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How junior lawyers can put themselves out there
The immediate past president of the Australian Law Students’ Association (ALSA) has shared how new-to-industry lawyers can put their best foot forward by maintaining an authentic and genuine online presence.
Emma Musgrave
Speaking on a recent episode of The Protégé Podcast, the immediate past president of ALSA, Annabel Biscotto, shared her tips for law students, graduates and young lawyers keen on getting their brand out there, particularly on professional social media platforms such as LinkedIn.
“There was one post that I did about my family. I made this video for my nonna, and I hadn’t really seen many people post that type of stuff, and that was something very personal, but I was like, ‘You know what? I love film, I love photography, I love the Italian culture. Why not post about that on LinkedIn?’
“People really enjoyed it. There were a lot of friends I had who were Italian [and] who said they really enjoyed the video. And I never would have thought to post it on LinkedIn because I didn’t really think that was the place for it. But that helps me in my personal brand, in being more authentic in that.”
Ms Biscotto also recommended new and emerging lawyers to connect with people outside their chosen industry and immediate circle.
“One of the other really interesting ideas that I learned a while back was you shouldn’t constrain yourself to just the people that you think you should be networking with, whether that be lawyers, law students, et cetera,” she said.
“Try and find people outside of those circles and find a common interest that connects you to that which isn’t law.
“For example, there were some people that messaged me that were working in tourism or working in hospitality, and finding that sort of connection between us through this helped me sort of expand my network. Now I follow them and see all the cool stuff that they’re doing, and that inspires me and other parts of my life, which I think is pretty fun.”
While kicking off and building a brand on professional social media platforms like LinkedIn might seem like a daunting task for some, Ms Biscotto said younger lawyers, in particular, are well placed to lead by example.
“We’re more outspoken and open to posting about different stuff, whether that’s on TikTok, Instagram, whatever. [We’re now] seeing that sort of shift over to LinkedIn. I feel that while LinkedIn is always seen as very professional, now it’s [becoming] a bit more outgoing and creative, and people are sharing their views,” she said.
“I think that’s really cool because, especially in the legal profession, it’s about the diversity of the society that we are serving, so being able to see those people share different parts of their life and culture and what they’re passionate about is empowering and inspiring.
“Lawyers shouldn’t just be looked at as a black and white profession, very this is how it is, that’s how it’s always been, whatever. Bring a bit more colour and life into it.”
NB: This transcript has been edited slightly for publishing purposes. You can listen to the full episode here:
