find yourself stuck in one particular conversation, try to find a polite way to excuse yourself and move on. For example, you could say you need to grab a drink (although you should probably then offer a drink to the person/people you’re speaking to, and just hope they decline!). Or perhaps say you’re heading to the loo (and hope the conversation has moved on by the time you return!). Alternatively, you could ask the person you’re speaking to whether they know anyone in the room who might be able to give you advice or insights relating to whatever it is you’re interested in, and if so, then request an introduction to that person (or ask if they think that person would mind if you approach them directly). Then be sure to thank the person for their time, and excuse yourself politely. Sometimes, simply thanking someone for their time and asking for their LinkedIn or email address can help to bring a conversation to a natural close. Either way, in formal networking situations, people should understand that you’re likely aiming to speak to a range of different people, so they really shouldn’t take it personally if you move on!

Keeping an open mind

Don’t avoid talking to someone just because you think they’re too junior to be helpful, or won’t have useful insights. This ties into the point made above about not discounting people you haven’t met: you can’t be sure until you’ve tried! For example, I attended a City law firm’s campus presentation during my very first week at university. After the presentation, almost everybody swarmed the partners, so I went to speak to one of the trainees. As nobody else was around, this gave me a solid hour to ask a broad range of questions and gave us the chance to build a decent rapport. He ended up helping me with my application and meeting me for a coffee when I attended an insight day. Now, almost a decade later, we’re still friends. In fact, we attended each other’s weddings! You. Just. Never. Know. 

Final thoughts

To conclude, here are Steve Weiner’s key objectives to bear in mind when starting to build a network: 

• Stay visible: maximise your chances of being asked to contribute to a presentation, training session or client seminar.
• Be supported: get to know people whom you can trust to help you when you are in a pickle.
• Add value: create links with people internally and externally so that you pop into their heads when they need something from someone at your level.
• Have fun: life is much better when one feels popular.