Do You Know How to Communicate Your Value?

Taking the leap to join a new law firm or legal department is a significant decision — and it works both ways. While potential employers aim to present themselves in the best possible light with sincerity, legal professionals must be able to communicate your value clearly and convincingly to stand out.

Crafting and sharing your Unique Value Proposition (UVP) means finding the right balance between promoting yourself and providing relevant, concrete information. When done well, your message will reflect authenticity and candour, while showcasing your distinctive strengths.

How to Communicate Your Value Clearly

Your main message should explain why your audience should choose you — based on your unique attributes and strengths. Preparing your UVP, or the promise of value you bring, starts with self-reflection. It allows you to define the strategy that best highlights your professional path.

Ask Yourself the Right Questions

To begin, ask yourself, among other things:

• What key decisions shaped your career?
• What pivotal events led you to where you are today?
• How did mentors influence your journey?
• How have client interactions shaped your approach?
• In what ways has your practice evolved in your current organization, considering its structure and human resources?
• What impact have secondments had throughout your career?
• What Do Your Clients Say About You?
• What do clients value most in your services?
• What kind of feedback have you received repeatedly?
• What makes you stand out from their perspective?

This insight provides a solid foundation as you communicate your value to others.

Identify Your Specialization

Then, pinpoint the areas where you offer unique or superior service. This could be a niche legal expertise or a different way of doing things.

Also, what has increased your professional visibility and helped define your unique profile?

Moreover, don’t limit yourself to technical skills. Highlight essential interpersonal strengths — like leadership, mentoring, coaching, and team management. These qualities are not only highly sought after but also central to most senior roles.

Be Clear and Structured

To better communicate your value, your proposition must be clear and concise. In other words, your audience doesn’t want to be subjected to a tedious and exhaustive chronological narrative of events and interactions.

Provide specific details, concrete results, and real impacts, and reference them with deal sheets, a list of important files you’ve worked on, articles, testimonials, etc.

Keep Your CV and Bio Up to Date

Your CV still plays a key role in showing what sets you apart. Therefore, it should reflect your experience in a way that indicates how you define your professional future.

Likewise, your professional bio — for your firm or company’s website — must be up-to-date. It should spotlight your legal focus and articulate your unique value proposition. This allows you to communicate your value in a structured way, show what differentiates you from your colleagues, and offer talking points during interviews.

Strengthen Your Presence on Social Media

Use platforms like LinkedIn to communicate your value to a broader professional audience. These tools let you share content that illustrates your interests, strengths, and expertise.

Clearly Communicate Why You’re Open to a New Opportunity

Finally, clearly and convincingly communicating why you are open to a career change is, without a doubt, the most important step in your presentation. The story behind your departure—or your current dissatisfaction—is very important. It allows your interviewers to better understand your motivations.

In other words, the vision that drives you to seek a new career opportunity is essential for your application to be considered. It also allows for productive dialogue with hiring committees and your future colleagues.

Explaining this WHY therefore constitutes a strategic reflection on your current situation and your aspirations.

Clarify your value to better move forward

Whether you’re an associate, partner, or in-house counsel, you bring value to your profession. Defining and expressing that value with intention will guide your search and help you reach your next career goal.

In summary, when you know how to communicate your value, you give yourself the best chance to succeed.