In today’s competitive job market, it’s more important than ever for candidate profiles to stand out. With digital channels such as LinkedIn (often seen as an online CV) and video platforms becoming the norm, it’s quite normal to consider where the traditional CV lies in all of this. Is crafting a 2-4 page document still worth your time and effort as a jobseeker?

In short – absolutely.

The CV (Curriculum Vitae) continues to play a crucial role in the job application process. It serves as a summary of an individual’s skills, qualifications, and experiences, showcasing their suitability for a particular role. But have you ever wondered how this document came to be and how it has evolved over time?

Here we look at the history of the CV, from its humble beginnings to the digital age, and explore its impact on the job search process – and its future.

The Birth of the CV

The origins of the CV can be traced back to the Renaissance era, specifically to the genius mind of Leonardo Da Vinci. In 1482, Da Vinci, in search of work, crafted a letter to the Duke of Milan, outlining his skills and experiences in various fields such as engineering, sculpture, and bridge-building. This letter is often considered to be the first official CV on record. Although Da Vinci did not secure the job he sought, his innovative approach to presenting his qualifications set a precedent for future job seekers.

The Middle Ages: Portfolios and Personal Profiles

While the concept of a formal CV did not exist during the Middle Ages, there were instances of artists and inventors creating portfolios to showcase their work. These portfolios, often referred to as sketchbooks, contained designs, sketches, and examples of their craftsmanship. One notable example is Villard de Honnecourt’s portfolio, which dates back to the 13th Century and includes architectural drawings and mechanical designs. These portfolios served as a visual representation of the artist’s capabilities and can be seen as precursors to the modern-day CV.

The 20th Century: Newspapers and the Rise of the Modern CV

In the early 20th century, job applications predominantly relied on newspaper advertisements. Applicants would submit handwritten or typed resumes, which included personal details such as age, height, weight, and marital status. These characteristics, as you would imagine, were often used as discriminatory factors in the hiring process. However, as societal norms progressed, legislation was implemented to address these biases. The inclusion of hobbies and interests in resumes became popular in the 1960s, allowing job seekers to showcase their personality and interests beyond their professional qualifications.

The Internet Age: Online Job Boards and the Power of LinkedIn

With the advent of the Internet, job searching underwent a significant transformation. Online job boards, such as Monster.com, emerged in the 1990s, providing a digital platform for job seekers to submit their resumes and connect with potential employers. The rise of social media further revolutionized the job search process, with LinkedIn leading the way as a professional networking platform. Launched in 2003, LinkedIn allowed individuals to create online profiles, highlighting their skills, experiences, and professional achievements. It became a valuable resource for recruiters and job seekers alike, providing opportunities for networking and job discovery.

The Future of the CV: Multimedia Resumes and Personal Branding

As technology continues to advance, the CV is likely to undergo further changes in the future. Multimedia CVs, incorporating elements such as videos, infographics, and interactive content, have gained traction in recent years. These dynamic platforms offer job seekers a unique opportunity to showcase their skills and creativity in a visually engaging format. Additionally, personal branding has become increasingly important in the job search process. Job seekers are encouraged to cultivate an online presence through social media platforms, personal websites, and blogs, allowing them to showcase their expertise and stand out from the competition.

The Role of the CV in the Modern Job Application Process

Whatever the design and format, the CV has become an essential tool for both job seekers and employers in the modern job application process. It serves as a snapshot of an individual’s qualifications and experiences, providing employers with valuable insights into a candidate’s suitability for a particular role. However, the evolution of the CV has brought about new challenges and considerations. Job seekers must adapt to changing trends, ensuring that their CVs align with current expectations and industry standards. Employers, on the other hand, must navigate through a vast pool of applicants, leveraging technology and innovative recruitment strategies to identify the most qualified candidates.

Changing Candidates’ Approach to Job Searching

The evolution of the CV has also influenced how candidates approach the job search process. Job seekers are now more proactive in building their personal brand and online presence, recognising the importance of networking and showcasing their skills beyond the confines of a traditional CV. They are leveraging social media platforms, professional networking sites, and online portfolios to engage with potential employers and demonstrate their expertise. Additionally, the accessibility of online job boards and digital application processes has made job searching more convenient and efficient, allowing candidates to explore a wider range of opportunities.

The Impact of Technology on the CV

Technology has played a significant role in shaping the evolution of the CV. The shift from paper-based CVs to digital formats has streamlined the application process, making it easier for candidates to submit their credentials and for employers to review applications. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) have also become prevalent, enabling employers to efficiently screen and manage large volumes of documents. However, it is important for job seekers to optimize their CVs for ATS compatibility by using relevant keywords and formatting techniques.

Other AI-focused platforms that can help jobseekers appear on the market almost weekly – and whilst it becomes hard to see what is truly useful and what is a distraction, there is certainly more in development that can help to elevate your profile.

The Importance of Continuous Learning and Adaptation

As the job market continues to evolve, it is crucial for both job seekers and employers to stay abreast of industry trends and adapt their strategies accordingly. Job seekers should invest in continuous learning and skills development to remain competitive in a rapidly changing landscape. Employers, on the other hand, must embrace innovative recruitment practices, leveraging technology and data-driven insights to identify the best talent. The CV, as a reflection of an individual’s qualifications and experiences, will continue to be a fundamental tool in the job search process, but its form and presentation may continue to evolve.

Conclusion

The evolution of the CV from its humble beginnings to the digital age exemplifies the dynamic nature of the job search process. Leonardo Da Vinci’s letter to the Duke of Milan marked the birth of the CV, setting the stage for centuries of innovation and adaptation. From portfolios in the Middle Ages to the rise of online job boards and professional networking sites, technology has continually shaped the way job seekers present themselves and connect with potential employers. As we look to the future, multimedia CVs and personal branding will likely play an even greater role in the job search process. However, amidst these changes, the fundamental purpose of the CV remains the same – to showcase one’s qualifications, experiences, and potential to prospective employers.

We have a number of resources and guides about what to include in your CVs (and indeed, what to leave off) – CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THOSE.

Whether printed and taken into an interview, uploaded to a role profile online, or sent as a PDF speculatively to a potential employer, the 2-3 page document certainly has to work hard to confidently ‘sell’ your suitability for the job in question. That’s why it’s also worth enlisting the help of a specialist legal recruiter to represent you in the market. A good recruiter will take the time to get to know you – your skills and strengths, and how to leverage these when talking to a hiring manager or Partner. They will also help to bring your 2-D document to life, talking to the hiring firms about your suitability, how they envisage you fit in with the culture, and the driving force behind your move.

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 perhaps have had your fingers burnt by a bad hire in the past, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

The sudden emergence of AI onto the hiring scene has brought in a wave of changes that have transformed how job seekers and recruiters alike approach recruitment and job hunting. With the growing importance of the role of AI in recruitment has come an evolution of a similar ilk in the job search process for candidates on the job market, and in recent months much has been written about how they can leverage tools such as ChatGPT and AI Resume Writer to get the most out of their job search efforts.

However, in order to fully reap the benefits of AI technology as an active jobseeker, a thorough understanding of what exactly AI has brought to the hiring landscape on both sides of the playing field is essential, as one must first know the role of AI in the recruitment process of hiring companies to better understand how it will inform and change your approach to job hunting, as well as understand where it offers many benefits and where it shows its limitations.

Used long since its recent evolution into a highly influential tool for hiring managers, AI has been playing a simple but necessary role in the early stages of the hiring process for over the past two decades, helping companies sort through long lists of candidate applications by automating profile evaluation, and effectively streamlining hiring practices in a variety of other ways to optimise recruitment efforts. And, with how businesses have been forced to adapt in a cut-throat post-pandemic market and economic climate, its importance has only grown.

Shrinking recruiting budgets and growing talent pools have meant that digital technologies have begun playing an increasingly decisive role in the outcome of job seekers’ fates employment-wise. Although in some cases, pertinent (and valid) questions are being asked about transparency and accountability, particularly with how easily it can reflect the biases of its users, and ultimately exacerbate the issue it was meant to eliminate.

With the role of AI in hiring set to only expand in the near future, the importance of being aware of where exactly the winnable battles lie in the job application process – whether that be with the bots or their employers – has never been more crucial for a job seeker.

Beating the Bots

It might come across as stating the obvious considering the nature of the process but automated software used in hiring tends to eliminate far more candidates than those pushed through to the next stages. What is rather surprising from this fact is the implication that it’s rarely the most qualified person who gets the job, as stated by career coach and CV writer Lauren Milligan. This is, unsurprisingly due to the cut-throat efficiency with which AI software operates, and when employed in the initial screening stage in the hiring process, can mean candidates’ dreams of securing a highly desired role are over before it’s even begun, despite pouring hours into crafting the perfect CV or cover letter to avoid such a fate.

This won’t be news to some, however, as many are already aware of how these kinds of AI software, usually known as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), operate. Their use of keyword matching, to assess your fit based on the extent of the match between your skills and experience and those listed in the job description, has become common knowledge amongst candidates, but it can mean that applicants who are otherwise very much qualified but without the necessary overlap between the required & acquired skills (usually between 70-80%) get cut out.

Another important, but perhaps less known and yet obvious point about how ATS’ work is the chronological order in which they sort through candidate applications. These systems will usually have a cut-off point on their list of applicants in order to save time and efficiently deal with roles oversaturated with job applications. This can mean that regardless of whether or not you have applied the above tips to your job search efforts, the success of your application can hinge on which end of the applicant list you end up on – in other words, how early or how late you apply for any role. Do it too close to the given deadline and even if you did submit it on time, your application will likely end up being dropped simply because it happened to be below the cut-off point.

To this end, employing AI to cut down on the time spent searching for a role by taking your use of it, is now a necessity rather than an option for active job seekers. Fortunately, with how frankly overwhelmed candidates are today by the number and accessibility of AI tools available to aid them in their job search, getting your application axed early is now a very avoidable fate.

Job seekers have the opportunity to optimise their CV to match the job description as accurately as possible and pass that initial litmus test by employing the use of AI CV writer tools, to help to write, suggest edits to and include the right keywords in their CV. While these tools don’t have a steep learning curve, there are pointers that could prove helpful in utilising them well.

Feeding The Hopper – Getting Out What You Put In

One of the biggest tips when using any AI tool to generate content is to give it as much context and detail as you can, as the quality of the desired piece (to a degree) depends on what information you provide it. So when writing CVs, using AI tools such as ChatGPT and Resume Kicker, it’s a good idea to provide context regarding your background, achievements, education and work experience, making sure to add in measurable results to back up career achievements like percentages, ranges, findings, as these are things AI tools like ChatGPT won’t automatically know or might fabricate if you don’t tell it.

Some other tools like KickResume or Rezi require just the job title and generate job titles that match it in a bullet point format. Obviously, you are free to change this to your liking as long as it accurately reflects your experience and roles.

A Step-By-Step Approach

If you do choose to utilise an AI tool to support, it is a well-known no-no to write the whole document from scratch, simply because it increases the likelihood of fabricated details being added to your draft. A better approach would be to do it section by section, beginning with your personal statement, then your experience & responsibilities, then your achievements, and so on. This not only helps to avoid having false information but it also makes it easier to spot it as you work through your draft section by section, should it still be added in, and allows you to better format your CV while doing so.

Find Tools To Support (Not Replace) Your ’Marketing’

When employing AI to help craft your CV or Cover letter), utilising tools that simulate the keyword-matching process is useful as they can scan your document for keywords/phrases relevant to the job description.

This is where the crux of the issue lies when trying to get past any ATS and as previously mentioned, a failure to do this can make other efforts to get your foot through the door meaningless, even if you do have the right skills and credentials for the role in question.

There is specific software on the market now such as TheProfessional.Me to address just this; with both CV scanning and CV writing tools to analyse your job descriptions and include relevant keywords. There are also browser plugins like Jobanalytics, which work in a similar manner, to ensure that your CV has a high enough keyword match to be considered eligible by the ATS.

Forget Your Formatting At Your Peril

When it comes to CV formatting and layout, keeping this clean and simple is just good advice to ensure your salient points are clear and don’t get lost.  Plus, your formatting must be simplistic so it is as easy to scan as possible  – both physically by a hiring manager and by any ATS platforms used. The reason for this is that ATS’ usually reject CVs with more complex formatting elements such as boxes, tables or graphics and favours CVs with a more traditional layout as they are easier to analyse. While this can undermine attempts from candidates to convey a strong personal brand through their CVs and Cover Letters (more on this later), it is necessary to avoid getting booted by the system automatically, especially if your CV ticks all the other boxes. So be sure to space out your sentences and structure them in an easily digestible format, using bullet points and professional fonts like Times New Roman.

Tidying Up Your Digital Footprint

If you use AI tools to update and refine your CV, you’ll also want to update your online CV too – namely, your LinkedIn profile. Optimising your work experience here is key to include keywords and phrases relevant to the type of role you want. Go into as much detail as you are able and don’t forget to include any tangible results that back up any statements.

Whilst a CV builder can certainly help to lay the foundations, quite simply, this is the one area it won’t be able to finesse as this knowledge lies with you – so be prepared once again to adapt, edit, and personalise your profile accordingly.

Preparation Support For Interviews

As you progress down the recruitment process as a jobseeker, AI tools are flooding the market to help here too. Take ChatGPT for example which can simulate mock interviews or provide a list of questions that it recommends you ask as a candidate looking for a role in a specific practice area.

Google meanwhile has developed its own interview-preparation tool, Interview Warmup where you are asked to ‘speak’ your answers out loud whilst the tool transcribes and then provides insights into what you said.

This is a great tool to not only give you a chance to practice and perfect your responses, but also to learn about your pace, word choices, intonation, and hesitations. Being aware of these (and what you need to improve on) will undoubtedly help you to prepare for the day in question.

However, what such tools won’t give you is insight on the ‘typical’ questions asked by that particular firm; what the hiring manager or Partner is looking for specifically, any intel on how previous interviews with that firm have tended to run, or the inside track on the vacancy, make up of the team, or historic hiring activity.

Can AI Really Do It All?

While AI brings numerous benefits it’s important to acknowledge some potential drawbacks as well – at least for the time being.

CVs and cover letters are still as important as ever to do the heavy lifting when it comes to getting your profile noticed – whether that’s for a direct job application, a speculative send to an employer, or when you register with a recruitment agency to represent you in the market. And, whilst AI tools can certainly give you a foundation on which to build your content, it is unlikely to suitably represent your own personality. Rather, without intervention, you run the risk of producing an identikit CV containing the same words, phrases, and points as another legal professional applying for the role who has done the same.

Yes – in some ways, it levels the playing field as you no longer have to be a wordsmith to craft a well-honed CV. However, in other ways, as the use of AI becomes more widely adopted, it becomes increasingly more difficult to genuinely stand out.

In Conclusion

AI is revolutionising most industries in some way shape or form, and the world of hiring and recruitment is no exception.

Tools and platforms purporting to make the road to a new role easier appear to launch in the market at a rate of knots, offering all kinds of services from CV writing and screening, to job matching, virtual career advisors, LinkedIn optimisation, and document creation.

Undoubtedly there are numerous benefits to job seekers who often are time-poor, to help at least get a good foundation on their ‘marketing’ collateral. However, it’s important to remember that AI is not a substitute for human involvement or insight.

The human touch and intuition still play a crucial role, especially when assessing soft skills and cultural fit. Registration with a reputable legal recruitment agency will help to fill this gap, and can help to give you the inside track on hiring, the background to that position being open, other opportunities not advertised in the open market, and support as you prepare to interview.

And,  whilst it is our job to shout from the rooftops why legal professionals should use the services of a recruitment consultant to give them a tangible step up and competitive advantage, now more than ever, those who are tapping into the sector expertise of agencies are reaping the benefits and continuing their own journeys of career progression – even if they are dipping their toe into the world of AI.

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 perhaps have had your fingers burnt by a bad hire in the past, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

The practice of virtual interviewing has become far more commonplace across the legal industry, especially since the pandemic when it was largely the only option on the table. Forbes highlighted recently that rather than a systematic return to face-to-face, virtual interviews are now providing hirers with a sometimes additional step in their hiring process, helping to screen candidates using tech that is now familiar to all parties.

Despite lacking the obvious physical elements, most legal candidates will agree that any interview, virtual or physical, can be the most daunting aspect of the application process and as such, need thorough preparation. While there are notable upsides to the former that can help ease the nerves, there are also challenges to contend with, such as the added difficulty of figuring out how to make a great first impression without some of the reliable methods a face-to-face interview offers (such as a firm handshake and positive body language), and from an interviewee perspective – assessing whether the firm you’ve applied to is a good cultural fit.  

That said, nailing a virtual interview needn’t be as daunting as it may appear.

1. Do Your Homework

Whether an interview is virtual or physical, its fundamental goal is the same – it is an opportunity for candidates and employers to meet, ask questions of each other and demonstrate why you as a candidate will be an ideal hire for the firm in question, while you test their compatibility with your skillset & ability to help you develop your legal career. 

As such, there will always be constants present in the interview process and consequently, your preparation for them. Virtual or not, you can absolutely expect to be asked a number of questions about your professional profile, such as your background, career ambitions, reasons for moving into a new role and suitability for the role and firm.  

You can and should start by researching the hiring firm, getting to know how it operates and what values and principles guide the business. The best places to get a good idea of these are the firm’s website and social media channels, as well as the kind of content the business posts online. 

Remember that the firm will want to be absolutely sure the candidate they’re interviewing is meeting the bare minimum standards at the very least by doing their homework, and will be paying attention to how you tie your answers to questions about your suitability to their own core values, ambitions and culture, as well as your general knowledge of your practice area.  

As this largely all boils down to having the basics covered, the hiring manager will be even more interested in what you can do to set yourself apart from the competition and so will be looking for how you can use the opportunity to add to what you’ve said in the interview. This means now is the time to ensure you have up-to-date knowledge of your practice area and the industry in general, and go beyond what is commonly found on the internet, bearing in mind other legal candidates will be thinking along the same lines. 

This will often come in the form of the hiring manager asking you if you have any questions for them and this is where preparing questions of your own for the interviewer becomes crucial to making as strong an overall impression as possible. A useful tip for candidates is to spend a bit of into the background of the person you will be interviewed by on LinkedIn.  

Although you can’t predict every single question, you can certainly make your answers to ones that you do prepare for foolproof, especially when it comes to competency-based questions. These are questions asked in order to see if the candidate can demonstrate their knowledge and skill in a specific area. Say that is client management for example. You would be asked to describe a situation or scenario where you demonstrated excellent client management skills, and be expected to back it up with the measurable result you achieved. Other competency-based questions to expect include:  

• How do you deal with an X, Y or Z situation? 
• How would you handle a difficult client? Can you share an example? 
• Give an example of a time you handled conflict in the workplace? 

2. Have Your Notes Handy (But Don’t Rely on Them)

It will be standard for the interviewer to ask for the best examples of your work, and so a digital document with bullet points highlighting what you wish to share, along with supporting notes should suffice and should be brought with you to the interview to refer to.

It is common for candidates to make the mistake of writing several pages of notes and then during the interview become overwhelmed by them when fishing around for the answer to a question. This misses the point of bringing notes to a virtual interview – they aren’t meant to be a crutch or a ‘cheat sheet’ to rely on, but rather a supplementary document to use only minimally.

Use them to refresh your memory of points you’ve already looked over and need a reminder on.

3. Practice Makes Perfect  

General preparation for any interview should involve some element of practising your responses to anticipated questions, verbally and non-verbally.

Although what you say in an interview certainly matters, how you say it is also important– as your tone of voice and inflection should convey an air of confidence & enthusiasm for the role. Despite how much focus is often given to the words spoken in a virtual interview and how little body language is thought to be perceived, the majority of information about a person’s attitude, confidence level and interest in the topic will still come from your nonverbal communication. Just like in a face-to-face interview, this is what hiring managers will be paying close attention to when gauging if you are the right cultural fit for the firm. 

Are you eyes darting about as you look at your notes off screen, or worse – your phone? Do you move about a lot on screen or appear agitated? Body language still matters even if you’re not there in person, so be mindful of how you conduct yourself. 

Try practising with a friend or colleague, and keep an eye on things like your posture (which should be upright and not slumped forward or lax), eye contact (maintained when you or the interviewer is speaking), hands (gesturing when speaking but not overdoing it or fidgeting) and facial expressions (smiling regularly). Practice active listening when listening to your friend/colleague’s responses, nodding your head to give affirmation of your attention and understanding to them, and asking questions for clarification when necessary. 

 The practice you put in will be the foundation of your confidence when you hop on camera or send that recording to the hiring manager, and will be your biggest help in keeping the nerves at bay both during and after the video interview. 

4. Get Comfortable – And Competent – On Camera 

Whilst you may be asked to have a virtual interview on screen as part of the general hiring process, many firms now ask for a piece-to-camera as part of the initial screening process too. This may be to simply introduce yourself and highlight your skills and suitability for the role, or more often than not, to answer pre-set questions by the firm itself.

The obvious advantage here is the opportunity to record and retake as necessary to ensure you present yourself in the best possible light. 

Two common cameras used for this purpose are webcams and smartphones but regardless of whichever you prefer, there are a few things to note about both:  

When it comes to video technology in general, smartphones do a far better job, but will need to be used in conjunction with other accessories (such as a stand to avoid any shaking when recording, and a lav microphone to better capture your voice and avoid choppy audio) – in order to improve the overall quality of the video. With the use of video technology now widespread, they are a relatively inexpensive investment.  

Another thing to note – and this applies whether you’re using a smartphone or webcam – is your background and lighting. Make sure you’re recording in a well-lit room with a plain, clutter-free and fairly quiet background that doesn’t have a window behind you in the frame. If you’re struggling to find a room that ticks the above boxes, you can use virtual or custom backgrounds instead.  

Similar principles to the above apply when opting for a webcam, as these can often be plugged onto a monitor screen or already be part of your computer, should the video quality be good enough. Audio quality should be tested ahead of time, whether you’re using wired earphones, wireless ones or a lav microphone. Try to avoid using headphones or gaming headsets if possible, as they don’t give the most flattering impression and can be restrictive when you’re moving.  

If it hasn’t been emphasised enough, practice is crucial, prerecorded video or not, as your first video recording is unlikely to be your best version and a rushed or poorly prepared video is easily noticeable. Apply the same tips mentioned above when recording, maintaining eye contact, and adjust your gaze when either you or someone else is speaking to get a good view of the body language they’re sharing. If they seem bored or look like they’re waiting for you to finish, chances are they are, so it’s best to avoid waffling when giving lengthy answers. 

5. Don’t Neglect Your Appearance 

Treat your appearance as you would in a physical interview and dress to impress, while keeping it polished, tidy and professional. While you can be a bit more relaxed with bottom wear – considering your top half is very likely what will be seen by the interviewer the whole time – avoid wearing anything informal or inappropriate – in case you’ll need to get up to adjust a cable quickly – as you may not be aware at that moment that it will be visible to the interviewer.  

6. Sort Out the Technical Details – And Master Your Platform 

Lastly, the software you’re using is also something you should be confident in using on the day of the interview, so be sure to verify what that will be with the hiring manager, and familiarize yourself with the platform ahead of time by practising the features you will be using, such as receiving calls, turning on your camera, setting up the virtual background (if you’ll be using one), sharing documents through the chat feature and screen sharing.

Be sure to double-check that your internet connection quality is working perfectly in advance, and notify the interviewer well ahead of time if you anticipate any issues. A thorough quality check can go a long way in calming the nerves before the video interview and minimise tardiness due to any technical difficulties.  

That said, the best way of ensuring you show up on time and avoid letting the nerves take over, is to simply arrive early, like you would at a face-to-face interview, about 10 minutes before the set time. That way, any issues you do run into technical-wise, you will encounter while waiting, with enough time to resolve it, rather than at the very minute you’re expected to already be ready to start the interview. 

In Conclusion

The shift towards virtual interviewing in the industry has brought with it a new and unique set of challenges for candidates to navigate and regardless of the format, interviews remain a crucial and often nerve-wracking part of the job application process. But a confident, well-thought-out and well-practised approach can make them work to your advantage.

If you are using the services of a specialist recruiter as part of your job search, the likelihood is that you will also get the chance to ‘meet’ them on camera too as part of your introduction and registration. Use this as practice for your interview with the firm in question – and don’t be afraid of asking your recruitment consultant for help, advice, and constructive criticism – or even a mock-interview on screen so you can ensure you are fully ready and prepared. 

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability during that time. We have made over 5,000 placements from Partners to Legal Executives, Solicitors to Paralegals and Legal I.T. personnel to Practice Managers.

If you are looking for your next career move, are unsure of opportunities in the market, or need a hand brushing up on your interview skills – we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

When the time has come to move on from your role in the legal profession, in most cases, individuals are looking for something ‘similar’ when they embark on the job search. Some may look for a higher position within a different firm; others a lateral move where their general roles and responsibilities are similar – but more often than not, this tends to be within the same defined practice area.

But if you do find yourself contemplating a transition from one legal area to another altogether – it might be hard to know where to start looking for general advice on what is possible, and the steps you might need to take to get your foot in the door.

Step 1: Assess If You Might Be Jumping The Gun

The first (and certainly the most important) thing to consider before anything else is whether you are 100% set on moving practice areas in the first place.

In other words, evaluate the ‘Why’ behind your decision to retrain.

Thoroughly examining your reasons for wanting to make a change can greatly help to bring clarity in your decision-making and avoid any potential tunnel-visioning. 

Start by asking yourself if you are happy in your current practice area – or whether it is the environment, culture, or current firm that you’re looking to change instead. Indeed, it might not be what you are practising but where that is the problem here.

Or – are the reasons for moving on more personal? If you find yourself to be constantly exhausted, irritable and apathetic towards your work and personal life of late, you are likely to be experiencing burnout. Whilst this needs addressing – is it a sign that the practice area itself is no longer a good fit for you? Or more so a sign that a similar role elsewhere may address your concerns?

If you’ve run through all of these scenarios is assessing whether the time is right to move on, and you’re still set on a categorical change, there are certain things to consider as you embark on your jobsearch.

Step 2: Conduct An Honest Self-Assessment

Before embarking on your journey to retrain in a new area of law, it’s essential to perform a thorough self-assessment. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What area of law am I currently practicing, and again, why exactly do I want to move away from this area?
• What new area of law interests me, and what is my motivation for making this change?
• What are my long-term career goals, and how will this transition align with them?
• Do I have the necessary skills, background, and aptitude for the new area of law?

Understanding your motivations and assessing your strengths and weaknesses will help you make an informed decision about your career transition.

Step 3: Do Your Research

To transition successfully, you’ll need to immerse yourself in the new area of law. Begin by conducting extensive research. Read books, articles, and legal publications related to your chosen field. Attend seminars, workshops, and conferences to gain a better understanding of current trends, issues, and developments in that area.

Networking is equally important. Connect with lawyers, professionals, and organisations in the new field. Join relevant online forums, LinkedIn groups, and local bar associations. Building a network of contacts can provide valuable insights, mentorship, and of course – potential job opportunities in the future.

If you are already working for a multi-disciplinary law firm, you may already have a head start here as there will likely be colleagues you can approach for informal (and formal) discussions about their own role. Depending on the firm, you may be able to talk candidly in your performance reviews or 121 about an internal move – even on a temporary basis to see if it is a good fit for both parties.

Step 4: Embrace The (Sometimes Inevitable) Additional Education And Training

Depending on the new area of law you’re transitioning into, you may need additional education and training which can be a hard pill to swallow after you’ve spent a number of years qualifying as a practicing lawyer or legal professional in the first place.

You may however need to consider the following options:

Postgraduate Courses: Enroll in a relevant postgraduate course, such as a Master’s degree in your chosen field of law. Many universities in the UK offer specialised LLM programmes, and The University Of Law has a multitude of postgraduate courses that may fit the bill).

Continuous Learning: Attend short courses, webinars, and workshops to stay updated with the latest developments and enhance your knowledge in the new area.

In addition to attending events and webinars, see what online or evening courses you might be able to take to work toward a qualification in your area of interest. Consider what other training you can do, from self-study to gaining certificates which might add credibility to your CV – although note, that some of this will likely come at a cost.

Step 5: Consider Other Options To Boost Your Experience

Paid-for training and qualifications may get you on the right track when looking to retrain, but there are also other elements you may wish to consider too:

• Volunteering: Offer your services pro bono or as a volunteer to gain practical experience and build your portfolio. Many firms or legal organisations welcome volunteers and it’s commendable to have this experience on your CV when it comes to looking for a role in your chosen practice area
• Internships and Work Placements: Seek internships or work placements in law firms or legal departments specialising in your chosen area. This hands-on experience will give you a deeper understanding of the day-to-day work involved. Again, if this is possible at your current firm, put the wheels in motion to shadow a colleague.

Step 6: Get Your Marketing Collateral In Order

Simply put – as a jobseeker, this relates to your CV and Cover Letter

When applying for positions in your new field, tailor your CV and cover letter to highlight relevant skills, experiences, and transferrable qualities. Emphasise your commitment to the new area of law and your dedication to continuous learning.

Whilst your experience to date is likely in your current practice area, highlighting transferrable skills here is absolutely key.

Could you focus on the following for example?

• Teamwork
• Communication
• Case management
• Results-driven
• Business acumen

That being said, be careful not to fall into the trap of peppering your CV or letter with meaningless cliches or jobseeker ‘jargon’!

Step 7: Seek Guidance From The Get-Go

You may wish to consider seeking guidance from a career counsellor or a mentor who has experience in the field you’re transitioning into if your network gives you access to these. They will undoubtedly provide valuable insights, advice, and support throughout your retraining journey.

In addition to implementing the above strategies, working closely with a specialist legal recruitment agency like Clayton Legal, who understands your situation and your goals, can significantly improve your chances of success. If you take the time to clearly explain your current situation and your goals, they will have the know-how and the connections to guide you toward landing a role in your new specialism and can help to signpost you to other resources to help you on your way,

In Conclusion

In summary, while transitioning from one area of law to another in the UK is certainly possible, it requires careful planning, determination, and a willingness to learn and adapt. By focusing on transferable skills, acquiring additional education or training, networking, gaining practical experience, and persistently pursuing your goals, you can successfully make the switch to a different legal specialisation.

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 or email us here. 

Has the time come for you to make a new move in your legal career? 

While it’s advisable to give the idea of leaving your current job some thought before coming to a decision – there are certainly red flags that when present in your work life, signal an immediate need for a fresh start in pastures new.

These could include signs of burnout, difficulty in maintaining the same level of interest and engagement you once had in your job, or frustration borne of the lack of opportunities afforded to you to grow and develop as a legal professional.

If you find yourself grappling with any of the above, you might have already begun your job search either online or by asking peers, and have come up short. That is where you can benefit greatly from the support of a specialist legal recruiter, and in such cases, we highly recommend giving us a call – however, bear in mind that you are not the only candidate that will have contacted a legal recruiter like us.  

It’s not unusual at all for consultants to receive many candidates for each job vacancy, and their reputation (as well as yours) is on the line with each placement recommendation they make. So how do you sell your value to legal recruiters and give them a reason to recommend you to employers looking for nothing but the best legal talent available? 

In short… how can you ensure that they become your advocate and help to ‘sell’ your worth and fit for the role(s) in question?

Getting The Basics Down

Here at Clayton Legal, we have been receiving candidate CVs for over 25 years, and we can (still) say with confidence that this document remains an essential part of how legal candidates get their profile noticed and progressed to the interview stage. 

Whether you’re in the early stages or more into the twilight years of your career, your CV is a document that both employers and legal recruiters will expect to be crafted and polished to perfection. A standout CV creates a compelling case for you to be considered as the ideal candidate not only by backing up your (relevant) list of skills and experience with tangible results but also by doing so without being peppered with unnecessary and overused CV cliches and with a clear structure and format to keep it easily digestible. If CV writing is proving to be a challenge for you, check out our blog here on how to craft a CV that catches the eye of employers. If you can write one capable of grabbing their attention, you can be sure it’ll grab ours. 

All of which bodes well for you, the candidate. So how do you get on the radar of a great legal recruiter and maximise your chances of securing that dream job? 

Conduct An Online Health Check

You will likely be well aware by now of the importance of having an online presence that underscores your suitability to prospective employers, but if you haven’t yet done due diligence in this particular area, then now is the time to take it seriously.

It is well known by hiring experts that a first impression of a candidate usually comes before the interview, and with social media screening becoming increasingly popular as a prerequisite amongst employers to progress candidates’ applications to the interview stage, giving your digital footprint a thorough examination (especially if you have a strong online presence) should be a must if you want to appear as the top candidate for selection by a legal recruiter. 

This is especially pertinent when it comes to LinkedIn, as it is the go-to social media platform for prospective employers, and consequently legal recruiters for potential candidates. It’s therefore vital to make the most of the opportunities your LinkedIn profile provides to help you in legal career progression and opportunity. Tidy up your profile, ensuring that keywords & key phrases relevant to roles you might be on the lookout for are present in your skills experience section and make sure your interaction on the platform – both past and present – reflect the professional image your profile is trying to portray. Get rid of anything you don’t want potential employers or any legal recruiter to see, (pictures, bio, comments).

We go into further detail on how to create a LinkedIn profile that stands out to employers here. 

Both employers and legal recruiters will be looking for certain skills that highlight how well a candidate meets the criteria of the role in question. While you will naturally have ones acquired from your qualifications present on your CV and LinkedIn profile, you should also be paying equal attention to transferable skills, as they are not only always applied across roles, but they also highlight how you work in terms of communication, integrity and experience. If you have gained four, six or eight years PQE since you were last on the job market, you will have extended your skillset considerably and so now is an appropriate time to review them and ensure you use them to sell yourself as much as possible. Make sure to back up each skill mentioned with an example of how you demonstrated it. 

Are You Spotlighting Your Skillset?

Both employers and legal recruiters will be looking for certain skills that highlight how well a candidate meets the criteria of the role in question. While you will naturally have ones acquired from your qualifications present on your CV and LinkedIn profile, you should also be paying equal attention to transferable skills, as they are not only always applied across roles, but they also highlight how you work in terms of communication, integrity and experience. If you have gained four, six or eight years PQE since you were last on the job market, you will have extended your skillset considerably and so now is an appropriate time to review them and ensure you use them to sell yourself as much as possible. Make sure to back up each skill mentioned with an example of how you demonstrated it. 

Could you talk about any of the following perhaps?

Teamwork – Show you can work effectively within a team towards mutual goals.

Time Management – Demonstrate how you prioritise and manage your workload (and potentially that of others). Include examples of taking responsibility for your own work, balancing tasks and hitting deadlines.

Leadership – Indicate initiative and motivation. Examples of how you have built rapport with clients, colleagues and influenced decisions. How have you inspired others?

Technology – Knowing how to use the latest software and technology is essential. Additional skills such as being able to troubleshoot complex problems, or understand data security, will provide an added benefit.

Adaptability – Nothing stays the same forever. Everyone has to adapt, adjust and change. Showing you are versatile and agile indicates a willingness to move forward and embrace change. This sort of positivity is crucial to progress your legal career.

Problem-Solving – Offering solution-orientated answers indicates your ability to use emotional intelligence, manage risk and make decisions.

Communication – As well as being able to communicate your own ideas to others verbally or on paper, being able to listen is a great skill, and developing listening skills can help alleviate potential misunderstandings and costly mistakes.

Does The Shoe Fit?

It might sound obvious, but working with a legal recruiter is a two-way street and meant to benefit both parties, meaning that decision of which recruiter to work with is just as vital as their decision to collaborate with you. 

Therefore, before making the decision to partner with a particular recruiter, do your homework to ensure their values align with yours. How long have they been in business? Do they put the needs of their clients and candidates at the heart of everything they do, striving to nurture and build relationships? Are they trustworthy and transparent? Do they highlight ethical recruitment practices?

 Make sure they strive to provide the best possible fit for candidates (and clients) alongside ongoing support, pertinent information, ability to evaluate a candidate’s potential fit into the company culture, and a great retention rate for placements. Take the time to thoroughly research their credentials and check that they are respected in the recruiting world – online testimonials are a good indication of this. 

Be Proactive

Showing commitment and enthusiasm goes a long way to putting you ahead of the pack. Once you’ve chosen your recruiter, don’t sit waiting for them to contact you (even though they are likely to). Becoming proactive in building a relationship with your recruiter is a great way to get on their radar. 

Reach out to them via email, LinkedIn or telephone. Many recruiters have a page where you can upload your CV, getting you in the system quickly. 

Whatever method you use, a proactive response will enable you to engage with the recruiter, brief them on your skills, requirements and PQE experience, and allow them to quickly identify the best opportunities for you in your practice area, or discuss exploring a change of direction and what that entails for you. 

They will have also valuable tips and advice to offer you during your search. For best results, treat your communication with your recruiter rather like how they treat theirs with a candidate – check in regularly and demonstrate your enthusiasm and commitment to securing a new role. The more you do so, the clearer the picture they can get of where the next chapter of your legal career lies and the better their advice will be. 

Next Steps

If you’re here because you believe a move is on the cards at this stage of your career, you’ve come to the right place. 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 want to finally take the uncertainty out of your job search, give our team a call on 01772 259 121 or email us here. 

With the prospect of a new role on the horizon, arguably the hard bit is done. You have aced your interviews, impressed your new Firm, and are no doubt looking to the future and the next steps in your career.

But even with the excitement of a new legal position looming, there is still an incredibly important step to take in making that move – handing in your resignation to your current Firm.

Here we offer our top tips on how to address this often-uncomfortable conversation – and ultimately remain professional, and on good terms as you exit the business.

1. Communicate To Your Manager First

With an exciting new role to look forward to, it can be tempting to tell close associates and friends, however the first person who should hear about it is your reporting manager. If a senior partner, or even your Manager themselves hears about your intention to leave from another colleague, it goes without saying that it won’t leave a favourable impression which is ultimately what a well-thought our resignation is trying to achieve.

Arrange a time to speak to your Manager and let them know the situation first. Face-to-face is ideal as it minimises any misunderstandings or miscommunication, although video call would also work well for those who work remotely or in order to expedite the process.  It is best practice to verbally tell your Manager of your intention to leave along with the reasons that have led to that decision as it is highly likely that you will be asked both why you are leaving and where you are going to – so it’s wise to have a response planned.

2. Be Prepared For Conversations Around Negotiation

Whatever the reason or reasons for leaving your current firm, it is always worth having a preliminary conversation before you start looking for new opportunities, to see if those initial reasons may be overcome. If, however that conversation didn’t take place, you should nevertheless consider what you would do should a counter-offer be on the table once you make your intention to resign clear.

In the current market, where demand for legal professionals is outstripping supply, this is exceptionally common, so you need to at least be prepared for such a scenario and ask yourself, would you actually accept a counter-offer?. The answer to that lies in ultimately revisiting the reasons you wish to leave in the first place.

Counter-offers take many forms including increased pay, a promotion, enhanced benefits, or a combination of all of those, and there is no doubt that it can feel flattering to be in that position. However, research suggests that 80% of people who accept a counter-offer tend to leave within 6-12 months of accepting. Is it likely you’ll also be part of that statistic?

3. Prepare Your Resignation Letter

Once the decision to leave is final, you must put this in writing. When it comes to your resignation letter, it should be short and polite. Within the letter itself, it is not necessary to justify your reasons for leaving your current law firm or go into lengthy explanations as you can are likely to have (or have had) a more informal chat about this with your reporting Manager. The document is simply to cover the legalities of ending your contractual agreement with your employer and will be kept on record, so details like the date of the notice, confirmation of notice period, and last working day should be accurate.

You may wish to use the formal communication as an opportunity to highlight things you are grateful for – skills you have learnt, help and advice you have received, and opportunities to boost your legal career that have been offered, but that is not mandatory. Do, however avoid the temptation to criticise your colleagues, boss, partners or clients.

4. Discuss Those Finer Details

Your Manager will most likely want to discuss with you the finer details around how and when you will let colleagues know you are leaving. You may wish to inform them individually, or as a group, or have your Manager tell them for you.

You also need to confirm your notice period and how this affects your new role start date. This should be communicated clearly in your contract of employment, but it is always worth a conversation on whether it is realistic to shorten this (if desired by any party) or even extend it on request.

Whether your notice period is 2 weeks, 2 months or anything in between, its important you are aware of this before giving your new employer a start date that you may not be able to commit to. Be prepared that in some cases, you may be placed on gardening leave rather than working your notice period.

Garden leave (or gardening leave) is when an employer tells an employee not to work either part or all of their notice period. This could be because the employer does not want the employee to have access to sensitive or confidential information they could use in a new job (Source: ACAS) In this case, you are still employed by your employer, just not working for them and therefore you are still entitled to your salary and contractual agreements in this period of time.

5. Plan A Robust Handover

Scheduling time to plan for a smooth transition shows you to be a true legal professional and not someone who leaves a law firm or an employer in the lurch, or projects unfinished. Think about your specific areas of responsibility – current caseloads, unfinished assignments, urgent jobs and upcoming commitments, as well as information on your clients that your successor or wider team will need.

If possible, invest some time in training up your successor, or at least making formal handover notes, to ensure you minimise the impact on the firm when you leave and once again, keep the working relationship positive.

6. Start Clearing Your Desk

Once colleagues are aware that you are leaving, you can start to clear your desk so that it’s ready for the next occupant. Removing paperwork, filing and archiving, binning wastepaper and taking personal items such as photographs home will ensure your workplace is ready, clean and welcoming for the next person.

7. Stay Committed

It may be tempting to spend time planning what you will do in your upcoming new legal role (and if time permits, there is definitely merit in keeping in touch with your new employer during your notice period – following their social media accounts to keep track of the latest news, be aware of any networking events etc) but nevertheless, you are still being paid to do your current job – so it’s important to remain committed to that role until the very end.

Remaining an active team player, working hard up to the last minute and completing casework where possible will be noted by colleagues and your employer and will ensure you leave on a positive note – and your professional reputation within the legal community follows you as you move on.

8. Embrace The Exit Interview

If you are offered an exit interview by your law firm, it’s always a good idea to take that opportunity while you can. These usually take place between yourself and a HR manager and are aimed at establishing any way in which they can improve the firm or addressing issues of which they may be unaware of.

While you can, at this point, bring to light any concerns you might have, keep your observations professional and your criticism constructive, always keeping in mind not to burn any bridges.

Taking these steps will not only provide closure on your previous role but will ensure you leave your law firm a well-respected and professional ex-colleague, with whom your former team and senior partners will be happy to network with and recommend in the future.

Next Steps

If you need any more general guidance as you exit one role for another, or are at the very start of your search for a new opportunity, do give our recruitment specialists a call today.

• Preston: 01772 259121
• Manchester: 0161 9147 357
• Liverpool: 0151 2301 208
• Yorkshire: 0113 3979 929
• Midlands: 0121 2963 819
• London: 0203 7149 446

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.

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

Embarking on a job search can be an exciting yet daunting journey, not least for legal professionals that may be entering the job market for the first time in years. The process itself is marked by numerous crucial decisions and considerations, whether this is your first legal role after qualification, or a move well into your career.

And, whilst it may be tempting to jump into the process with both feet, it’s always worth taking a small step back, and approach the task at hand with a strategic mindset.

The critical factor here is doing the work needed to get organised and implement your ‘project new role’ plan – even if time is short.

To help kickstart the process, we have outlined an 8-step roadmap, focusing on key actions to take at each stage that can help to make it both easier and significantly enhance your prospects from the get-go.

Step 1: Consider what you want from your new role

Before beginning your job search, it’s important to sit down and have a think about what exactly you’re looking for. You might be instinctively looking for a role that is similar to your current one, or you might have had a change of heart and are looking at a role in a different practice area, or area of specialism. Regardless of what your initial preference might be, it’s important that you take some time to re-evaluate your career progress, goals, how close you are to achieving them and what steps you can take to get you there. Have your priorities changed since you last considered looking for work? If so, what are those boxes your new role should absolutely be ticking career and personal-wise? Having a clear idea of what to look for in your job search will help to make it a much more fruitful venture. 

Step 2: Enlist the help of a specialist

Once you’re set on the direction and purpose of your search, the next logical step is to decide whether to go it alone and spend time researching opportunities in the market, your region, and your practice area and apply to vacancies advertised.

The alternative is to enlist the help of a reputable legal recruitment specialist who will search the market on your behalf, and present you with (often exclusive) roles that are designed to be the absolute best ‘fit’ for you and your requirements from your next employer.

A legal specialist will be particularly helpful if you are aiming to carry out your job search with discretion while currently employed. Not only will they help you do the  above but they can also ensure you are fully informed and in the know about the culture, vision, and values of the firms that you have in mind as well as provide guidance on how best to approach the other parts of the hiring process, including interview preparation, how to handle your notice period, and leave on good terms with your current employer. 

Step 3: Get your documentation in order  

Even in a world where 91% of all employers now use social media as part of their hiring process, the CV/Resume is still one of the most important tools any candidate has.

It is the first thing most employers will look at before even thinking about inviting someone to an interview. It’s also your best chance to immediately introduce your education and experience. Used correctly, your CV can improve your chances of getting the ideal job.

Unless you are searching for your very first legal role, you will need to make some time to update any existing or old documents, adding in your most recent experience and any new skills you’ve picked up (that are relevant for the role you want of course).

When listing previous roles, don’t just describe your responsibilities. Rather use it as an opportunity to showcase results you produced, and can produce for prospective employers by detailing your achievements in the role you’re describing. 

What you want to do here is take this opportunity to convince a hiring manager you’re the right fit for the role in question, and avoid the common mistake of using your CV as a catch-all document for every potential role. If you want to write a killer CV that stands out to prospective employers, it must be relevant to them. Research the firm, look over the job description and make a note of all the important qualities and experiences they value and then, tailor your CV accordingly.  

Step 4: Include a Cover Letter 

At Clayton Legal, we’ve long been advocates of the humble cover letter to create standout for our legal candidates and provide that golden opportunity to add personality and interest in the role, over and above a CV.

Without a cover letter, your job application is just another sheet of paper, or another PDF file on the computer screen – one often lacking in personality and excitement. It is also much more likely to be skimmed over and discarded; worse, not read at all.

However, that’s not to say that any old cover letter will do. Crafting a compelling cover letter seems to be somewhat of a dying art in recent times, and whilst it has certainly evolved, it is still a worthwhile document to have in your job-seeking armoury.

Whilst we have a number of top tips when it comes to cover letter etiquette, in short, keep it short. Keep it readable. Keep it relevant to the job offer. Get someone to check it. Above all, put some serious effort into making sure it’s as good as it possibly can be, as a lack of effort will rarely open the door to an interview.

Step 5: Carry out your due diligence

If you are considering moving into a different practice area, it goes without saying that you need to ensure you do your homework. Find out as much as you can about your chosen area of specialism by thorough research and attending relevant webinars and workshops, and consider what evidence there is to show that a different practice area can actually provide what you’re looking for. Networking can prove incredibly useful to this effect. Leverage professional networks, both online and offline, to connect with individuals that possess a background & experience you could greatly benefit from, and consider joining trade associations and special interest groups to stay informed on what opportunities that switching may or may not provide you. 

If you’re moving into a different kind of role – managerial perhaps, look at a range of job profiles in detail and prepare to demonstrate your suitability and knowledge of what will be involved. Linking this back to your own CV here is key.

Step 6: Get your digital footprint in order 

If you don’t already as a legal professional, ensure that you harness the power of LinkedIn in your job search as it will not only help to expand your network but also help to build a winning personal brand with a presence compelling enough to catch the eye of employers. This is what makes your LinkedIn profile one of the most important assets in your search. As a platform that provides immense value for professional relationships, learning how to utilise it can facilitate eventual life-long connections with potential mentors and employers. 

If you already have a strong online presence (be that on LinkedIn or in a personal capacity on other platforms) you should also make some time to check your digital footprint. Are there any posts or content that you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see? Consider your privacy settings in the very least and give everything a thorough review with fresh eyes (profile pictures, bios etc).

Step 7: Prepare, prepare, prepare

Landing a new role is all about confidence. The more confident you are in yourself, the better chance you have of securing a new position when you get to the all-important interview stage.

This is where preparation is a non-negotiable.

Practising and preparing for potential and/or upcoming interviews equips you with not only the skills, but also the readiness to go into the interview room and effectively communicate your suitability to employers. Begin looking at the most common questions candidates are asked in interviews and draft your answers to match what they’ll be looking for in your responses.

On that note, it is worth practising adjusting your body language and facial expressions as those can often impact the first impression you’re trying to give more than what you actually say, considering it is something hiring managers will also pay particular attention to. There are also common mistakes to avoid in your preparation too, which we delve into here.  

In Conclusion

Entering the job market can be daunting – whether at the start of your career, or part-way through (when you will have been through this process before). And, even if you find yourself back here after many years of employment, don’t assume the steps to success are the same as they always were.

The market continues to evolve for jobseekers and hirers alike – be that from a tech perspective, or the general landscape impacting decisions throughout the process.

That’s where enlisting the help of a specialist recruiter will undoubtedly pay dividends in the long run as they can help to map out your plan of attack, support with your documentation, and really help to elevate your profile in front of your next employer. And, if you’re still a little step behind and just want to weigh up your options, many will be more than happy to chat through market conditions and the opportunities out there at the moment.

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 or email us here.

For career-minded legal professionals, performance reviews are an essential part of working life – helping to identify training needs, opportunities for development, ensuring output and objectives are being met, and focus on the next steps and milestones on their career path. 

Before we dive into the tactical side of performance reviews from your perspective as a legal professional, it’s important to understand what a performance review is and why it often goes hand in hand with career planning. This will give you the foundation to use your review more effectively to drive your results, and sense check continually, your progress to the next steps in your legal career.

What is a Performance Review?

A performance review is a two-way conversation between your direct manager and you about your: 

• performance impact, 
• results, 
• development, 
• and growth; 

related to the objectives you were set as part of your onboarding and review process when you joined your firm or each year at annual appraisal time. 

Depending on the size of your firm, it is often a key component of a wider performance management strategy. 

Traditionally, performance reviews have occurred once a year and have focused on evaluating past performance, although many businesses these days tend to have more regular meetings just to make sure everything is on track as you move through the year, and offer the chance for feedback, be that positive or developmental.

The reality is performance conversations can help you improve your performance when both you and your manager engage in the process.

So, let’s look at the benefits of engaging with the performance review process >>>

How Performance Reviews Can Directly Impact Your Performance

Why are performance conversations important? Because they have a significant impact on your success and that of your company too.

Discussing performance isn’t always easy. It may be tough for managers to give feedback, especially if that feedback isn’t as positive as you would like – and more than likely, even harder for you to receive it.

However, a performance review with both parties engaged in the process can make an enormous difference for all concerned.

• It helps you review your objectives and goals – and progress against these.
• It is an opportunity to ask for help with any challenges you face should you need it
• It is an opportune time to get feedback on your work from your direct manager – both positive as well as constructive to help you improve and get even ‘better’ at what you do.

Knowing all the benefits a performance review can bring you as a respected legal professional in your organisation, how can you prepare?

Preparation Is Key

It is worth noting at this juncture that not every line manager you work with will be perfect, especially when it comes to conducting a performance review(this in itself is a discipline that requires training, learning and refining).

The good news is management training has improved dramatically over the last few years, and most managers are better at what they do and are open to receiving feedback from their team on their performance too.

Something to consider as you prepare; your manager is a human being. Today,we all are part of a workplace where everyone is expected to ‘achieve’more because of our available resources.

Your manager is likely to be spinning multiple plates, of which running performance reviews is just one thing on their to-do list; remember they have performance objectives to achieve from their manager in the same way you do.

Come to the review process with the thought that we are all doing our best to achieve the success we all want, and you might be surprised how your performance review proceeds.

In brief, preparation should:

1. Start With The End In Mind

Preparation and planning are the cornerstones of achieving an exceptional performance review.

The well-known leadership author Stephen Covey authored The 7Habits of Highly Effective People – first published in 1989, but still popular today and well worth a read..One of the habits he shared through his research of effective people was to decide what you want to achieve first and work back from there.

Let’s say you are a solicitor who wants to become a partner within your firm. What will you need to demonstrate consistently over the next few months and longer to establish that you are the ideal person for the role?

Achieving your performance objectives will be your first starting point.

You may be reading this report from a different period of your own review process. The key thing to remember is to make sure you know what exceeding and achieving means when it comes to the objectives you have been set.

As an employee of your current company, you will have specific performance objectives to hit and values and behaviours to demonstrate.

The challenge for many people is that they take their objectives at face value without thinking through a plan to achieve or exceed the objectives they are set.

If you aren’t sure of the detail around howto achieve something,talk to your manager, especially if you are new to the firm.

It’s the same when it comes to values and behaviours your company want to see you demonstrate.

Our values and our behaviours drive our actions which drive our results.

For example,the following behaviours might be championed and desired within your law firm >>>

• Accountability
• Flexibility
• Transparency
• Proactivity
• Professionalism

It’s important to understand how you can demonstrate and verbalise how you demonstrate these behaviours with examples if you can. I.e. how can you show you have acted proactively as part of your role, and how can you demonstrate professionalism?

2. The Devil Is In The Data

You have put in the demanding work of planning and prioritising what you need to do to hit your objectives. The next key step is to document evidence of what you are doing and the results you are achieving.

We tend to get diligent about tracking our wins when it’s time to ask for a pay rise. Unfortunately, not everyone takes a disciplined approach to writing down their accomplishments throughout the year.

Start a list, and jot down things that you do well and are achieving as they happen.

Be specific: Did you successfully win a new client, deliver an important presentation to senior partners, offer a helping hand
when a co-worker was swamped, or get a record number of caseloads over the line?

Write it down as you go so that you don’t have to scramble to find examples the night before your review.

3. Ask For Catch-Ups In Advance

In most roles, your line manager is not with you every second of your working day, or rather, monitoring your workload every second. If you do not have regular catch-ups where you are open about how everything is going in your legal role, they will not have the detail at the level you do.

You may or may not have regular catch-ups/mini-reviews with your manager. If regular reviews are not commonplace in your company, be bold and ask for interim conversations. They don’t need to be a formal affair,though they will demonstrate your commitment to the role to your manager and to the wider business.

The beauty of interim conversations like this means that you consistently review past performance so that tweaks can be made and results are achieved. There is nothing worse than turning up to a review and discussing something you didn’t understand or were annoyed about that happened eight months earlier.

4. Be As Prepared As Your Manager

Depending on whether you have managed people yourself, a fact to be aware of is that your manager will appreciate the enthusiasm, honesty, and positivity you bring to the process.

Ask ahead of time for an agenda,the review time frames, and what will be discussed. If this is a more formal yearly review, you should expect and plan in time to prepare.

Your preparation ahead of time and the data you have collected can now be aligned to reviewing your objectives, behaviours, and future goals.

As a rule, your manager will take the lead and ask questions. Here are a few examples of questions they might use >>>

• What results from last month/quarter/year are you most proud of?
•  How did you achieve X, Y or Z?
• What do you think you could improve on?
• What will you stop, start, and continue next month?
• Tell me more about what happened with A, B or C?
• What roadblocks are in your way?
• What impact has your performance had on the company?
• How can I support you as your manager?
• How have you demonstrated our firm’s values of X, Y, and Z?

Many managers we work with as legal recruitment specialists will share their disappointment that team members don’t answer the questions they have been set about their performance or avoid going into detail about their highlights, challenges and what has been happening for them in their role.

5. View All Feedback As A Gift

Some people will no doubt think there is irony in this phrase, yet the truth is how can we improve unless we are given both motivational and development feedback on how we perform, what we are doing well that we could do more of to get better?

Mastering the art of receiving feedback is one of the most important things you can do as a human being.

Receiving praise and recognition is fantastic, and hopefully, your review will have this as its main theme.

However, as human beings,we live in a world where mistakes happen, and it is always a good idea to own yours and share them with your manager.

Ahead of your review, here is a suggestion to make your feedback session run well—document everything you want to share >>>

• What you are doing well and your standout achievements
• Your challenges
• What went wrong for which you were accountable
• How could you improve in your role?
• Your development and training needs
• Ideas you have to improve your own and the firm’s results in the future

6. Ask Questions & Take Notes

Performance conversations should be two-way, so make sure you ask questions and take notes. When your manager makes suggestions on improvements you could make and what you are doing well, write them down.

When it comes to questions, there are a few commons ones that will flow naturally throughout the conversation; if they don’t, make sure you ask them at the end.

• What do you think were my highlights?
• What am I doing well, and where could I improve?
• What does the future hold for me here?Are there opportunities for growth and progression?
• What projects could I be involved with?
• What additional training do you think I need?

You may also wish to use the meeting to talk about about compensation, benefits and work flexibility. Whilst, as the name suggests, the meeting is designed to revolve around your‘performance’ against your goals and objectives, you may also wish to ask yourself ahead of the date:

• Am I being underpaid for my current role or could the changes in the market mean I could earn
  more? Does my performance impact this?
• If I want to develop and grow, will my employer support these ambitions? Or, do I need to make a
  move?
• Realistically, I can deliver the objectives of my role working from home or in a hybrid role, so will my
  company be flexible?

All good questions to ask, which takes us back to the start of the guide; decide what you want now. We are in a unique hiring market at the moment, and as a high performing legal professional, you have many options open to you,which starts with a conversation with your manager.

As an experienced legal recruiter, we ask all the candidates who come to us for career advice if they have discussed what they want with their current manager first. Performance reviews are as good a vehicle as any to have open, frank conversations about not only your performance, but also where this puts you on your career path more generally.

A recent article by LifeLabs Learning focuses on the ‘paradigm shift’ in the world of performance reviews,where the objective has moved from‘correction or reward’ to amore holistic review of progress whilst also monitoring general engagement, putting career aspirations at the centre.

Whilst they can be daunting, reviews should also be viewed as an opportunity to shine – highlighting your achievements and ways you have met or exceeded your objectives. They also give you the chance to look at the future,talk about your ambition, and those all important next steps.

And, Finally

It goes without saying that if conversations about your future career with your current employer are leaving you feeling a little underwhelmed, it may very well be the turning point to consider your options more widely.

Wherever you are in your career journey, it is a good idea to periodically analyse your current position depending on where you want to be.When you dig a little deeper, is everything on track and working out as you expected?Or do you need to make some changes in order to meet your goals?

To help you measure if your legal career is progressing as you envisaged when you started out, we recently created a simple checklist to provide you with a snapshot of whether you’re on the right track.

And, if the results have prompted you to think harder about what your current role and company are providing you with, and perhaps made you realise that now is time for a change, then get in touch with Clayton Legal today. Our experienced team can help you in deciding what step to take next to further your legal career, and back on track with your own ambitions and goals.

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 or email us here.

When the time comes in your legal career to think about a move to pastures new, the steps involved to kickstart the process are generally conventional and familiar to most.

The first step, of course, is to decide whether to go it alone and spend time researching opportunities in the market, your region, and your practice area and apply to vacancies advertised.

The alternative is to enlist the help of a reputable legal recruitment specialist who will search the market on your behalf, and present you with (often exclusive) roles that are designed to be the absolute best ‘fit’ for you and your requirements from your next employer.

Either way, there are usually a number of steps you yourself will need to take to ensure you are prepped and ready to apply for roles that pique your interest.

Designing a CV with Clout

It goes without saying that the most important document in your job-seeking armoury will be your CV – although a cover letter and possibly a video pitch may also be required depending on the role in question and the expectations of the hiring firm.

CVs are not a new concept. Far from it.

This document has been connecting qualified candidates with their ideal roles for centuries. In fact, according to The National Careers Service, the first curriculum vitae emerged in 1482 – written by a certain Leonardo Da Vinci when he applied for a local painting job.

The nature, style, and general role of the CV has changed since then, however. Whilst connections and status were crucial components of the CVs of yesteryear, these days there is more focus on skills, relevant experience, and demonstrable results that highlight capability.

Whilst much continues to be written about the usefulness of this document, for now at least, they remain a vital platform to market yourself as the right candidate for the role.

Mastering the Basics

A hiring manager, Partner, or HR professional will often skim-read a CV before making a snap ‘go/no-go’ decision about whether to progress to the next stage. This means the basic information needs to pop and jump out of the page.

The overriding objective should be to demonstrate suitability for the role in question, and ideally, the document should flex if you’re applying to more than one at a time – ensuing each is tailored to the specifics.

There are many guides as to what to include on your CV, but in our experience (of nearly 25 years and counting), the basic elements include:

1. Up-to-date contact information
2. Clear, concise formatting and layout
3. Accurate grammar and spelling – a non-negotiable
4. Selling points – achievements, relevance, USPs, experience (if it is relevant!)
5. Facts and evidence
6. Personality – what are your interests, passions, values?

Putting Pen To Paper

There are no two ways about it. Crafting a well-honed CV is a skill, and whilst you may be the most qualified and relevant individual in the pile of applications, failure to ‘sell’ yourself adequately may mean you are overlooked.

The Internet is saturated with ‘how-to’ guides, layout templates, and more recently, tools that utilise AI to write your CV for you (although the jury is still out on the effectiveness of this).

But mastering the basics is only the first part of the task in hand. You need to pay careful attention to the language you use as you highlight your skills and relevance – being mindful of cliches, hyperbole, and baseless language that actually could hinder your progress in the long run.

Cut The Cliches

The copy on your CV has to work hard to sell ‘you’, your relevant skills and experience, and give an initial indication of what you are like as a person and potential employee.

It can be tempting to fall into the trap of peppering your document with well-known cliches – in fact, you may not be aware that the phrases that spring to mind are even cliches in the first place. But taking time to weed out these overused (and often baseless) phrases may get your document to the top of the pile.

Here are the top 7 overused phrases that we come across, that you may wish to rethink (and suggestions of when, how, and why they need a little more care and attention)

1. Hardworking and motivated: Your CV should have detail throughout that highlights specific accomplishments, experiences, and contributions that show your dedication and work ethic. This could be successful cases or settlements you have secured for clients, billable hours and productivity metrics, or even additional certification and training you have undertaken to enhance your skills and knowledge.

2. Excellent communication skills: Again, consider how to showcase your communication abilities through specific achievements or experiences. Have you been a keynote speaker at a firm event for example, or run an internal forum? Are you involved in pitching for new business, or act as spokesperson for your current firm with the media? All are demonstrable examples that showcase the skill in question.

3. Team player: Undeniably, employers will want to hire individuals that collaborate and work well with others – but dropping this statement on with little substantiation is pretty meaningless. Again, look for ways to bring this to life with concrete instances of teamwork. Have you worked as a team on a particularly complex legal case? Do you undertake any pro bono initiatives, or are part of a professional ‘group’ outside of the day job that involves working with others? All are great examples of how teamwork is pervasive in a law firm.

4. Detail-oriented: Whatever your practice area specialism, this skill is crucial in the legal profession as it can significantly impact the outcome of cases, the accuracy of legal documents, and the overall quality of legal services provided to clients, Highlighting instances where your attention to detail made a difference is key – whether that work is in document review, part of an M&A transaction, or in compliance or regulatory matters.

5. Results-driven: This phrase is most certainly over-used (usually with no examples of said ‘results’) yet there are other variances that can also demonstrate the same point. ‘Achievement-oriented’, ‘goals focused’, and ‘outcome-driven’ are more specific and impactful. Are you able to talk about case-management here, or strategic planning utilised to get the best possible result for your client and firm? Examples, again, are key.

6. Works well under pressure: Legal professionals often encounter high-pressure situations, and the ability to work effectively in such conditions is an attractive trait to a future employer. Instead of just dropping this phrase on with no explanation is a big no-no however. Instead, discuss how you handled challenging situations and tight deadlines; your involvement in high-profile cases, or how you adapted to unexpected developments and had to adjust your strategy.

7. Exceptional organisational skills: Most roles in a law firm require some level of organisation, whether that’s managing your own case files, a team of other legal professionals, or preparing for a trial. By using specific examples, especially those that are relevant to the role you are applying for, you provide concrete evidence of your capabilities and enhance the effectiveness of your CV and profile.

In Conclusion

Crafting an impressive CV requires going beyond generic statements and cliches and instead presenting a compelling narrative of your professional journey. By showcasing specific, relevant, and quantifiable evidence of your skills and accomplishments, you can create a CV that stands out and captures the attention of potential employers or clients.

If you have enlisted the help of a specialist legal recruiter for your job search, you will often find that your consultant will help to review your CV and role applications to ensure they stay on track, and work hard to move you further along in the process. Of course, the other benefit here is that the recruiter will further help to demonstrate your suitability verbally to those responsible for hiring – enhancing your profile far beyond a 2-3 page printed document.

And finally, even if some of the highlighted statements do creep in (even verbally as you move to interview stage) remember to always use concrete examples and measurable outcomes to demonstrate your abilities, skill, and above all, why YOU are the firm’s next hire.

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.

Click here to speak to one of our experienced Legal specialists or call 01772 259121 for more information on how our exceptional recruitment experience can help your career aspirations.

You’ve just received that long-awaited phone call or email offering you the job – and the feeling of accomplishment and excitement will no doubt wash over you, as you envision yourself thriving in your new position and share the news with family and friends. The news of a job offer is certainly one worth celebrating, especially if the process has been particularly long-winded or time-consuming, but the jubilations are just part of what’s involved in making a smooth transition from your current role to a new one.

Taking a momentary step back and some time to prepare for this transition phase is important, especially as there are key milestones and activities to take care of before you embark on day one of the new role.

Review the offer in detail

In most cases, an offer of employment is delivered via a phone call, or video and is classed as a ‘verbal offer’. And, whilst you may feel you need to give an immediate response when discussing the role face to face, it may be prudent to say thank you, indicate you are excited about the proposition, and ask when the firm would like a response by.

You will need some time to review the offer of employment in full, especially as the intricacies and any T&Cs will be sent via a more formal written document for you to review.

The ‘written offer’ should detail things such as salary, benefits including holiday entitlement, bonuses and working arrangements. If anything is missing or you need clarity, don’t be afraid of reaching back out to the contact at the firm to ask for this information.

Communicate With Your Legal Recruiter

If you have used the services of a recruitment agency in the process of looking for a new role, you will find that offer management is one of the key areas where this relationship will really pay off. At this point, your recruiter will have a good idea of your non-negotiables concerning things like remuneration, benefits package, and preferred working arrangements. Good recruiters will also have conducted a deep dive at the start of the process into what career progression looks like in the medium- and long-term, and the credentials of an employer that are a good fit with you culturally.

It may be that the recruiter is the one that communicates the offer with you directly – but either way, talking it over, comparing what the T&Cs look like compared to your initial requirements is always easier when you have a specialist to talk through options of what happens next – whether that’s acceptance, reject, or entering into negotiations.

Recruitment Process Pipeline – Closing Things Off

After a review of the offer and any necessary negotiation, if you have reached the exciting decision to accept, it’s best practice to inform any other recruiters or contacts at law firms you are interviewing with that you are duly pulling out of the recruitment process with themselves.

It shouldn’t have to take up too much of your time, but a simple email or call advising that you have accepted an offer elsewhere will suffice and means that everyone is kept in the loop in the spirit of transparency and good manners.

You may also at this stage wish to review any live CV’s you have with things like job boards online, or switch off your ‘open to work’ banner on LinkedIn – if nothing else than to avoid being contacted about other roles in this period as you focus on the one in question.

That being said, it is wise to avoid changing your actual job status online until you have started with your new employer.

Giving Your Notice & Handline Your Current Employer

On the subject of notice periods…should it be applicable to you, they are an aspect of your exit process that you can’t afford to neglect, as you will likely still have obligations to fulfil and a job to do in ensuring you leave a lasting (good) impression on colleagues and managers. Some mutual respect and diplomacy on your part should help avoid a tricky situation and a messy end to your time there. The following tips can help to manage the responsibilities involved in the process:

• Be respectful when giving your notice. A long list of your employer’s shortcomings will do nothing to make your exit process easier and will burn bridges faster than you can say ‘gasoline’. Have a face-to-face conversation with your direct manager first before relaying the news to anyone else, outlining what has led to your decision to leave and the finer details involved in their leaver process, before following up in writing.
• Help prepare for your departure through a thorough handover. Giving clear and detailed instructions on where and how best to pick up from where you left off, even on caseloads or projects that are ongoing will go a long way in demonstrating your professionalism to your employer and will make the transition smoother for your successor.
• Your workload may decrease as you hand over cases and cease to take on new ones. However, under no circumstances should you slack off. You didn’t start your time with the firm that way, so don’t end it that way.

Remember, the legal industry is tightly connected, and the last thing you want reaching your employer’s ears is any unsavoury news about them or the firm.

Counteroffers: What To Do If One Is On The Table?

Receiving a counteroffer from your current employer may seem like a dream come true. You hand in your notice and then the managing partners at your firm offer you a pay rise and a host of concessions that you had only dreamed about until now. Wonderful! No need to move after all.

Unfortunately, counteroffers are not the solution they often appear to be at first, and yet, statistics show that only 5% of all counteroffers are declined. Considering firms are doing everything they can to hold onto talent, rather than replace it, in a market filled with uncertainty, is a counteroffer really the answer to your prayers?

Only you can answer that. Think long and hard before accepting a counteroffer. Will this counteroffer help you achieve your personal or professional goals? Will it remove the doubts you had about your future with the firm? Will extra cash in the pay packet compensate for an unhelpful culture and work environment or the lack of time available for the family for most of the week? If your answers to these questions are not hard and fast ‘Yeses’, politely declining the offer may be better.

Preparing For Your Next Challenge – Rest and Reset

In addition to the practical aspects of the preparation you’ll likely already have done for day one of your new job, getting yourself in the right frame of mind in order to hit the ground running is also crucial. Whether you take some time off for a holiday or just use a weekend between roles to recharge, allow yourself time to mentally disengage from your previous job. If you’re struggling to settle the nerves, reflecting on any work highlights of your previous role, and how this has helped to make you the successful candidate can be a good confidence booster. Arriving with a positive, can-do attitude can and will make all the difference to your first day and beyond.

The Best Job Offer? The One That’s Best For You

Ultimately, the best job offer is one that meets your needs – and it is likely that you had a list of requirements (including non-negotiables) when you started the process. How does the offer compare?

Is the remuneration package in line with what you were looking for? Does the role allow you to work three days a week? Can you work from home or from a regional office, rather than a central HQ if that was your preference? You are in the best position to answer those questions and find the right path for you, yet a specialist legal recruiter could be the guide you need to get you there.

So, if you’re struggling to get the offers you want, need some guidance around offer negotiation, or have rejected the offer on the table and are starting the process again – we can help.

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.

Click here to speak to one of our experienced Legal specialists or call 01772 259121 for more information on how our exceptional recruitment experience can help your career aspirations.