Authored by: Alicia Lammers

Moving up in the white-collar world especially as a new lawyer can be a daunting task. Networking or having a law degree from an ivy league seems to be the only ways to further yourself as a lawyer. According to Justin Dillon those who want to move up in the white-collar world have two options:

• Get Fancy
• Make Friends, Not Contacts.

Dillion says “getting fancy” does not mean you need to have a law degree from Harvard. In his terms getting fancy could mean leaving a government position like Attorney General and utilizing that title and subject-matter expertise to land other higher paying jobs.

A lawyer who leaves a position like that can not necessarily coast off the success they had in that position.

These kinds of jobs are few and far between. Most lawyers will need another resource for them to gain clients.

Dillion in his article suggests being “emotionally open” to people so you can make real friends. By doing this he means to be honest with people which will lead them to be honest with you in return. Your honesty and openness will make people want to be friends with you.

Having meaningful friendships will lead to better contacts in the future. These friendships could possibly lead to client referrals, job opportunities, or even promotions. This should not be the focus of these friendships, but merely a bonus to them.

For more information on moving up in the white collar world, click here to read Justin Dillion’s blog on the subject.

Photo Credit: dolgachov