You’ve taken the classes, you’ve done the hard work, and you’ve received your degree. Congratulations!

In theory, you are now ready to go off into the world with your new bag of tricks from a top-tier law school. Whether you are eagerly entering the workforce for the first time or using your Master of Science in Law degree to stretch your professional muscles, these tips from Wendy Rubas, chief legal officer at Working Smarter and an employer who has hired many MSL graduates, can help you to lead and leave your mark in your future endeavors.

Tip No. 1: Know Your Why

It’s easy to run through the day-to-day and to-do lists without asking too many questions. Everyone is busy, and there is always lots of work to do. But when was the last time you stopped to ask yourself how your work is moving the needle?

When tackling a project, you should be able to answer several types of questions about your work, but Rubas says the most important one is this: Why does that work matter? If you can’t address the impact of a project and the repercussions of not doing the work, it may be time to reassess your priorities. It’s better to know now, says Rubas, and to rearrange your workload, versus continuing to work on projects that aren’t moving the needle.

Tip No. 2: Help the Company Achieve Its Strategic Plan

This lesson is symbiotic to knowing your why. Understanding how you impact your organization’s strategic plan and company goals is critical. “If you’re irrelevant to the company’s strategic plan, that’s not good for you long term,” Rubas says.

If you aren’t sure how your job relates to the big picture, it’s time to do some digging. Learn where your department has the most impact. Is it helping the sales department close on contracts by streamlining processes and legal operations? Is there a particular problem your team can solve to help other areas of the business track and optimize operations? Investigate what systems you can implement to help close areas of risk that would otherwise pull time and money away from the strategic plan. Assess how these systems contribute to the bottom line. Taking this step is a way to flex those MSL muscles by merging skills across your organization’s law, business, and tech functions.

Tip No. 3: Leverage (the Right) Technology, Even If You Have to Shape It Yourself

According to executive consulting firm Gartner, increasing demands on legal departments are encouraging organizations to leverage new technology tools. At the same time, figuring out which tools to invest in continues to be a challenge.

“Legal tech buyers are giving more attention to collaboration, workflow/automation, and internal work/service management capabilities,” said Chris Audet, vice president of research for Gartner’s legal risk and compliance practice. However, having a plan in place for selecting the right solutions is critical in preventing buyer remorse and disjointed solutions.

Rubas’ advice mimics this sentiment. With so many solutions available that are designed and sold by task, it’s important to identify your organization’s needs and use case before diving in. This includes having a designated team member in charge of managing the tool, and knowing how the tool can be tweaked or constructed to best support the business.

If you aren’t sure who should be taking on this responsibility at your organization, look to yourself and your training. MSL graduates are perfectly poised to take on this role and assess how specific tools and technical elements can integrate into the overall business strategy.

Tip No. 4: Tap Your Community

“Solving problems can be lonely,” Rubas says. Be sure to tap your community when the going gets tough and accept support from those who are willing to troubleshoot or brainstorm with you. Maybe that community exists within your team, a manager, or even your fellow MSL graduates.

One more tip: While you are thinking about community, don’t forget to join our MSL LinkedIn group, which comprises more than 670 students, graduates, and staff from the past decade. It’s a great support network for hiring, job searching, idea sharing, and more.