In professional services firms, career development and business development are closely connected. Many of the same habits, skills, and relationships support both.

Personal branding begins long before you have a title and a job. For students and early-career professionals, personal branding is often misunderstood as self-promotion. In reality, it is much simpler and far more powerful.

Most law schools do an excellent job of teaching you how to understand the law and apply it to your clients’ business and personal issues, but very few prepare you to become a rainmaker i.e., someone who consistently brings in new clients and valuable work to the firm. Whether you are an associate or partner in a large firm or small law firm or someone who is thinking about hanging up your own shingle, new business from existing and new clients is what pays the bills.