Starting a new job in the legal industry can be quite challenging. Everything is new, there are a lot of new people, and fitting into a new role can be daunting. However, if you follow these 7 tips on starting a new job, you will thrive.
Research
Before you get to your first day you need to do as much research as you can on the firm or company you will be working for. This will help you to make a good first impression and first impressions last annoyingly long. Here are a few tips on what to research:
● What is the dress code at the company?
● What are the working hours and how long are your breaks?
● What software does the company use? Familiarise yourself with the software and programs.
● Who are the important people at the company and what are their roles?
● What products or services does the company sell and what is their mission?
● Look at the company’s social media profiles and website to get a feel for the culture.
● Reach out to your manager and ask what you can bring along on your first day and how you can prepare.
● Also look at your new colleagues' LinkedIn profiles to get a feel for what they do.
Remember that you can never be over-prepared for your new role. The more you know about the company you will be working for, the better.
You can do a test commute to ensure that you arrive early on your first day. Drive to the office the week before to get a feel for the traffic and duration it takes to get to work. Find out where you can park and which entrance would be best to use. Then work in a 10-15 minute buffer on your first day. Being late would make a bad first impression.
Introduce yourself
While at your workplace, introduce yourself to as many people as you can. Perhaps you can prepare a little introduction that you write out at home that you can use to introduce yourself. It will also be helpful to think about yourself and what you do outside of work. Be prepared to share a few personal things about yourself, like information about your pets, vacations, family life, and sports. However, guard against sharing anything controversial.
Try to remember everyone’s names. Carry a notebook with you. As soon as you have a few moments to write, write down the names of people and a short description of them. In this notebook, you can also take notes about things that you would like to remember. Don’t take notes on your phone as this can leave a bad impression.
Get to know the people that you will be working with. Chat with them in the kitchen while you get a coffee. Invite them to sit with you at lunch. Try to remember facts about them that may be important and follow up on them. For example, if someone shares that they have a close family member in hospital, follow up on how they are doing the next week.
Ask questions and take notes
Whenever you struggle with something in your role or you wonder how something works at the office, write the question down in your trusty notebook. Then, when you have a follow-up meeting with your team or manager you can ask those questions. This will show them that you are thoughtful and excited about your new role. Don’t walk to your manager’s office or your colleagues’ desks every time you have a small question (unless it is important and urgent).
If you have a question about how to do your job, like how to prepare a document for court, or how to write a legal document, rather Google this first and try to figure it out by yourself. There is a wealth of information out there. Use the tools that you have. If you couldn’t find the answer, then ask a teammate or manager.
Add value
You were probably hired because there is a lot of work to do. And doing that work should be your top priority the majority of your time. However, every now and then there will be urgent work that needs to be done for your team or your manager. At those times it will be most important to prioritise that work.
Whenever your manager asks you to do something, write it down on your to-do list and complete it as soon as you can. Work given to you by your manager should always be done before the deadline and should take top priority. It should also be done as best as you can, even if you have to stay late or work over weekends every now and then.
Find out what the most important outcome of your team or your own work is and focus all your energy on that outcome. Achieving the outcomes that add the most value to your manager and your company or firm is the work that will get you recognition. Adding value is also the surest way to earn a raise and promotion. It is perfectly okay to spend some time learning a new skill if necessary.
Be organised and cultivate good habits
Starting a new job is a great opportunity to cultivate a new habit. Being organised is one of the best habits you can cultivate as it will increase your productivity and the value you add. Other good habits you can develop for the workplace include:
● Always achieve deadlines. Try to hand in work a day or so before the deadline.
● Proactively learn skills that will help you to get better at your job.
● Take initiative and say ‘yes’ to difficult tasks and new opportunities.
● Admit mistakes and be humble.
● Put your personal phone away while at work.
● Always do your best. Go above and beyond what is expected of you.
● Proofread your work before you hand it in.
● Be positive!
A few tips to be more organised at work:
● Focus on what’s important.
● Make lists.
● Manage your time.
● Use calendars and planners.
● Reply to emails and answer phone calls.
● Organise files that are sent to you in the company’s file management system and make sure it is backed up.
Continually improve your skills
Always improve your skills by attending practical training programmes.
If you are an attorney or a candidate-attorney, the practical legal training offered by the Gawie le Roux Institute of Law can be of great value. They offer a variety of courses and webinars which will give you a competitive edge. Some of the courses are:
● Practical conveyancing for attorneys
(Recordings are available for all these courses.)
If you are a legal assistant (paralegal) they offer a series of courses tailor-made for paralegals working in an attorney’s office, in advocate chambers or anywhere in the formal legal environment – whether in the private or public sectors. They have the following three general courses:
They also offer the following specialised courses:
Say good things about your colleagues
Whenever you can, thank your teammates for helping you with work. Whenever you get acknowledged for a project you did well, acknowledge your colleagues’ contributions.
Never gossip about your colleagues and managers. Make it a habit to only say good things about the people you work with, even to your partner and family members. This will help you to have a positive attitude at work.
Define success with your manager
This is one of the most important tips in this blog. In your first week at your new job, book a one-on-one meeting with your direct manager. Try to find out what the most important outcomes of your role are and how your manager would define your success in that role. Try to understand why those outcomes are so important for the company.
After this meeting, you will have clarity about what you need to focus on. Make sure that you reach these goals.
Conclusion
If you implement the tips in this blog, you are well on your way to thriving in your new role. Remember that they employed you because you are the best candidate for the job and you fit in with their company culture.