LinkedIn or LinkedOut?

Arlene Gibbs, solicitor at Aberdeenshire Council and member of the In-house Lawyers' Committee, reflects on how getting more active on LinkedIn has helped to expand her network and bring a new dimension to her professional relationships.

Until recently my LinkedIn account had sat dormant for years. It was nothing more than an app on my mobile phone which I periodically opened and then swiftly closed again. I generally struggled to know what to do with it - other than share my education credentials and employment history. I wasn’t looking for a career move (which is often the reason people turn to LinkedIn) and I also felt that because I worked in-house, I simply couldn’t participate and benefit from the same exposure that solicitors at the “big firms” had: they shared blogs, articles and events that I simply couldn’t. I didn’t really know who to follow and who to connect with. 

Then it occurred to me: why don’t I “link in” with my employer’s external legal advisors? We’d recently engaged a firm to assist with a complex legal issue and we had been working closely them so, that, I thought, would be a good place to start. I hit send on my online invitations.

Then I thought more specifically about my work and those I frequently work opposite. I connected with them. As a newly qualified solicitor, that has brought about a new dimension to my professional relationships and has allowed me to engage with my peers in an entirely new way. 

Then I connected with the key players, legal experts and authors in the area of law that I work. I enjoy reading their blogs, case updates and considering their opinions and views of developments in the law. It also allows me to share, engage and promote other people’s posts within my own expanding network.  

I have more recently started posting my own thoughts; commenting on key learning points from CPD events I have attended (this is also good PR for those businesses providing the CPD); I’ve highlighted good news stories about the work and initiatives that my employer is involved in; I’ve promoted job vacancies within my network; and I’ve shared surveys and consultations that I have taken part in and which may be of interest to my connections. The list goes on…

As well as connecting with my own clients and customers (internal and external), I have also connected with staff at the Law Society of Scotland and members of the In-House Lawyers’ Committee.  My network is now more diverse, the content of my feed is more relevant and I believe that the more of us who get involved with our online professional community, the greater the quality of engagement and discussion we can have on and off-line. This serves to benefit the individual, the in-house community as well as the wider legal profession as a whole.

The In-House Lawyers’ Committee is keen to see its own LinkedIn group expand and evolve into an active online community for in-house lawyers. If you are looking to develop your own online professional network, come and find us on LinkedIn and join Lawscot in-house lawyers.  We look forward to seeing you there.