In order to get to partner, particularly the Big 4 and large firms, you will need to find your niche. Some professionals find that by the time they get to Partner Track they already have a clearly defined niche. This isn’t the case for everyone, however, and there are many accountants, lawyers and consultants who still struggle with this further down the line. In today’s marketplace, it is very difficult to make partner as a generalist, so if this is the goal, choosing a niche is essential to set you apart from others.
Find your niche articles
If you’re looking to find your niche in order to make partner in your law firm, Big 4, consulting, accountancy or mid-tier firm, here is a list of resources that you can use to help you find your niche and develop your own personal brand. How to choose what to specialise in, i.e. your niche Deciding on what you will specialise in will be the point at which marketing and business development become much easier and less time-consuming. This blog explores why niching is important, what makes a true niche, and how to find your niche for you. Business Development Clinic: should I work with a potential juicy client outside of my niche This article is a short story about getting over the “guaranteed work mindset” so that I can say no to the wrong types of clients and only take on the ones that are best for me. Here is why you should think long and hard before deciding to work with a client outside of your niche. A simple way to identify your niche if you are a deal maker Only when you identify what you want to become known for can you start to win your own clients effectively. If you are an M&A lawyer or deal maker lawyer and whether you are already a partner or you want to make partner, here is one simple way to identify your niche so that you can start winning the clients that you want. 3 tips to help you decide on whether to focus on a niche ‘To niche or not to niche’ that is the question. This blog explores whether or not to focus on a niche, giving you three top tips to help you decide. Five Steps to finding your niche (part 1) Your partners are very unlikely to hand you your first clients on a plate, so you will need your own technical specialism and niche. Becoming the Go-To-Expert for a niche will attract internal referrals from partners in your firm and also new client enquiries, so here are the first two steps (out of five) to finding your own niche. Five steps to finding your niche (Part 2) Following on from part 1, part 2 covers the last three steps to finding your own niche. Business Development Time Savers: Have a niche – Part 1 In this three-part blog series, we are going to dig deep into the ‘why’, ‘who’, ‘what’ and how of a niche. Part one outlines what we actually mean by a niche and what makes it so useful. Business Development Time Savers: Have a niche – Part 2 Part two of having a niche attempts to answer the question “will I have to turn business away if I decide to focus on a niche?” This blog is essential if this is what you believe as it covers what niche marketing means, having a niche strategy, and how valuable being a go-to-expert is. Business Development Time Savers: Have a niche – Part 3 In the last of the series, part three puts to bed the fear of missing out when it comes to having a niche. Being the jack-of-all-trades can be very detrimental and having a niche doesn’t mean less variety. Did you know that you can have multiple niches? What I wish every talented professional knew about personal branding One of the challenges that lawyers, accountants and consultants face on the road to making partner is creating their own strong, personal brand. Here’s why you need to be an expert rather than a “jack-of-all-trades” (that’s career suicide!). Why you need to be a BRAND to progress your career in the professions In this article, I explain what I mean by a brand, as it relates to an individual, and how this personal brand needs to change to progress your career in the professions. This article is essential wherever you are in your career, as you need to have built a brand and then generated brand equity. Is your personal brand blocking your career progression? Have you ever wondered why you are (or are not) the person chosen for a juicy assignment? Or why you are (or are not) generating the level of recommendations and referrals you need? If so, you need to take a look at your personal brand, it may be blocking your career progression.
