When an interviewer asks, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” many interviewees find themselves flummoxed. They haven’t thought that far ahead. All they know is that, right now, they want this particular job. Where it will have taken them in 1825 days is anybody’s guess. And, after all, how can they possibly say what they’ll be doing then when they don’t even know what they’ll be doing this weekend?

So, why do interviewers like asking this question? The aim of the interviewer is, of course, not to test your psychic ability, but to dig deeper and find out more about you as a potential employee. In particular, they want to find out what your mid-term career goals are to see if they align with both the role and what they are able to offer you as employers. Will you be satisfied with the position and prospects, work hard and stay in their employment for a long time? They want to hire someone who is genuinely excited about the job and who sees it as a great career move.

Let’s start with what not to say.

• Don’t joke about wanting to do your interviewer’s job. Nobody wants their own job prised from them by a competitive new hire.
• Don’t go into a very detailed plan about how you will get promoted. It can look over-confident and inflexible.
• Don’t mention unrelated dreams such as writing a novel or owning a business. An employer is interested in what you will do for them. Don’t joke about winning the lottery and retiring, either.
• Don’t ponder for ages, suggest a few
  different things or – worst of all – say that you haven’t thought that
  far. It will make you look directionless.
• Don’t make any references to their rivals. Some interviewees think that mentioning an aspiration to gain the skills to work for another notoriously selective or popular employer makes them look ambitious, but why would any firm invest in you just so
  that you can go to a rival?

When you give your response, the ideal answer will portray you as ambitious but not entitled; forward-thinking but adaptable; realistic but aspirational. The main thing to do is show that you are excited about this position and what you will learn over the next five years: you have a desire to succeed and be the best you can at it. The interviewer will be looking for evidence that this job will meet your goals for several years and that you will stay in it long enough to repay any investment – of both time and money – in you. Then, rather than focusing too much on where you want to go next, present a vaguer and more flexible desire to progress and develop, should opportunities arise. If you can do a bit of research into your employer’s long-term goals and show that your personal career goals align with them, even better. They’re looking for nurses to mentor new staff as part of a recently introduced induction programme? Great – that suits your ambition to guide and eventually train others.

Finally, be prepared for one or two follow-up questions which might be used to see if your answer is a rehearsed one or if it genuinely reflects who you are.

Read our blog about requesting interview feedback here. For more interview advice from the team, check out our posts here.

You may have seen our previous blog on creating a great CV, but how do you nail the next stage to secure your dream job. You might think that now you’ve passed through the gatekeeper that the hard part is over, but the interview really gives you the chance to strut your stuff in front of the key decision makers. So what should you keep in mind?

Be punctual, but not too punctual

Arriving early for the interview is important, after all it doesn’t exactly set a glowing precedent for what your time working there will be like if you’re late. However, don’t make the mistake of being too early as you’re more likely to look desperate more than anything else. A good rule of thumb is to be 15 minutes early, stick to that and it gives you plenty of time to compose your thoughts as well as demonstrating your good timekeeping skills.

Practice, practice, practice

Ensure you conduct some thorough research on the organisation that you can drop throughout your interview to highlight your knowledge and proactivity. Go over some standard interview questions as well as some role specific ones with a friend or family member and you’re likely to feel much more prepared and less stressed when the day comes around.
However, it’s a thin line to tread between being ready and sounding like you’re reading off a script, so try to keep things as natural as possible.

Give examples

Rather than just reeling off a list of your top attributes, look to form an evidence based argument about why you should get the role you want. You need to show proof that you are what you say you are and highlighting your achievements build a more compelling case for why the organisation should choose you. If you can show examples of when you’ve
saved your previous employers time or money or simplified any overly complex processes, you’re likely to stand in good stead.

Interview your interviewer

This isn’t just an opportunity for the organisation and its staff to learn about you, it’s also your chance to learn about them so try and turn the situation into a conversation, rather than an interview. Don’t go over the top, you do still need to answer the questions you’re being posed, but look to send some back in the other direction.

Prepare questions in advance

Along similar lines it’s also crucial to prepare a series of questions to ask at the end of the interview and not having any rarely tends to leave a favourable impression. Good examples include asking about time frames, when you’re likely to hear back from them and if the firm has interviewed many people for the role. A good question to get real insight into the organisation is asking them what they like about working there. There are no definitive rules, but it’s certainly much better to have something ready to ask.

Close the interview and follow up

Finally, look to close the interview yourself by asking whether there’s any other information that they would like to know about you or if there are any areas of your CV or application that they have questions over. It’s also well worth following up your interview with a quick email or phone call to say thanks as this is likely to make you stand out from the crowd when they review applications.

What factors do you think are important to nail an interview? Share your thoughts with us below.

Read this blog to read what you interview is actually looking for. Also, check out our other blog posts here.

If you are still on the hunt for that dream job, call the office on 01772 259121 to see how we can help. Or check out our current jobs here.

It’s perfectly natural to feel nervous and slightly uneasy in an interview, after all, it’s an important process and one that could shape your career prospects for years to come. Getting a job,
as we all know, can change lives – particularly if it’s one you’re desperately keen to get – so it’s hardly surprising that for many people, interviewing can be highly stressful.

However, it helps to get inside the head of an interviewer and put yourself in their shoes. If you were hiring for your own company, what traits and skills would you look for?

Are they who they say they are?

This may sound obvious, but you’d be blown away by the number of people who openly lie on their CV. It’s easy to make yourself sound employable on your application if you just lie and any experienced hirer will likely want to run through your CV to clarify that you are who you say you are and that you’ve done what you’ve said you’ve done. They’ll probably want to throw a few open ended questions at you to allow you to talk through your CV in your own time and – as long as you are telling the truth – this should come naturally.
It’s important to remember to consider how your past experiences can help you carry out the role. So rather than simply stating what you did, try and use examples and make a link with what you’ve done in your past and how it could help you in the position you’re applying for.

Cultural fit

One of the hardest things for an interviewer to gauge is whether the person sitting opposite them will fit into their current line-up. There are two distinct schools of thought. Some people like building teams with ‘disruptive’ characters who can challenge the status quo and create results and innovation by being different. Others recognise the value of employing people who can get on with their current employees and won’t upset the apple cart. Unfortunately, there’s no golden solution to this and if the employer doesn’t think you’ll work at their company for
whatever reason, they’re unlikely to take you on. Your best bet is to be yourself. Your true personality will reveal itself further down the line and putting on a persona only raises the risk of you not actually being well suited to the organisation.

Are you up to the job?

Finally – and perhaps most obviously – the interviewer will want to know whether you’ve actually got the skills to do the job. This is where pinning examples to things you’ve done in
your past really becomes valuable. If you can actually highlight times when you’ve made a difference to your former employer it saves them the task of linking your skills with the job specification and working out whether you’re cut out for the role. Others will do it in their interview and if a hiring manager has an obvious fit for a role, they’re hardly likely to think about other candidates quite so much. It also doesn’t come down to what you just say. If the role involves a lot of interaction with senior partners or associates then you’ll want to consider your speech patterns and ways of communicating. In addition, you should consider any obvious reasons why the company wouldn’t hire you and don’t let the interviewer jump to their own conclusions (which they will). If your CV shows signs of job hopping, for example, then provide reasons for why you’ve done so ahead of being asked.

For other tips, check out our career advice pages

You’ve applied for a series of new jobs, and finally secured the all-important interview for your dream role. While it may seem like you are just steps away from hearing the words ‘you’re hired’, the hard work starts now. You need to be fully prepared for the interview to ensure you have every chance of success. Often candidates will have worked really hard on job applications but let themselves down at the interview stage by either not preparing adequately or presenting a bad image. So what are the top five interview mistakes you need to avoid?

Not doing your homework

With the internet at your fingertips, there is absolutely no excuse for not doing your homework before an interview. Despite this, however, clients often tell us that a candidate didn’t get the job because they didn’t know even the basics about the company and role they applied for despite having all the skills required. Take the time to thoroughly research the business – look at the website for information about the history, values, and culture. Seek out information on social media to glean an insight into the type of work and activity the business does.
It’s also worth researching the person who will be interviewing you – you will be able to source information about their role and length of time at the business which will help you establish a rapport at the outset.

Too much talking, not enough listening

Another big mistake candidates make – often due to nerves – is talking too much and not listening to the questions being asked. Take the time to really take in each question and, if you are unsure of how to answer, ask the interviewer to repeat it. This will buy you some time and enable you to prepare an answer better. Candidates often go wrong by responding too quickly and going off on a tangent which means they haven’t given the interviewer the information they are seeking. Often this happens due to a combination of nerves and a failure to prepare. If you have researched properly you will not only be less nervous, but you will likely be able to answer the questions asked.

No questions

Another big no no is not asking any questions yourself. Almost every interviewer will factor in time at the end of the meeting for the candidate to ask anything about the role and company. Don’t make the mistake of not preparing questions in advance. Think about what queries will demonstrate that you are serious about the job and your progression within the company. Could you ask about the training and development opportunities or about the team you will be working with, for example? Don’t, however, make the mistake of asking about when your first pay rise will be or how many sick days you are entitled to!

Moaning about your current employer

Most interviewers will ask you about your previous role and employer. And regardless of why you left the company never make the mistake of criticising the people or business you worked for. No prospective employer wants to hear a potential staff member bad mouthing people they have worked with before – not only will it cause concern that you might do the same at their business, but it will also almost certainly move your application to the no pile!

Wrong attire

Even if you know that, if you secure the role, you won’t be expected to be suited and booted every day, don’t turn up to the interview in jeans and a t-shirt. Don’t however, go to the other extreme and turn up looking like you are about to go on a night out!

The interview is often the last stage of a lengthy application process. Don’t ruin your chances of securing the role you deserve by making the mistakes listed above. Preparation is key and remember, if you have been invited in for interview, it is because you have already demonstrated your suitability for the role. Good luck!

For more advice from the team, check out our other posts here. Or if you wish, call the office on 01772 259121 or email enquiries@clayton-legal.co.uk

You’ve crafted a great CV, made a stellar application, and you’ve been selected for interview. Congratulations! You can rest assured that your personal brand is working well if you’ve been selected for an interview. But don’t be complacent. Now the work to secure you your ideal role really begins.

Performing well at interview is not about being a legal genius, it’s about the small practical things you can do that will give you the best chance at success. View the interview as an opportunity to enhance your personal brand further – our interview checklist will help you prepare for the challenge and to secure the best outcome.

Here’s a brief overview of what you need to know.

Practicalities

First of all, arrange time off with your current employer. Don’t just go AWOL on the day, as you want to retain good relations with the firm that is currently employing you. Gather all of the relevant information from the recruiter – the who, what, when, where and format of the interview. Allow plenty of time to reach the destination and factor in time to find a parking space if the office is in a busy city centre location.

Research, research, research. The best way to ensure interview success is to be clear what the job involves, and what is being asked of the candidate. If it’s a multi-stage interview process, ensure you have plenty of examples to showcase your skills as repeating the same anecdote will risk you sounding like a one-trick pony. Breadth and depth of experience is much more impressive to partners and hiring managers than a solitary moment of high achievement.

The interview

While progress may be slower than in the business sector, the legal profession is becoming more diverse. From the number of solicitors working in-house in corporate roles to the ways in which law firms choose to structure their practice, the landscape is changing. That’s why it’s important to be flexible and open to different ways of working – and your interview is the ideal place to show those qualities off. Look the firm up online, take time to understand the role and prepare for questions you may be asked ahead of time. Just make sure that you answer the question you’re asked on the day, and you’re not just shoehorning what you want to say into the conversation.

If you have a phone interview initially, speak slowly and clearly. You may well be on a speaker phone in a meeting room – not favourable acoustics at the best of times – and you want to make sure that everyone in the room hears you.

Whatever interview stage you’re at, bear these tips in mind:

• Hone in on your skills and have the job spec in front of you – or at least review it before your interview. Relate your past experience to what the new firm is looking for.
• Be specific when talking about your experience. The STAR method helps you to answer questions fully while staying focused. It stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. Explain the situation you were faced with, the task that needed to be done, what action you took, and the end result.
• Asking about development opportunities is fine, as this shows that you want to stick around, but do not ask about salary or benefits!
• Your reasons for leaving may be a question the interviewer asks, so have a professional answer prepared. It’s OK to be honest but do frame it in a positive light – saying that the firm was moving in a different direction to where you wanted to go, or that you feel you’ve achieved all that you can in the post will be sufficient.
• Don’t talk down your current employer. Following the previous point, this is absolutely vital. Any unprofessional or personal comments will not win you brownie points with the interviewer.
• Ask the interviewer questions, for example: the legal specialisms of the firm, how they plan to grow, or where the partners want to take the firm. It’s important you show an interest in the firm you may work for.

Popular interview questions still revolve around the topics of: teamwork, business development, planning and organisational skills, client focus, initiative, and motivation/drive for results. Consider these interview questions and how you might answer them. We’ve put some tips and tricks to give you a head start:

1. Tell me about one of the toughest groups you’ve had to work with. What made it difficult? – What did you do?

Talk about why the group was tough, without talking down other people. Was there a deadline, or a challenging area of the law you had to address, for instance? Focus on your actions, not other people’s.

2. Tell me a situation in which you were able to turn around a negative client? – What was the issue? – How did you accomplish the turnaround?

Again, don’t vent about the client. Explain how they came to be upset. Demonstrate that you took positive actions, like listening and being patient, to resolve the situation.

3. Give me an example of when a mistake you made provided you with a learning experience?

This isn’t a trick question – we all make mistakes, so don’t say you haven’t! Focus on how your rectifying the mistake resulted in a better way of working for you, the team or firm.

Celebrations and learnings

So, you excelled at the interview and have been offered a position – great news! However, if you didn’t receive an offer this time, don’t panic! You can still take a lot away from the experience. Ask the interviewer or your recruitment consultant for feedback – understanding areas where your interview performance could have been better gives you insight into what to change next time.

Our interview checklist for legal candidates is full of practical tips and information to help you make the best of an interview. From preparation to the actual interview, it has everything to help you land your dream legal job. Visit our website or call 01772 259 121 to request your free copy.

And if you enjoyed this blog, you may also like to read our blog top tips for your first few weeks. Don’t forget to have a look at our recent job vacancies too.

Finding a new job is tricky. Knowing where to look and assessing the opportunities that are available can be baffling. Yet that doesn’t stop many solicitors looking for their ideal job. The Law Society published extensive research in 2015 on how to develop legal careers and enhance the return on talent. The findings showed that 26% of solicitors planned to move jobs within a year, rising to 35% among millennials.

So how can solicitors navigate the choppy seas of recruitment to success? A clear plan and an experienced recruiter at your side make a lot of difference. Our two-stage guide gives you all you need to know.

Stage 1: Planning

Job search methods

The legal job search has undergone significant change in recent years; much like other professions, solicitors are looking to the internet more and more when searching for their dream role. Our 2018 Salary Survey shows that the use of the internet in legal recruitment continues to grow and includes channels such as social media. There’s still a place for more traditional methods of recruitment, however, you’ll need to be online to give yourself the best chance of success.

Don’t forget about the power of your network either! Word of mouth and personal referrals can be a powerful way to get in front of the right person. Alert contacts that you’re looking for a new role, attend seminars, events and put yourself out there. It could well be a case of who you know, not what you know.

Understanding the opportunities that are available

Be clear about what’s on offer out there. Assess which skills are in demand in your region or city. Are yours in surplus or high demand? Do you specialise in a particular area of the law, or do you have broader skills such as experience working abroad or in a coveted sector that could be an asset? There are opportunities out there, but it’s having the patience to figure out how they could work for you that will give you the greatest advantage when you put yourself in front of a prospective employer.

Consider your personal development and aspirations too, and what a new job means for your aims. Would you be willing to move for a job, commute, or learn something new? Balance your needs and expectations versus the demand and reality of what’s available.

Stage 2: Enlisting help

Recruiting the right recruiter

A recruiter is potentially the job seeker’s best friend – but to put your trust in them to find the right role, you’ll need to feel sure that they understand the job requirements. A specialist legal recruitment agency can be a real help here. Sixty-eight per cent of firms say that they prefer to use specialist legal recruiters to source candidates: partnering up with a recruiter who has industry contacts and a fine-tuned knowledge of the legal sector gives you the best chance at getting in front of the right people.

Clarity on skills: a two-way street

Make it really clear to the recruiter just how your skills and experience fit with what the firm is looking for. They will then be in a strong position when putting you forward for consideration. Equally, ensure that you’re comfortable with what’s being asked of the candidate by the firm. That way, when you reach the interview stage you’ll feel calm, prepared and confident and will make a good impression.

Landing your dream role isn’t easy. And when you’re eager to get stuck into something new the process of job hunting often feels endless. However, if you spend a little time doing your research and enlist the help of an experienced recruitment professional it makes a great difference. And when the recruiter knows the legal industry and the intricacies of your role the weight of job hunting is taken off your shoulders – and you’ll be in an exciting new post before you know it.

If you found this blog of interest you may like to read our other post on 5 Tips for handing in your notice.
Or if you’re looking for that perfect role, then check out all the vacancies we have available, and please do register your CV with us.

Looking for a new position is a big commitment. It takes time to research what is available and how that fits with your career plans. Then there’s the applications, interviews and time spent investigating your options. The decision to move is not taken lightly, so if you do decide to seek a new role you want to feel reassured that it’s the best fit for you. Our blog offers some important factors to consider, from small issues that add up, to weighty issues that influence your decision.

Monetary motivation

Cold hard cash is a major motivation factor when legal candidates consider a job move, and this is particularly true among fee earners. The temptation of earning more money with a new firm can prove too tempting to resist.

A North-South divide is something that’s often referred to in conversations around salary, and this is something that is borne out by Clayton Legal’s own research. We found that a solicitor with three years’ PQE could expect to earn a minimum of £50,567 in London. The equivalent salary in the North was £18,500 lighter at £31,979.

And it’s not just the money but the accompanying career opportunities that can be a powerful draw to London. Boasting international prominence and a diversity of work and firms available, solicitors’ decisions to continue their working lives in a new location can be swayed by the opportunities afforded by practising in the capital.

Gender pay gap

The gender pay gap has been a hot topic of discussion in the lead up to the April reporting deadline. This is particularly true in the legal sector, as the Financial Times reported that legal firms have largely opted not to follow the big four’s inclusion of partners in gender pay gap reporting and have instead decided to exclude partners from their reporting. While it’s early days to make any clear judgements as to how this might affect solicitors’ decisions to move jobs, it could lead to a shift in employees wanting to work somewhere where there is pay parity between genders or, at the very least, clarity on pay – including partners.

Non-monetary rewards

Salary can be a powerful reason to leave a job, yet non-monetary rewards can be just as motivational. Things such as contributions towards a gym membership, flexible or remote working, or medical cover for the employee plus dependents and a spouse can be sufficiently tempting.

Personal perks offered by a job or working in a certain location are often major considerations for many solicitors. While London offers a fast pace of life and a vast array of career opportunities, other locations may appeal to people in different circumstances.

Somewhere quieter might be preferable for parents with children, while a job close to extended family might suit someone who helps care for a relative. While money can prove tempting, personal circumstances are often a more powerful motivational force, and will likely continue to be so as our population ages and younger generations play a part in caring for elderly relations. Finding a firm that supports flexible working or considers part-time hours can be invaluable to the workforce and might be the push that prompts the decision for you to move firms.

Management in practice

Issues of management are often cited when candidates are looking for a new job. This can translate as anything from: how workloads are managed in the firm; whether there’s an opportunity to gain managerial experience or increase management responsibilities; how the practice as a whole is managed.

If you’re looking to further your career and feel that managerial training is not forthcoming it might be a signal to look elsewhere. Alternately, if you have ideas of your own and are looking to influence how the firm is run you might want to consider moving on if the possibility of a senior or partner position seems remote.

Stay or go: your own list of reasons

There are many factors that influence your decision to stay with or leave a legal firm. Sometimes a large issue such as a firm’s stance on gender pay gap reporting can feel too big to work around or adapt to and can only be resolved by moving. Equally, smaller issues that combine to make a larger picture can be just as compelling in the decision to seek a new position.

The most important factors to consider when looking for a new job are the ones that matter to you. Whether that’s money, work/life balance, a comprehensive benefits package or proximity to family, only you can decide. Think carefully about what’s on offer with your current firm and weigh that against what a different firm can offer – and how that sits with what you want.

If you found this blog interesting, why not have a look at our other post on how to get a promotion in 5 simple steps. Or if you’re looking for that perfect role, then check out all the vacancies we have available, and please do register your CV with us.

You may also like to download our guide on How to Develop Your Legal CV.

Legal talent; often it feels as though there isn’t any! And it’s not just a feeling either; Clayton Legal surveyed law firms nationwide and found that more than 70% of firms believe that a skills shortage is one of the biggest obstacles their firm faces in 2018. And while the statistics make for sobering reading, it’s not all doom and gloom. There are specific steps firms can take to give themselves a better chance of attracting, and retaining, the very best talent. A strong employer brand and a reliable recruitment partner could make the difference your firm needs.

Building a brand: need to know

If you were asked to name a famous brand, there’s probably half a dozen or more that you could name off the top of your head. We’ve all heard of consumer brands like Coca-Cola, but what about employer brands?

An employer brand should be to your potential employees what your market brand is to the people that buy your services. It should be appealing and should essentially portray your firm as somewhere desirable to work – as it is, no doubt. An employer brand might showcase the following aspects of your firm:

• Success stories – what have people achieved since working in your practice?
• Culture – is it work hard, play hard, or do you encourage staff to pursue a healthy work/life balance?
• Type of work – is the work varied, challenging and interesting?
• Training and development – what opportunities are there to enhance skills, and how might a solicitor grow their career with you?
• Benefits – apart from salary and financial reward, what are the benefits of working for your firm over and above another?

Reassurance

Post-recession and post-Brexit, solicitors want to know that the law firm they decide to work for is a solid investment of their time and professional training. Firms need to reassure potential candidates that their prospects are good and that they fit together in terms of values.

A strong employer brand shouldn’t just work to attract new talent, it should help to retain existing talent. In fact, one of the most effective ways to devise a strategy for creating an employer brand is to communicate with your existing staff. Find out what motivates them, what they would like to see more or less of, and how their experience could be improved upon and you’ll have a good idea of what potential employees are looking for.

Getting the right support for your brand

Having an employer brand is a valuable asset and should pay dividends in the long term. A great employer brand, however, takes time and dedication to create, establish and maintain. And all the while the war for the top legal talent rages on. The very best legal talent work hard and it’s hard work to attract them to your firm too!

Working with a recruitment partner alongside your own brand-building activity can be incredibly beneficial. An established recruitment agency will already have their own brand and a good reputation, which reflects well on you and provides reassurance to the candidate. What’s more, a recruitment agency, especially one that specialises in legal recruitment, will have their ear to the ground and be able to keep you informed of candidate feedback, motivations and other considerations to be aware of when establishing and maintaining an employer brand.

Not just a helping hand

Clayton Legal’s report on Employee Branding firmly establishes it’s a key driver in recruiting the best legal talent. It doesn’t appear that the skills shortage will be coming to an end any time soon. The advantage of working with a recruitment partner is that while you’re busy building up your employer brand, they can access their existing pool of talent to find you the best candidate.

An agency that understands the legal job market is key too. They can use their extensive knowledge of the sector to filter out the very best talent that matches up with your needs. And while the skills shortage isn’t likely to disappear overnight, it can take a weight off your shoulders knowing that a professional is handling your firm’s recruitment.

If you’re thinking of creating an employer brand or think that your existing brand needs re-developing, then why not get in touch with Clayton Legal? We’d be happy to chat about employer branding or help with finding the best legal talent for your firm.

If you’d like to find out more about the benefits of using a specialised recruitment company, have a look at our blog on how to get the best out of your recruitment company.

Job satisfaction is something that’s frequently held up as the pinnacle of working life. Yet more often than not developing a career offers the real satisfaction, not just having a job. Performing tasks because they have to be done feels a lot different to working towards a greater cause that’s leading your career somewhere. So, whether you’re just starting out or you have decades of post-qualified experience we’ve put together a list of factors to consider when looking for a firm that offers a career not just a job.

Junior level: getting off to a flying start

When you’re just starting out, the training that takes you over the line to become a qualified solicitor is so important. Whether you take the route through university as a law undergraduate, or you take another academic subject, you need to feel confident that a firm has the right processes in place to support you on your journey to professional practice.

Look out for firms that have established training programmes for graduates and, crucially, have a record of success. When you’ve invested time and money in education and training to develop your career, a firm that can confidently support the move from trainee to qualified practitioner is invaluable; if the foundation is shaky then everything built on top will be unstable too.

Life in the middle lane: taking it up a gear

With a few years’ experience solicitors are in a good position to make decisions about their career that can bring exciting new ventures and opportunities. At this point, adding strings to your bow is a good idea. This could be about increasing your value as a whole. For example, you could take a Law Society-approved management course and be able to supervise an office with three years’ PQE. This increases your responsibility and makes you more valuable as a whole. It gives you skills that aren’t just law-related, such as people management and other soft skills, broadening your skill set.

If you’re thinking of making a change or heading in a certain direction this point in your career would be a good time to do so. Look out for a firm that matches your interests and can offer training that deepens your knowledge as this will allow you to carve out a particular route for your career. On the flip side, firms that cover a lot of different areas of law may appeal. Although you may stick with one general area, being exposed to different aspects will keep things interesting. Being a generalist adds variety to working like, so if that appeals look out for firms that can support this. Secondments can be a good way to broaden your skills too, without committing wholeheartedly to a particular direction.

Don’t stop growing: senior career progression

For many solicitors, reaching the status of partner is the pinnacle of their career. And while industry figures suggest that the number of partners nationally is declining, partners constitute a significant proportion of solicitors making up nearly a third of the profession. If this is something that interests you then it can be a good idea to look out for firms that are growing. You may stand a better chance of reaching a senior level if there is room at the top. Keep an eye out for firms that have clear strategies in place for developing partners, have clear succession plans and have established processes for dealing with this.

Progressing to the level of partner is much more than evidence of ability, it offers some significant benefits. Being a partner brings with it the chance to make an impact on the profession and to take the firm in a certain direction that you envisage. It also enables you the chance to influence and offer help to those below you and shape the direction of their career, as yours was by your seniors.

Whatever stage of your professional life you’re at it’s important to keep thinking about the future and how the present builds towards that. Keep in mind that as you move up the career ladder what you want from a career may change and the firm that fitted your objectives may no longer do so. Of course, building a career entails having a job, but remember to keep thinking about how that job feeds into your overall career – if it doesn’t then maybe it’s time to look elsewhere.

If you found this blog interesting, please look at more of our blogs on how to get a promotion and the secret of success, or if you’re looking for that perfect role, send us your CV. Alternatively,  you can check out all the vacancies we have available.

It’s no secret that law firms want to recruit the best talent. The right combination of skills and experience is invaluable to a firm and a suitable candidate makes a big difference to the quality of work and the bottom line. Yet many firms struggle to recruit solicitors that have more than three years’ Post-Qualified Experience (PQE). Skills shortages, tough competition and an unstable political and economic climate combine to make the legal recruitment market extremely tough yet, with the right help, not impossible.

Why three years’ PQE is a watershed moment

In any profession, the more time someone has spent carrying out tasks successfully, the less supervision they will require and the more effective they will be. The legal profession is no different and solicitors that have three or more years’ PQE will typically need less support and will have more experience handling clients and caseloads. At three years’ PQE solicitors start to become more useful to a firm as they are able to supervise an office at this point, provided they have received appropriate management training.

Crucially, three years’ PQE marks a watershed moment in terms of profitability. The Law Society Gazette explains that as a solicitor starts to move beyond the junior stage of their career, all of their training and development costs begin to pay off. The Law Society Gazette cites the period of 4-6 years’ PQE as highly desirable for law firms – a kind of golden time at which the cost of employing someone with this level of experience versus the fees they can command weighs in the employer’s favour.

In fact, PwC’s Law Firms’ Survey 2017 found that solicitors with less than 5 years’ PQE accounted for the largest group of staff across the top firms. So why is it so difficult for firms to recruit solicitors with three-plus years’ experience when there are seemingly so many of them?

The three-year itch

Once a solicitor reaches this stage of professional maturity they become hot property, hence the reason why it’s so difficult for firms to recruit candidates at this stage of their career. The firm that trained the individual is faced with the prospect that they may jump ship, taking valuable knowledge and experience with them. It’s in the firm’s best interests to keep hold of those individuals and retain that fee-earning power. Simultaneously, if the firm is to grow they need to attract more solicitors at that stage of their career – and competition is high.

Not only do other firms pose a potential threat to whether a solicitor stays or leaves, there is also competition from the lure of in-house roles. The Law Society reports that the number of professionals working in an in-house role has grown rapidly, faster than private practice. Changing technology and an evolving political and economic climate have changed the skills demanded, and the promise for solicitors to become involved in commercial strategy and shaping the future of a business has prompted many solicitors to strongly consider an in-house role. If firms are to remain competitive it’s essential that they attract and retain employees that are highly desirable.

Globalisation

Working in an increasingly globalised world means work opportunities arise for law firms, and also for legal professionals who are tempted to move abroad. Post-Qualified Experience cannot be earned overseas. This represents a dilemma for law firms, as they may be faced with very experienced and able candidates on paper who simply do not have the required PQE. For instance, a solicitor who was newly qualified in 2006 and who moved abroad a year later would still only have one year’s PQE upon returning to the UK in 2017.

So, while solicitors who have worked overseas may offer certain unique skills there’s still no quick workaround for firms who are looking for candidates with junior-mid level experience.

How can firms beat the competition and recruit the best candidates?

Recruitment can be a stressful affair at the best of times and especially so in the midst of a skills shortage. Posting an ad on job boards or the firm’s website can feel like sifting through an awful lot of sand to find a small amount of gold. Often, firms simply don’t have the time or the capacity to put into recruitment, alongside running the business, winning new work, carrying out existing work and simultaneously ensuring the best outcomes for their clients. This is where a recruitment agency can really prove its worth.

A reputable, experienced agency will have an extensive network of contacts and a large database of potential candidates at their disposal which can save firms a lot of legwork. Any agency worth their salt will have developed good relationships with their candidates and will be able to act as an effective, trustworthy middleman between the two parties. This is especially true where the agency is a legal recruitment specialist, as they will be familiar with the industry and will understand the unique challenges faced by the legal sector.

While there is no magic solution, by being alert to the issues surrounding competition and retention law firms stand a better chance of attracting individuals with the right experience. A professional recruitment partner doesn’t just present the best candidates, they can advise how firms can hold onto their best talent: an investment that pays off now and in the future.

If you found this blog interesting, please check out our other blogs on Is there any Legal Talent left? and How to attract and retain millenials. Furthermore, contact our team to speak about your recruiting needs, call 01772 259 121.