The new year is a time to think about your career goals; where you are versus where you want to be.

For the most part, 2020 was a year where many things were put ‘on hold’. As the world battled the pandemic, thousands of legal professionals shelved their plans for a career move.

What is different about 2021?

For a start, the pandemic has changed significant parts of the recruitment market, and this shift means that now is the ideal time to consider your career move.

Yes, you could go it alone though working with an experienced legal recruitment company is a better choice; let me explain why.

1. We Understand the 2021 Legal Jobs Market

If finding a new legal role has been on your radar, but you have been putting it off – the jobs market will be completely different from the last time you looked, due to the pandemic.

We have been recruiting throughout the Covid crisis, and we have expert knowledge as to what has already happened, and what this means for future opportunities. We can advise you on legal career options that you may have otherwise been unaware of if you were job searching on your own.

2. Helping You Discover What You Want from Your Career

The role of a recruiter is often misrepresented as someone who finds positions that the candidate is interested in; in reality, we do so much more.

Clayton Legal are legal career experts, and we can help you find what it is you are looking for from the next stage of your career, even if you aren’t sure what that is yourself. Our goal is to help you find a role that fulfils you and helps you get closer to your ultimate career goal – and this is something we offer with our free careers advice service. Get in touch with us here to find out more.

3. Updating Your CV for a Post-Covid World

Updating your CV is the next step to finding a new legal role in our post-Covid world, and where a dedicated recruiter is invaluable right now.

We have worked with legal employers throughout the pandemic, so we know the specific skills and attributes they are looking for NOW in their new hires.

We can support you to tailor your CV to highlight the skills employers are looking for now, such as:

• Legal technology skills,
• demonstrating your emotional intelligence to be able to work effectively as part of a team from home,
• having foresight about specific legal challenges in your specialism.

These are all skills which are on the top of employers’ ‘must-have’ list for candidates right now.

4. Reducing Stress

Changing jobs can be one of the most stressful life events you will go through.

The stress of searching for a new role can often lead candidates to give up on their search and stay put in a position where they aren’t being fulfilled. And with the added pressure that 2020 brought, we are finding that many candidates are choosing to stay put rather than attempt to find a new role.

We understand that things have been tough recently – this is even more of a reason to work with a dedicated legal recruiter; we will enhance your career prospects in a stress-free way.

5. A Passive Search for the Future

Even if you aren’t looking for a new role to start immediately, it is best to get in contact with a legal recruiter for your future plans.

The legal sector has changed so much in the past year, with specific areas such as family law, property and litigation needing more talent than ever to keep up with demand.

When you reach out to a legal recruiter, they can start searching right away, or you can ask them to keep you in mind for any upcoming vacancies a little further down the line – it’s entirely up to you.

5. Moral Support Throughout Your Job Search

Finally, it is worth noting that if you are looking for a job right now and are finding it particularly tough, a recruiter can be a great source of moral support for you.

As I mentioned earlier, a recruiter is more than just someone who searches for job opportunities for you – we can offer real support for when you need it most.

If your legal job search isn’t returning the results you hoped for; if you would like access to more opportunities, interview guidance and legal careers advice and support – we can help.

Next Steps?

Is it time you put into action your plan to find a new role that was shelved due to Covid?

Get in touch with our team of career experts on 01772 259 121 to find out how we can help you in your legal job search today.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year, download our guide here.