RMN'S Blog

Locked Door

Building Up Job Security

Date: June 01, 2016

You finally landed your dream job at a good law firm. Regardless of whether you used a legal recruiter or did it yourself, getting into this position was only half the battle of a career. Once you are in the law firm, establishing job security and respect is the next big challenge. Learning how to become an indispensable attorney is one way to ensure you are a valued member of the team, as well as losing the fear of being replaced later on. Here are a few tips on how to build up your job security and gain the much needed respect in the legal office:

Setting high standards is one step to becoming indispensable. Being incompetent in the legal field can hinder or deter your career. However, being very good at your job will set you apart from your peers. If you want to establish yourself in your office as a hard working attorney, become an expert at something that is valued in your law firm. The partners in the office will take note of your skills, and pass that information around to others.

Another way to establish security is to become a career student. Once graduating law school, an attorney’s learning does not end. Law is a dynamic field that has new information flowing at all times. If you commit to continue to learn about your specialization or business skills, the leadership people in your firm will take notice and value your hard work.

Dependability is an extremely valued quality. It can be difficult to find people who are consistently on top of their work, deadlines, and promises. If you build up a reputation of being a person who keeps their word, your employer will take notice, and know you are a trustworthy worker in their firm.

Another way to become indispensable, do work that matters, and not just the easier tasks. Doing busy work will not get you noticed by the partners. To establish more job security, show that you want to dig deeper into your work, and find the tasks that matter the most to your career; be sure to tackle those first, then move on to smaller projects.

In addition, go the extra mile, and help those around you. Let’s say you finished your project(s), and your other tasks can wait to be done. To establish yourself amongst your peers, find out if they need help with anything and offer a hand. Maybe your boss needs help with a project, and showing you are a reliable worker will make you become a more valued member of their team.

Finding a way to guarantee you have a secure job and are an indispensable worker is a big part of building your legal career. Aim to become an asset for your law firm, and your employer will reward you with a secure position in their company.