The importance of building a professional reputation
Learning how to build a professional reputation is just as important as learning about law itself, Toronto criminal lawyer Maureen Salama says in an article in Canadian Lawyer. Read Canadian Lawyer
In the article, Salama offers early lessons for legal students hoping to break into the field.
“A lawyer’s reputation really gains importance when he or she starts applying for his or her first legal job,” writes Salama, an associate with Brauti Thorning Zibarras LLP.
Don’t lead a firm on, Salama advises, and don’t keep an offer longer than you need to. She also suggests that applicants be honest and courteous, because, “Not only is this a difficult and stressful process for students, but it can also be a stressful and difficult process for firms too.”
Being honest and direct goes a long way in the early stages in avoiding wasted time and will only “further your reputation as a professional in the field,” Salama writes.
The application and interview process can be “daunting,” she says, but courtesy and respect will make the process easier and less stressful.
