Everybody makes mistakes. It doesn’t matter if you’re a solicitor with years of experience in your field, or a graduate paralegal joining a team for the first time. Mistakes happen. A small misstep is a positive learning opportunity, particularly if you approach it with the right attitude.

However, there’s a difference between small oversights, and miscalculations that wreck your reputation, harm your career plan and leave you struggling to achieve your goals. Here are 5 common career mistakes that we constantly see as a legal recruitment specialist.

1. Thinking Your Career Progression Has To Be Linear

These days, terms like ‘job hopping’ have a bad reputation. However, there’s nothing wrong with moving to a different law firm if you can’t follow your career goals with your current employer.

When you look at the career plans of successful people around the world, you’ll see thousands of entrepreneurs, executives and legal professionals who got to where they are today not by ‘climbing the ladder’, but by developing their skills and pursuing opportunities where they could find them.

Countless legal professionals stick by the same firm for years, hoping for a promotion that might never happen. However, sometimes finding the right role means looking in a different direction. Don’t let your loyalty stop you from reaching your true potential.

2. Struggling With ‘Shiny Object’ Syndrome

While there’s definitely something to be said for self-advocacy and seeking challenge and advancement, it’s equally important to ensure that you’ve carefully explored your potential at your current firm before seeking opportunities elsewhere.

Although it’s essential to make sure that you’re being paid what you’re worth and developed to your full potential, you want to avoid falling victim to shiny object syndrome. It can be tempting to say ‘yes’ to a new job just because it sounds interesting or looks promising on the surface.

However, before you commit to changing your career path, it’s worth doing your research and finding out whether your new position fits into your plan for long-term success, as well as making sure you’ve done all you can to achieve your career goals at your current law firm.

Evaluate each potential job change carefully and turn to your recruitment agency for help if you need extra support. Remember, it’s not just about getting ‘new’ opportunities; it’s about finding the right ones that match your skills and interests.

3. Failing To Improve Your Skills

When you’ve got a great job with a competitive remuneration package, you might decide that it’s time to sit back, relax and reap the rewards of a successful recruitment journey. However, the most successful people know that there is no ‘finish line’ in their career plan. There are always new opportunities out there for growth and development.

To avoid being stuck in a rut, it’s necessary to work on developing your skills as well as acquiring new ones. If your employer can’t provide you with opportunities to build on your skills, then create your own. Look for networking events or professional development offerings related to your field and keep up-to-date on the latest sector trends.

The more you grow your professional skills and knowledge, the more you open yourself up to better positions, bigger promotions, and a more satisfying and successful legal career.

4. Letting Fear of Failure Hold You Back

Sometimes, if you want to accomplish great things, you need to take chances.

The most inspiring leaders in the world right now didn’t accomplish their goals by sticking to career choices they felt were safe. There’s nothing wrong with trying out a short-term role, signing up for an apprenticeship, or working part-time to find the position that’s right for you. If your experiments don’t work out, you can at least learn something from them.

Challenging yourself to take on new projects and try different things will impress the colleagues in your law firm, even if you don’t always succeed in your goals. What’s more, every failure is a chance to learn and grow in your field.

One of the main ways that fear of failure holds people back is by convincing them to stay in a position where they’re under-challenged, which means that they’re in a role that doesn’t utilise their skills or talents. Working with a specialist recruitment agency like Clayton Legal will help to ensure that you find the right position that makes the most of your abilities.

5. Forgetting to Network

Finally, although many people dislike networking, it is the most effective way to open yourself up to new opportunities and increase the value of your personal brand.

While it can be easy to become complacent and stop networking once you have a full-time role, continuously building your professional social sphere and making new connections in your field is a great way to advance your legal career. The more you network, the more you’ll learn about new job opportunities, professional development, and you may even find a mentor for your career plan.

Networking not only helps to develop your personal brand; it can also give weight to your application when you apply for competitive roles. Sometimes, ‘who’ you know really is just as important as ‘what you know’. Growing your network not only makes you a more valued legal professional at your firm; it will increase your chances of being noticed by other law firms, as well.

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.

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

A temporary legal role might not be something you have considered to develop your law career, but it can be an incredibly effective way to start paving the way for your legal career acceleration.

Did you know that Johnny Depp took a role as a temporary salesman selling ballpoint pens of all things to help him develop his tenacity or that both Steve Jobs and Bill Gates began their world-changing professions with internships, as did Michelle Obama?

Today’s business world is changing, and a permanent position isn’t the only option to develop your legal career.

In this week’s post, we’ll look at five reasons why a temporary role might be the perfect way to scale your career.

1. You Will Develop New Experience and Skills

Employers are always searching for the top-performing legal candidates. In today’s skill short market temporary work can provide a great development solution for people who want to expand their horizons, fill up their CV and experience new legal avenues.

With a temporary legal role, you can work with a number of different firms before you choose the organisation that’s right for you.

A temporary assignment can help you to discover what your true skills really are. What’s more, you’ll be able to adapt to different management styles and company cultures, so you know what environment supports your growth and which doesn’t.

2. It’s a Way to Use Your CV As a True Selling Document

Temporary roles allow you to reduce any awkward blanks in your history while gathering as much experience as possible; something legal firms are looking for.

The historic legal career path of finding a firm and staying for life is no longer the case. The market is full of movement which is a good thing.

Our clients at Clayton Legal are looking for candidates who have a broad range of experience that can add value at all levels to their growing firm.

3. You Can Discover New Roles and Legal Disciplines

If you’re not sure which direction you want your legal career to go and you’re keen to explore new companies or firms, then a temporary role offers unparalleled opportunities for research.

You can get to know your employer while demonstrating your value. The more experience you get, the more you’ll earn the attention of future hiring managers capable of offering more significant responsibilities, better remuneration, and faster paths to advancement. 

For instance, at Clayton Legal, we recruit for both permanent and temporary roles. The more experience you have in different companies, the more you’ll learn about what you really want and what is important to you.

4. A Temporary Role Can Quickly Become a Permanent Job

Finally, one of the best things about temp assignments is that they don’t have to stay temporary forever. The more you demonstrate your exceptional work ethic and professional value, the more likely you are to transform that transitionary role into a permanent position.

When spaces appear within a team, companies are more likely to offer the hours available to a temporary employee who has already proven their worth than begin looking for a candidate from scratch.

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.

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

Your legal interview is just around the corner, and you have practised your responses to a list of the most common legal competency-based questions; but have you missed something critical to the process?

Your body language.

There has been extensive research into what impact our verbal and nonverbal communication can make and it’s fascinating. Have a look at Professor Albert Mehrabian’s work on the communication model. Here are a few key points he identified that are important in an interview situation.

• 55% of the message we communicate relates to our body language and facial expression
• 38% of the message we communicate relates to our voice tone and the way words are said.
• 7% of message ONLY relates to the words we communicate

It probably now makes sense why our nervousness can easily lead to a host of body language mistakes, from unconscious fidgeting to awkward facial expressions.

Unfortunately, since half of the interviewers decide whether a person is right for the job before they ever have a chance to answer a question; the way you present yourself is more important than ever.

The good news is the common mistakes interviewees make can be rectified fast provided you know what they are.

So here, in no particular order, are the most common mistakes we see:

1. Forgetting to Smile

Anxious, stone-faced candidates don’t do well in interviews; no matter how good your law degree is. Even if you have the best legal CV in the UK, it’s important to sell yourself as someone that has a pleasant manner and will fit into the culture of a legal firm.

No-one wants to work with someone who’s constantly nervous or grumpy.

Not only can smiling make you appear warm and friendly, but it could calm your interview-based nerves. A genuine smile will help to decrease stress in your system and ensure that you feel more confident than you would with a frown.

2. Poor Eye Contact

In the world of body language errors, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to avoid eye contact with your interviewer. Hiring managers want to see the confidence in their prospective candidates, and keeping your vision cast down towards the floor makes you look nervous and lacking in confidence.

Though this can be a part of your personality, it’s something you need to consider and address.

Although you don’t want to ‘stare’ your interviewer out with too much intense eye contact, looking at them when answering their questions, or listening to their responses is of paramount importance in an interview.

It shows that you’re engaged in the conversation and providing your full attention. If you’re in a group interview, it’s best to make sure that you maintain eye contact mostly with the person asking the questions, while looking at the other people in the room from time to time.

3. Too Many Hand Gestures

When it comes to the hands, many candidates believe their handshake is the biggest threat to their chances of success; wrong.

Though it might surprise you there’s more you can do to damage your first impression than giving a handshake that’s too weak, or too strong.

From our own experience screening legal candidates over the last 20 years and talking to the legal hiring managers we work with, too many hand gestures while talking is distracting.

Although talking with your hands might be a common habit, it’s something you should cut down on when preparing for an interview. The more nervous you get, the more uncontrolled your movements can become, which never communicates what you have to offer in the best light.

4. Crossing your Arms

Though you might think this doesn’t happen any more in an interview situation, it still surprisingly does.

Remember in an interview situation people often see crossed arms as a sign that the person they’re talking to is disengaged, bored, or even worse – defensive.

While it’s highly unlikely you are feeling any of these emotions, sadly for you, this could be what you are communicating.

Sometimes, crossing your arms can make you feel more comfortable or protected in an interview situation, but it also blocks you off from your employer. Instead, think about how you can portray interest and engagement with your body language, by keeping yourself open, perhaps with your hands by your sides, and your body angled towards the interviewer.

5. Poor Posture

Finally, sitting slumped in your seat won’t portray you as a confident, professional person who your hiring manager would be happy to put in front of a new legal client.

No matter how tailored your suit may be, a bad posture can cause you to appear uninterested, or again even lack in confidence, possibly even rude.

Keep your spine straight against the back of your chair, and square your shoulders. This will help you to look more confident and show that you respect your interviewer and the potential job ahead of you. A strong posture stands out, making you look more like a leader. If you can’t sit straight, then focus on leaning slightly towards your interviewer, to show engagement.

So often candidates focus their interview preparation on preparing to answer questions that they
will be asked.

Remember, what you say accounts for just 7 % of how you communicate in your interview. How you communicate those words will be the difference that makes the difference.

Practice how you want to deliver your answers as well as what you plan to say.

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.

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

Are you ready to stand out and win the legal career race this year? A question you ‘should’ be asking if you want to develop your legal career.

The popular press is chattering away about the ‘skill shortage’ especially related to legal talent this year. However, don’t be fooled into thinking it will be easy to get any role you please and in the legal practice you want.

This scenario reminds me of a quote by Benjamin Mays, the American educator and civil rights leader.

“The tragedy of life is often not in our failure, but rather our complacency; not in our doing too much, but rather in our doing too little; not in living above our ability. But rather in our living below our capacities.”

A lesson for us all in not being complacent and assuming we can pick and choose the roles we want.

If you are a driven individual who loves the law, and the idea of going all in to get what you want resonates with you, we have some ideas, suggestions and nuggets in this week’s post.

Make It Important and Decide What You Want

The reason so many people don’t achieve their career and life goals for that matter is that they don’t truly decide what they want.

Human beings are success driven beings according to the bestselling author Maxwell Maltz, the author of Psych Cybernetics. His research and work with patients revealed that we are all wired for success provided we have a goal to focus on.

Therefore, decide what you truly want. If it’s to be a litigation assistant; great. Or if your goal is to be a commercial property fee earner that is OK too. It might take more time, effort and study though anything is possible with focus and application.

Goals and Milestones

We have eluded to this before in other posts but once you know what you want, set a goal.

Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day and you will need to consider time frames and critical milestones along the way.

One of these milestones might involve a sideways move in a new firm for experience or investment in a coach or mentor.

Map out your plan and consider your next steps. At this point, it’s worth talking to a legal recruitment consultant. It’s part of our role to ‘consult’ with candidates. Our job is to help you with your career, a chat costs nothing, and our experience is that we can often stop our candidates taking the role that won’t help them in their longer-term plan.

Excel Where You Are

Become exceptional at what you do where you are, and people notice. They will either fight to hold onto you and strive to develop you in your current organisation, or you will have the pick of legal jobs.

It is one of the givens in life.

Neymar is the most expensive football player ever. I am sure this has a lot to do with his skills and his exceptional talent. After all, he was named as the South American footballer of the year two years in succession.

Though I am not the greatest football fan, my accountancy background gives me a financial lens into life and the pattern that plays out which links skill development and hard work to financial rewards.

This leads me onto something else.

Be Driven To Get Better: #AlwaysBeLearning

It’s common that the most skilled and well-read individuals do well in life. They are always looking for gaps in their abilities and how they might fill them.

Picture the scenario: Stephen, one candidate laments that because they haven’t got the best knowledge of leases and acquisitions, they will have to accept they will never be able to get that role as a commercial property solicitor.

The same conversation with Rachel goes very differently and instead she is willing to look at what additional study needs to happen and if there is an interim role she can move into?

Guess which one of these two individuals will win the longer-term career race?

Take Calculated Risks

Anyone reading this post understands that life will always include calculated risks.

Here is a fascinating fact.

Did you know that the planes we all use spend 99% of their time off course?

From the time you take off, you will be off course 99% of the time.

It is the same with all aeroplanes.

The purpose and role of the pilot and the avionics is to continually bring the plane back on course so that it arrives on schedule at its destination.

This is a great metaphor and a good way to consider your career development. So, in life, you are the pilot of your career path. To reach your destination, role model the pilot.

First, decide what you want through a clear goal with an attached action plan.

Then press ‘go’ and take off toward your destination with no guarantee of success.

Be willing to move out of your comfort zone and take a role that might be a horizontal move.

The final part and the real secret are to be OK making continual course corrections.

Like an aircraft faces headwinds, storm fronts, lightning and unexpected turbulence, you will experience the same in the pursuit of any worthwhile goal.

The key to success is for you to keep your mind fixed clearly on the goal but be flexible about the way of achievement. Be open to new inputs and ideas.

This way you will stand out above everyone else as you win the race to achieve the legal career you want.

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 looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would more help on preparing for your interview download our interview checklist here.

Irrespective of whether you are moving into a new private client solicitor role or you are a superb legal secretary looking for their next opportunity, this is still a key career move; at least for now.

You actively applied for this role because you believe it will deliver you closer to your career and broader life goals.

By giving the interview process the respect it deserves, you will increase your chances of being successful and securing the role.

To truly succeed at a legal interview and confirm to your hiring manager you have the appropriate skills, traits and you are a good culture fit, you will need to be ready.

Poor planning delivers poor results.

Therefore, we aren’t talking about a quick look through their website the night before. Instead, we are referring to being fully prepared and ready by making the most of the 72-hour preparation window you need before your interview begins.

Three days is the perfect length of time to deliver you to the interview primed and ready in a calm and confident fashion.

Here is where we suggest starting.

1. Research and a Conversation With Your Legal Recruitment Consultant

In the current legal recruitment market, it’s likely that you will have found your role through a specialist legal recruitment company like Clayton Legal.

That being the case we, your recruiting partner, should be your first port of call when it comes to knowing as much as possible about the specific legal role in question and the company you could potentially join.

It is imperative to do this sooner rather than later, as this will enable you to carry out additional research as necessary, to stand out. Alternatively, this will let you know about gaps you might have that must be addressed in how you communicate your value to your future employer.

Google is naturally your friend here.

Look at any news about the sector of law you will be involved with. For instance, earlier this month I was looking at information about collaborative law and came across a post from a press release by a Bath law firm who were offering free mediation information sessions to people considering divorce, as part of Family Mediation Week.

A talking point maybe? Though your skills and experience are critical, your wider knowledge of the law is important too.

Research the company online. Learn as much as you can from the website, including all their specialisms and any bigger cases they are working on and what their plans might be.

Review all their social media profiles and anything they have published on LinkedIn’s article platform.

If the website has staff profiles and an ‘Our Story’ page, so much the better. If you can, find out how many employees they have and who is part of the leadership team.

During this research stage, you will be able to prepare good questions to ask that will demonstrate you are a serious candidate who’s done their homework. You would be surprised how many candidates don’t make an effort in this regard, and you’re likely to stand out by doing this.

If you are working with a professional legal recruitment consultant, they will be able to help you with most of this too. So, it’s critical to discuss the job description in detail and how you can demonstrate your value, which leads me onto the next point.

2. Know And Demonstrate Your Value

In today’s legal field hiring managers are looking for skills and abilities, yes; though they are also looking for the value you can add.

Imagine some of the questions you might be asked and prepare your answers that communicate how you have added value in the past. For instance, it might be a new system you initiated on creating court documents that improved the process, or the updated advice process you developed that has generated positive testimonials and referrals.

Ask your recruitment consultant to tell you what is behind the job specification and what are the crucial skills to demonstrate and communicate.

Finally, if you have a ‘brag’ file or letters of commendation or an end of year review that is positive and recent, take them with you and USE them.

It has been known for hiring managers to comment that James or Tania brought in a briefcase and never opened it!

Which left them wondering if they had missed something? No, but James and Tania missed the opportunity to demonstrate yet another validation of why they should get the role.

Remember to use everything at your disposal to position yourself as the logical choice.

3. Practical Logistics

With the best will in the world, we can all misjudge time. Double check the time and location of the interview, as well as the name of the hiring manager.

If you haven’t already been to check out the venue, prepare your route by car or train leaving plenty of time to get there in case you end up experiencing one of those annoying traffic jams that come from nowhere.

Let’s be frank, interviews are stressful enough, so there is no point adding to that unnecessarily by getting lost and certainly not by turning up late. Hint: hiring managers dislike latecomers.

Most people reading this post understand dress code and how what you are wearing does have an impact; you do, don’t you?

I will explore this briefly in a minute.

Firstly let’s talk about confidence and what you wear. I am not suggesting you head out and buy a new outfit or shoes. Instead, think about the outfit that always makes you feel good.

I have a few outfits I love, and I always wear them if I want a boost of confidence. Perhaps you have had this experience too?

No matter how many presentations you have given, or appearances in court; never underestimate interview nerves and their unexpected impact.

Finally, remember the goal of the interview is to leave the interviewers talking about your skills, attitude, and law experience and potentially how well you would fit into the team.

A fascinating fact I discovered last year is that over half of the population has a visual preference and a keen sense of smell and though we all like to think we don’t judge, we sometimes do.

The last thing you want to have your interviewers chatting about at lunch is how strong your perfume was or questioning if you smoked, or crikey how did you manage to walk in those heels?!

If you follow the steps in this post you have a template to impress the hiring manager with the depth of your knowledge in the company, and how confidently prepared you are.

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 looking for your next career move, we can help.
Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would more help on preparing for your interview download our interview checklist here.

As the economy continues to grow so to does the property market too. A natural upside of this is an increasing demand for Commercial Property Solicitors; at every level of the practice.

Now, you might have arrived at this post because you are considering a move into property or because you are wondering how your skills and abilities stack up?

Here at Clayton Legal, we have been placing legal talent with our clients for twenty years, and after delivering over 5000 placements, we have a good handle on the skills and traits that our clients are looking for when it comes to commercial property solicitors.

So, let’s answer some of your questions.

Before we start, it’s worthwhile clarifying some of the finer detail of the role as a reminder.

Logically a commercial property solicitor role, as the name implies, involves working with all the legal aspects involved in both the purchase or sale of commercial property.

Depending on the practice size and geography the work could be divided into both the private and public sector. This might include providing legal services for organisations, property developers, entrepreneurs, the government and individuals. It is quite an interesting group of people to work with.

As a rule, the value of both land and property is shielded from the up and down movement of some other areas.

The thing about the property sector of the law is that it can be a thriving area to work in.

When it comes to day to day tasks, like many other law disciplines, a junior solicitor will work on creating accurate documentation and contracts and manage smaller properties. The more senior solicitors being responsible for the bigger deals and developments.

So, when it comes to your skills and abilities where should, your focus be.

Qualifications and Detail Orientated

I am not going to go on about this point. After all, you are a legal professional reading this! As a quick summary, your qualifications will be as follow.

• Your undergrad law degree with LPC (Legal Practice Course), or a graduate diploma in law with an LPC.
• CLC exams.
• Depending on the firm you may be expected to have several years PQE under your belt too.

When it comes to any legal role, attention to detail is critical to performing well. Remember though that this question is still likely to be asked at some point.

As you consider your skills, ensure you keep notes and examples of how you can demonstrate how accurate you are and your level of detail. As a suggestion maybe through a specific process or system you have developed in your current role?

Communication Skills

Let’s be clear that being a good communicator as a legal professional will be critical to your success. The law is confusing to many lay people and that includes the clients you will be dealing with.

It doesn’t matter that they are a successful business woman or man – the intricacies and impact of the law can still be misunderstood.

No matter what industry you work in, as a service provider part of your role is to make the complex simple for your clients, so they understand; it’s what we are paid for along with delivering the result they want.

Unfortunately, it is easy to forget this.

Clear, concise, communication making the complex easy to understand are the hallmarks of any great communicator; especially needed in the legal profession.

Communication abilities spread across all levels from face to face conversations, presentations and documentation.

Fact: Anyone can improve their communication abilities.

As the first port of call, head over to Amazon and buy a few books. John Adair is a great author, or look at the Dummies series.

Then look on Google and sign up for a communications skills course. Swallow your pride and take action. The logical next step will give you a chance to utilise your new skills too.

Client Management

Clients in every sector have expectations, and rightly so. To keep a client happy involves work and understanding.

Tension arises with clients when expectations are not met in the eyes of the client. The fundamental lesson here I relate back to the point above; be a great communicator.

Through good communication, set expectations with your clients both verbally and in writing.

One of the hot topics this year in business is the role of customer service. The challenge is that in the B2B service sector in which we all operate, this often gets missed.

Choice for our clients is now everywhere and therefore any clients can decide not to work with us, in the full knowledge that there is another commercial solicitor round the corner.

The good news is it’s easy to get a good reputation for managing your commercial property clients well.

• Communicate expectations and boundaries
• Talk on the phone or face to face
• Set timeframes and keep people informed
• Resolve issues

These are all actions which are easy to action provided we put our ego out of the way.

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.

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

Whether you’re taking time off over Christmas to enjoy the last few days of 2018 or are already looking ahead to what 2019 will bring, the end of the year is the ideal time to pause and think. We’ve looked back at some of the highs and lows of the year, to help you reflect on what’s gone well for you this year. We’ve also included a round-up of our most helpful blogs from this year, so that you can plan ahead and get 2019 off to a successful start.

2018 in review

The start of 2018 was a difficult time for legal professionals who specialise in personal injury, thanks to uncertainty over the so-called ‘whiplash reforms’. Over the summer, it was announced that the reforms would be pushed back to April 2020.

The knock-on effect has been really positive and we’ve seen the number of personal injury job vacancies rise. Firms have a clearer picture of what will happen over the coming year or so, which has meant they are more open to recruiting staff to handle the workload, rather than slowing down operations. And for legal professionals who specialise in personal injury, it has meant greater job security until the spring of 2020.

If you are just starting a personal injury role, or you’re taking up any kind of new position in January, then you’ll want to make a good impression. Looking back on the year can help you plan for the future and in September we published our tips for those who are about to start a new role in law. We hope that it helps you make the start of 2019 the best start to a year in your career.

The job market for legal professionals

Whether you are just starting a new legal job or have been in a role for years, the legal sector is certainly healthy. Across the industry, there’s often talk of skill shortages, which at first does appear to be a negative. Indeed, in our own research, conveyancing is highlighted as being an area lacking in specialists.

From an employee’s point of view, it means the demand for legal professionals is on the rise. Lots of clients needing advice means that firms need professionals to meet demand and across the year we’ve been kept busy placing everything from Legal Secretaries to Partners. In fact, at the end of November the number of registered solicitors hit 192, 516, that’s nearly a 4% increase on the same time last year. And while the legal sector employs a wide variety of people – not only solicitors – it’s certainly a good indicator that the legal market is booming.

Of course, it’s not possible to reflect on 2018 without mentioning Brexit at some point! For the world of business and work, it has meant a great deal of uncertainty and the legal sector isn’t immune from that. And while the circumstances are challenging, uncertainty could actually benefit legal staff. Firms are trying to hold onto talent in the face of adversity and this means better security and prospects for employees. The CIPD found that 26% more employers are developing staff internally following the Brexit vote, which is good news for those in employment.

To make sure 2019 is a success, the best thing that candidates can do is to plan ahead. Be sure of where you want to go in your career and look at how your firm can support you to get there. If you’re not sure whether you can see a future with your current employer our blog, ‘How to tell whether your legal job is going well or not’, will help you make a decision.

Clayton Legal is committed to your success

Our reputation rests on our ability to help you find the very best job for your skills and interests. Two of our key values are trust and relationships and we work hard to build both of these with the candidates we work with. Candidates appreciate these values and the fact that we listen to what you want to get out of a new position.

What’s more, we also build strong relationships with our clients. This is beneficial to candidates because we have a solid understanding of the firms we work with and the vacancy on offer. By taking the time to know both parties we can successfully match applicants with their ideal role. In the short term, it means that you find the new position that you’ve been looking for, and in the long-term it gives you confidence that you’ll feel happy that your values align with the firm’s values for a long time to come.

Candidates and Clayton Legal: success stories

From partners to paralegals, in our lifetime we’ve helped over 3,000 legal professionals find their ideal role. Our passion for legal recruitment means that we’re always seeking to improve our service so that we can help more and more professionals.

In 2018 we’ve expanded across the UK from our home base in the North West. That means we’re now able to assist candidates in all corners of the country, from London to Bristol, Manchester to Leeds.

We’ve also introduced a new service placing locums. We recognise that in 2018 there is no longer a ‘one-size-fits-all’ legal job role and we’re proud to support a wide range of professionals, who are looking for very different things from their work life, to get their ideal position.

Planning ahead to 2019

Despite challenges and minor setbacks, 2018 has been a good year for legal professionals. And while it’s helpful to look back at successes and challenges this year and determine what that might mean, it’s also key to look ahead at what the future holds.

So, if you think that 2019 could be the year that you make a career change, we’ve put together our top five blogs from this year to help you land the role you’ve been dreaming of:

1. Do I stay, or do I go? How to make the decision whether to stay in your current law job or leave
2. What to leave off from your CV
3. What is your interviewer actually looking for?
4. Prepare, excel and get the job with our legal interview checklist
5. The job offer – what next?

And if you’re thinking of making a fresh start with a new job in January, it’s not too late to apply! We’d be happy to discuss what you’re looking for and to get things underway ahead of the new year.

Call us on 01772 529 121, and one of our friendly and professional legal consultants will be happy to help.

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

In the meantime, we hope you have an enjoyable Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

A new job brings with it new challenges and the opportunity to make a positive change. But what if you’re on the fence about leaving your current role? Deciding whether to stay in a job or to leave is a complex process. For many legal professionals there is a whole range of considerations to make, from skills and experience, work-life balance and family commitments, to future career ambitions and meeting your goals.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, the choice has to be an individual one that suits you. That’s why we’ve put together this blog to walk you through important considerations and hopefully make the decision a little easier for you.

Weigh up your options

If the possibility of leaving your position is on your mind, it’s useful to start by weighing up your options. The first step is to consider your job role and the firm generally, and to look at all of the positives, followed by all of the negatives. Does it meet your career ambitions, are you achieving your own goals of where you’d like to be now or in the future? When you compare the two lists side by side, does one significantly outweigh the other or is there not much in it?

The next step is to think about your skills and experience: what value can you add? Hands-on experience is a real asset to any firm, so look for opportunities where your work experience could match up with demand. For example, it was announced earlier this year that the whiplash reforms have been pushed back a year to 2020, leading to an increase in personal injury jobs – ideal if that’s your background.

Research what’s out there, industry trends and how your skill set could fit that. Don’t forget about skills that aren’t strictly related to the work either. Things such as managerial experience, a second language, or knowledge of a particular sector can all be valuable to a potential employer, so make sure you highlight these aspects too. Many job seekers also find it beneficial to have a chat with a recruitment consultant as well as doing their own research.

The end of the year; time for a change?

If the thought of finding a new job is playing on your mind, the start of a new year is the ideal time to make a change. According to HR Magazine, January is the most likely time for employees to start a new job, with nearly a fifth of people (18%) saying that it’s the most popular time to move. If you’re making plans for the future of your career, a new year and a fresh start can give you the impetus to bring the plan into action.

Important considerations

When weighing up whether to leave your job or to stay, there are considerations to make that will impact your decision. One of the most common factors that crop up for legal professionals is the issue of work-life balance. Long hours can put a strain on your work as well as home life and can prove challenging, especially if there are partners or children to consider. If you feel that the firm’s culture isn’t supportive of you striking the right balance it can cause feelings of frustration and resentment to creep in, which will make you unhappy in the long term.

As well as the big issues, smaller factors add up and feed into your decision. Some of the most important considerations when deciding to stay or go are around ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors.

Push factors are exactly as they sound – things that make you want to look elsewhere. They might include:

• Doesn’t meet with your career ambitions and goals.
• Work life balance – are you able to achieve your life goals?
• Feeling that the work isn’t suited to you, that you are not challenged by it, or that the workload is simply too much or too little.
• Disagreeing with the overall direction of the firm.
• Is the firm growing, or does it feel like it’s staid?
• The general company culture doesn’t fit with your values.

Pull factors are things that draw you to a particular job role or company. These might include:

• Career prospects – is there room for promotion within the firm?
• Do they encourage people to learn and develop their skills and experience?
• Location – would a move mean a shorter commute, for example?
• Salary – money can be a powerful motivator and a higher salary can be an attractive pull for many people.
• Benefits – the right benefits package that appeals to you can be very appealing and can give an indication as to how the firm treats their staff.
• Will a move to the new firm help fulfil your own career plan?

How a recruitment agency can help you decide

A legal recruitment consultant can assist job seekers in a number of ways:

• Overview of the market: consultants are in constant communication with law firms and are well versed in what the market looks like currently. Having a confidential discussion with a legal recruitment consultant will give you a good idea of what’s out there and what real employers are looking for.
• A fresh perspective: having knowledge of what firms are looking for can be helpful for you, as consultants can encourage you to emphasise skills that you might not have known were sought after. They can also suggest roles that you may have otherwise overlooked, giving you a better chance at finding the job role you’re looking for, and hunt out new career opportunities that you might not otherwise have access to.
• Feedback and insight: any legal recruiter worth their salt will have developed good relationships with their clients over time. They can ask employers for feedback, which candidates can sometimes feel shy or awkward about asking for. This gives you useful insight into how you can improve your performance next time.

Decision time

When you’ve weighed up your options, thought about whether the timing is right and considered all of the various push and pull factors, it’s time to make a decision. Your recruitment consultant can listen to your goals, offer words of wisdom and make suggestions. Ultimately, however, they cannot decide which job is right for you – only you can make the decision to stay in or leave a job.

So if you’re feeling a little unsure about what to do, perhaps increasing your awareness of what’s out there will help you decide. Our specialist legal recruitment consultants would be happy to talk through your options – why not give us a call? We’re on 01772 259 121 and would be pleased to hear from you, alternatively you can look at our vacancies online.

You may also find our last blog: How to tell whether your job is going well or not, useful in helping you evaluate what you’d like to do.

Earlier this year the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) announced that it would delay the proposed ‘whiplash reforms’ until April 2020. The reforms, which were due to come into effect by April 2019, will now be delayed for a year so that the online claim platform can be tested from next October. The delay means that those with whiplash claims will still require the services of a legal professional, instead of representing themselves for small claims. The knock-on effect is that personal injury specialists are still in high demand.

A chance to make a difference

The delay means that uncertainty around the future of personal injury specialists has been postponed. We are receiving job vacancies across the personal injury niche, including solicitors, legal assistants, fee earners, and legal secretaries, to name the most sought-after positions.

For those who already work in personal injury, the news may come as a relief. The fact that there are plenty of opportunities available doesn’t just mean job security. One of the major criticisms of the reform is that the removal of trained legal professionals leaves a void that will be filled by unscrupulous claims management companies. If you’re passionate about seeking justice for those people who have been injured, then a post in personal injury gives you the chance to help people in need. Even if you haven’t worked in personal injury before, the timing could offer you a way to try out this field without any long-term commitment.

Background to the whiplash reforms

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) is lobbying for reforms to the current compensation system. It wants to weed out fraudulent claims and make it easier for people with genuine injuries to make a claim. The online system that has been put forward will remove the need for those people with a low-value claim to use legal representation – they will instead essentially represent themselves. The ABI says that this will reduce the legal costs associated with a claim and result in lower insurance premiums for motorists. However, there is some debate as to how much of a good thing this will be for the general public and the extent to which it is a fair system for ordinary people to represent themselves.

The numbers – a viable opportunity

According to the ABI, there are 1,500 whiplash claims every day in the UK. And with all of those people still requiring legal representation for another year, the numbers present a wide and varied opportunity to undertake work in the personal injury arena. Furthermore, the specialism isn’t limited geographically; accidents can happen at any time, anywhere. That makes personal injury a viable career choice whichever corner of the UK you’re based in.

In fact, Clayton Legal’s own research bears out the numerical significance of the specialism. We surveyed 12,000 firms earlier this year and found that 20% of those were personal injury specialists. That’s a significant proportion of the legal sector, and no doubt radical reforms could have equally significant consequences for the personal injury field as a whole.

The delay offers some reassurance to those who were feeling uncertain about the future of their jobs and what might happen to their specialist field. Since news of the delay was announced, Clayton has seen an increase in the number of personal injury vacancies, indicating that demand for legal professionals in this niche is high.

If you’re considering a move, or even if you work in the personal injury field already, get in touch by scheduling a call with us. We’d be pleased to hear from you and we hope we can help make your next career move as smooth as possible.

When things are going well in your job it’s a great feeling. Work that interests you and which you find enjoyable doesn’t just make the week go by quicker, it leaves you feeling fulfilled and that you are making a difference. Indeed, those in the legal profession often feel that their job satisfaction comes from more than monetary reward; quality pro bono work and development provide opportunities for professional growth.

But what happens if things aren’t going quite so well? What tell-tale signs should you look out for, and how can you tell whether seeking employment elsewhere would be beneficial? It’s an important consideration, and that’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you determine how well your job is going – and what you can do about it.

When things aren’t quite going right in your position

In life and at work things sometimes go wrong. Perhaps you applied for a promotion that you didn’t get or maybe you made an honest mistake in your work. Whatever the reason, when things don’t quite go right, it’s very off-putting. It can leave you feeling distracted, worried about your position, and often this leads to underperformance, creating a vicious circle.

The most important thing is being able to recognise when you can make improvements and when things are beyond your control. For example, asking the partners for feedback might explain what you could do differently next time to secure the promotion. Or maybe you’ll discover that the budget for the new position was unexpectedly withdrawn, which isn’t something you can help. Positive action will give you a clearer answer than continuing to worry about a situation.

How do you know if you should stay in your position or leave?

Being positive and taking proactive steps are important. However, if you feel that things aren’t quite right it’s still important that you consider whether you should stay with or leave the firm.

If you’ve asked yourself what changes you can make for the better, acted on those changes, and things still aren’t working out, the next step is to speak to your manager. Can they provide extra support? If things don’t improve, or if help is not forthcoming then it may be time to consider a new position.

What are the warning signs for when things are not going well?

Determining whether your job is going well or not can be tough, although there are signs to watch out for which will help you decide.

Internal factors: Low motivation is a clue that your job is not fulfilling you. If you dread working with colleagues or partners then it’s also a sign that things could be better. Spending time wishing for the weekend or dreading Monday morning are also clues that the job is not going as well as it could.

External factors: Key things to watch out for that indicate your job is not going well are missing targets, being invited to performance reviews by management, and being passed over for promotion. Ask for feedback wherever you can as this will equip you with information which you can act on and change things for a more positive outcome. If the feedback is vague, very negative or you don’t receive any, then it could be an indication that the job isn’t playing to your strengths.

What is your workload like: too much or not enough?

Your workload has a big impact on your success in a position. While targets can be motivating, if you don’t hit them, they can have the opposite effect. PwC reported that legal professionals across every level of experience are failing to meet targets. If you find yourself in a similar situation, ask yourself why it’s happening. Are the targets unrealistic, or is there simply too much work for you to do? In which case a discussion with your manager could result in more achievable targets and a more manageable workload.

On the other hand, maybe you feel that you don’t have enough to do. If you’re unmotivated or under stimulated by your work, it could mean that the position isn’t quite right.

It’s about achieving a balanced workload that will challenge you without leaving you burnt out.

According to figures published in the Law Society Gazette, the number of practising solicitors has reached an all-time high at 140,000. If your area of specialism is oversubscribed, then it could mean you have little work to do. Consider a position in a different area and you might find that a new challenge brings a fresh outlook.

Is the firm’s culture right for you?

The culture of a firm has an impact not only on your work but also how much you enjoy working in your job role. If the culture doesn’t appeal to you, then it can be a major factor in prompting you to leave. When we surveyed law firms earlier this year, we found that 78% of firms thought that attrition rates were getting better. This is significantly more positive than the 51% of firms who thought the same in 2016. Interestingly, the most common reason given for firms to think that attrition rates were improving was down to the firm’s culture, which shows it to be a very important factor.

This also suggests that law firms are getting better at creating enjoyable cultures for all of their staff. If there’s still work to be done, or if the culture just doesn’t make you feel at ease, it will affect how you feel about your job and your performance in the end.

Do the firm’s values marry with your own?

The values of a law firm are often linked closely with its culture – if the values don’t match up with your own, then you might find that things don’t go as smoothly in your job as you would like. Our salary survey found firms place particular importance on candidates with a sound commercial understanding, one respondent said: “There are plenty of law graduates, but we are finding that partners are looking for people with legal experience rather than law degrees.” If the firm you work for is very much driven by results, profits and big characters, and you’re more interested in providing excellent customer service, then you could find the values of the firm don’t fit with your own personal values. This can make your experience of a job very unenjoyable and increase your chances of looking for a new position in the future.

Feeling happy with your decision

Whether you decide to stay in your current job role or move on, the most important thing is that it’s the right decision for you. Taking the above into account will help you establish whether or not you should stay and try to make improvements or to jump ship.

We’ve worked with legal professionals for decades to help them get the best out of their careers – whether that means staying or leaving a job.

So, if you’re feeling unsure about the best course of action, then speak to one of our team on 01772 259 121 – we’d be happy to help.

If you are thinking of moving jobs, then you may like to read our blog: Moving Jobs: Factors that influence your decision.

You can also register your CV online, and why not have a browse through some of our existing vacancies.