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USC Gould School of Law • February 15, 2008
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Firm pro gives students networking tips

—By Kendall Davis

Networking as a law student or law firm intern can be difficult. There are so many people to meet, so little time and the dreaded ‘social dance,’ says Kathleen Flynn, chief marketing officer of Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold LLP.

“In today’s world, the skills you gain in law school are not enough to be successful; marketing and business development are critical to success as an attorney,” Flynn told USC Law students during a recent lunchtime talk sponsored by the Women’s Law Association.

Those ‘intangible’ skills are best applied at events where a lot of contacts can be gained; however, many people fail to meet their own goals at these events, Flynn said. She believes that the one critical element beneath this fear and failure is a lack of preparation.

“You must prepare for success,” she said.

Some tips from Flynn on how to maximize success potential at networking events:

1. Prepare for success in social events. Preparation starts with a clear realization of one’s objective: “Walk into a room without an objective, and you might as well just go home,” Flynn said.

- Research the event
- Get the attendee list
- Research ad nauseum the attendees and the organization
- Read the news to get conversation topics
 
2. At the event, the key to meeting people is being genuine and making them feel welcome, Flynn said. This can go a long way towards making someone feel comfortable enough to share contact information.

“I try to imagine that I’m the host … that I’m the entertainer.  If you have that mindset, you can be very gracious, and it takes off the mindset of being an outsider,” she said. “People remember that.” 

- Put your coat and bag down
- Avoid spending too much time with one group of people — especially if it’s made up of people you already know
- Be a good host while you’re someone else’s guest; seek out people who appear uncomfortable and make them feel at ease
- Smile and have fun
-  Place name tag on the right side of the jacket; shake hands firmly
- Show up on time
- Introduce people to one another … even if you have just met them
- Give and take during conversations
- Religion, politics and sex are usually topics best left at home … except, perhaps, in an election year

3. After an event:
- Follow up with those you promised to send something or introduce someone to
- Send an email to say ‘it was nice to meet you’  and if there is a next step, suggest a plan of action
- Start a database of the contacts you have made

While a lot of the skills involved in networking may seem like common sense, Flynn says, the skills and resources gained from attending such events are invaluable.

“No matter what happens in your career, no one can ever take away your network of contacts,” she said.

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