How to maximise your chances of progressing your local government career
A career in local government can be exciting and fulfilling on both a professional and personal level. Working within this area of the legal sector provides a wealth of opportunities to develop your skills and progress your career, as well as offering the chance to deal with challenging and interesting caseloads.
The consistent demand for legal talent within the public sector means there are ample opportunities for legal professionals to join a local government team, however, we are often asked by candidates what they should do to make sure they stand out from other applicants. In such a competitive field it is essential to find ways to differentiate yourself and to develop a professional profile that cannot be ignored.
Here, we will examine some of the most effective ways for legal professionals to progress in their local government careers, and give themselves the best chance of finding a role that will align with their career plans and aspirations.
Look for support - and look to support others
Legal professionals in the public sector often ask where they should be looking for support to help them with their career development. The answer to this is that to get the most out of mentorship opportunities, it is important that this support goes both ways.
Naturally, it will always be hugely important to find a more senior mentor figure to whom you can turn for advice, or talk through ideas and difficult situations. These experienced individuals can be crucial in teaching you what it takes to succeed in real-world situations, and even to help create opportunities for you by vouching for your capabilities. In turn, acquiring references will go a long way to helping you reach for higher-level positions, substantiating any application you will make to forward your career.
However, it is equally important to look the other way and think about the ways in which you can offer time and support to others. Is there someone in your team or the wider organisation with whom you can partner up and offer guidance to? Can you get involved in training someone in a more junior role? Or is there someone who works alongside you who is looking to develop a particular skill set, which you would be well-placed to teach?
Becoming a mentor will give you a chance to learn more about your own skills, develop your reputation as a team player and leader, and form the connections that will smooth your pathway to professional success.
Build your personal brand
Progressing your career is often about being able to advertise and champion your own skills and credentials to others. Instead of waiting for professional opportunities to fall into your lap, you will need to create them yourself by gradually building a good reputation, and then finding ways of connecting with professional contacts who can help you advance.
There are various ways of building your personal brand; from having a detailed and up-to-date LinkedIn account to getting yourself involved in working on external content projects that demonstrate your skills and expertise, such as writing thought leadership blogs and legal advice pieces online.
It is also highly advisable to attend as many in-person industry events as possible. Although the fact that many industry conferences now facilitate virtual attendance, it is much more beneficial to physically attend events whenever you can, as these conferences are fantastic for networking and meeting key members of legal teams. Local government is a small world, and the colleagues from other organisations that you meet at these events could become valuable contacts who can help to open doors for you later in your career.
Learn to say ‘yes’
One of the most effective pieces of career advice is also the simplest - namely, that learning to say ‘yes’ to professional opportunities will be a significant benefit for your career development.
Learning to say yes does not come naturally to everyone, and will feel quite daunting in many cases, especially when agreeing to an offer or request that will push you out of your comfort zone or traditional skill set. However, it should be considered a vital part of your learning and development.
After all, occupying a role that you can do very easily is a testament to your legal skills in some respects; however, the only way to continue growing and add further skills and knowledge is to give yourself a need and opportunity to learn. This may mean putting yourself forward to deliver a training session, volunteering to be involved in a project that is relatively new to you, or making an active effort to expose yourself to different areas of law outside of your existing specialism.
Taking these steps will not only help you build out a more rounded, robust skill set, but will also go a long way when it comes to differentiating you from other candidates or colleagues.