Legal candidates are in an excellent position right now. With skill shortages plaguing the industry, there are more opportunities to move to great roles and companies than ever before. Moreover, you have more freedom about how you choose to work, with remote and hybrid roles emerging everywhere.

However, just because you have many options doesn’t mean defining the ideal firm to join is easy. Countless factors can influence whether a business is a good fit for you and your skills. Fail to consider them carefully, and you could end up in a role that doesn’t suit you.

Researching potential employers and the law firms you’re considering joining helps ensure you take the right next step in your career plan. Here’s how you can get started.

Before You Start Your Job Search

Preparation is key when searching for any new role. Rather than simply browsing endless job descriptions in search of something that mentions your qualifications, you should go on the journey with a clear action plan.

Start by defining exactly what you want as a candidate. What kind of career path are you working towards? Is there a specific role or certain duties within a role you’re most drawn towards? Are you looking for a firm that can help you work your way up through the ranks to a leadership position, or are you ready to start a management job immediately?

Working with a legal recruitment agency can be an excellent way to improve your chances of creating an effective plan. Your legal recruiter can discuss your career goals and help you define what you should be looking for in terms of benefits, remuneration, culture and more.

What’s more, once you’ve defined your plan with your recruiter, they’ll be able to position you in front of the right law firms, boosting your chances of the best job offer.

The 5 Signs of an Amazing Law Firm

With your career plan in hand, you’ll be able to start sorting your employment options with more focus. Following the Great Resignation, many law firms are currently searching for the top legal talent to stay ahead of the competition. Here are the signs to look for when narrowing your options.

1.    Shared Values

Most of today’s employees are looking for more than just a good salary from their employer. They also want meaningful work which resonates with their values. Around 42% of employees say they think it’s important for an employer to be diverse, inclusive, and equitable, according to a recent Gallup survey. A further 43% of candidates say they’re attracted to a new job based on meaningful work.

Take the time to research a law firm’s core mission statement and its vision for the future. Find what it’s aiming towards, what kind of goals it’s setting, and how every team member plays a part. Researching the firm will help you to determine whether it’s focused on values similar to your own, such as innovation or diversity.

You can also read reviews and testimonials from previous employees on places like Glassdoor and speak to ourselves as established recruiting experts in the field about the inner workings of a firm and general reputation.

2.    Strong Company Culture

46% of job seekers say company culture is important when deciding where they should work. A further 86% of candidates also say they actively avoid a company with a bad reputation. A company’s culture refers to everything from its approach to work to how it treats its employees.

For instance, you might find yourself drawn towards a firm with a strong wellness initiative designed to preserve team members’ mental and physical well-being. Alternatively, you may be more focused on a collaborative company culture, where everyone has a chance to contribute to the growth of the firm.

When seeking out good company culture, it’s worth looking for one with a strong sense of teamwork where employees are not only allowed but also encouraged to give their own input regarding important changes or potential challenges. You want to ensure that your skills and your input will be valued and your voice heard, especially when it matters. Ensuring that there is  evidence you’ll be appreciated in your role and rewarded for a job well done is also something to keep an eye out for Look out for any stories published online or on the firm’s own website about rewards given to high-performing team members or those that demonstrate the business’ values.

3.    Opportunities for Growth

While there’s always a chance you may need to move between law firms and roles to reach your career goals, every firm you work with should contribute to your growth. Having plenty of opportunities to learn sector-focused and transferable skills will ensure you can continue expanding your knowledge over time.Look for evidence that the firm in question is willing to train you on using new technologies and strategies as they emerge within your industry. It’s also worth discovering whether there’s room for lateral movement in your organisation as your expertise increases.

Find out whether team members are regularly offered promotions and opportunities to take on new challenges. This shows potential for a long future with the firm and can give you a better sense of the stability and security your role can offer.

4.    Excellent Benefits

While good remuneration is important for anyone looking for the ideal job, it’s important to think beyond the salary. The benefits offered by a firm give you an insight into what you can look forward to if you decide to join the team.

In today’s skill-short marketplace, many employers are beginning to offer a wider range of benefits, from flexible work schedules to four-day working weeks and equity options. If you’re looking for the opportunity to work in a hybrid or remote environment (around 50% of U.K. employees), it’s important to check if the firm can offer this.

Usually, you’ll be able to learn more about the benefits an employer can offer by checking the job description, visiting the organisation’s “Careers” page on its website, and speaking to your recruiter.

5.    Fantastic Leadership

Excellent leadership and good employee retention often go hand-in-hand for most businesses and firms. This is because legal employees rely on their leaders to provide motivation, support, and guidance. If you know the leadership team in your chosen firm is innovative, emotionally intelligent, and transparent, you’re more likely to feel comfortable in your role.

A good way to learn about a firm’s leadership practices is to check its website for stories about group accomplishments and business growth. You can also read the bio for the leaders of your potential team on the “About Us” page, and it may be you take this a step further by connecting with them on LinkedIn and build your professional network at the same time. Asking for an opportunity to speak to the people you’re going to be working with during the interview stage is also a good way to get a good idea of how they communicate and their general work ethic.

In short, the current market conditions mean that there is world of opportunity at the moment for ambitious legal professionals looking for a new role in line with their ambitions and career development. The potential downside of this however is the amount of choice and ‘golden opportunities’ make navigating the market difficult and time-consuming – especially for those already in a full-time job.

Trying to carve out some time to do your research however is essential, and creating somewhat of a checklist like this which allows you to assess the signs of a great law firm (and therefore, opportunity) will help to direct how you progress through to application stage.

Engaging with a legal recruiter can pay dividends here – not only in helping to understand the market and exclusive opportunities, but to talk candidly and confidentially about the Law Firms themselves in order to get your tick list completed and giving you a holistic view of what those crucial next steps look like.

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.

The last few months have been a precarious time for the vast majority of people in the UK. And with significant changes in the legal sector, many employees have felt a degree of uncertainty around the future of their career.

The realities of the rise in inflation and the cost of living is now being realised, and for some legal employees, this will, unfortunately, mean redundancy. A new study has shown that nearly 1 in 5 employers are likely to make redundancies over the next year, including law firms and legal services.

But while some areas and some practices have been hit hard, others are flourishing.

Today, we look at what legal employees who are currently facing redundancy should be focusing on now and how to navigate the new situation you could be placed in.

Let’s start with some positivity.

The New Job Mindset

A positive mindset is critical when job seeking, so the first thing that it is essential to remember is that it’s not you that is being made redundant; it’s your role.

There has been so much change, contraction and growth in different areas that there will be inevitable redundancies in some practices as employers try to make sense of the new market.

Legal employees who ‘go it alone’, rather than work with a recruiter, run the risk of losing momentum. This can leave you feeling isolated and discouraged, especially when your job applications aren’t garnering you many responses.

My first piece of advice for a legal candidate facing redundancy is to start working with a legal recruiter as soon as possible. They will be able to provide the career support that you need right now.

So if your position has recently become redundant, there is good news – there are opportunities out there – let’s look at where they are.

What To Do If Your Training Contract Is Terminated

The Law Society have a great article that discusses what your options are if your training contract is terminated before you complete it. Find out more here with guidance from The Law Society and the SRA.

“The SRA states that trainee solicitors are common law apprentices, which means that you cannot be terminated as part of a redundancy process. This gives you enhanced protections under employment law and you should have reference to the SRA’s authorised training provider information pack (2019 regulations)”.

Retraining

One of the first things to consider is if you can retrain in a different legal specialism.

While this might not be the easiest path or the first choice for some individuals, for those that take advantage of the opportunity now could enjoy great benefits.

For example, you might have specialised in personal injury law, and have been operating in this field for some years.

But the market is now changing.

Legal firms are increasingly in need of employees trained in the areas which have boomed since the pandemic struck – property, family and employment law being the main three.

And this isn’t a short-sighted career move. Adding another string to your bow is always a good idea career-wise, and it makes perfect sense to do it now when there are talent shortages in these critical areas.

If you are thinking about changing your legal specialism, there are a few ways you can get started.

First, look for a mentor in your chosen field – this can be a difficult task, but once you find someone who you trust and who can help you shape your career path the way you want, they will be invaluable to you. This can be someone from your chosen field within your current company, or you can reach out to sector specialists on LinkedIn or during trade webinars or seminars, with physical networking not a possibility at this time.

Then take advantages of any courses you can enrol in to bring you closer to your chosen specialism, you can also self-study and work on extra certificates outside working hours – there are lots of online courses available.

If you feel comfortable discussing your chosen career goal with your current employer and feel that they will support you in your chosen field, you can always ask them if they will allow you time to train on the job in another department of the firm.

So let’s look a little closer at the areas in where the opportunities are right now.

Property

As with many unprecedented situations the pandemic caused, the mortgage and rent holidays that were put in place by the government created a boom in property law that hasn’t slowed down.

There is going to be a vast increase in roles in practices that deal with property disputes. And this is set to continue for many months and possibly even years.

Staying with property, the backlog of conveyancing that was caused by the house-move ban has yet to be cleared, which has created more opportunities for growth in this sector.

This, coupled with the fact that the pandemic seems to have inspired many people to move house – a rise of 15.6% in August 2020 – practices with property specialisms have never been busier.

Family

Family law is another area where we have seen a significant increase in opportunities.

There has been a so-called ‘divorce boom’ fuelled by the lockdowns and changes in economic circumstances. The Citizens Advice website saw a 25% increase in divorce guidance searches in September 2020 compared to the previous year.

The BBC spoke to family lawyer Georgina Chase, who commented that 30% of matrimonial enquiries she had received had been from couples separating because of relationship issues being exacerbated due to lockdown which we think will continue to increase as the cost of living continues to squeeze on those relationships.

A new survey by Scottish Law firm MHA Henderson Loggie has predicted lawyers specialising in commercial dispute resolution and family law are anticipating an increase in workload due to Covid-19.

MHA Legal director Christine Rolland commented “It is not known how the courts will cope with the backlog of cases on top of the expected number of new cases over the next 6 months.”

So family law is another area that is crying out for legal talent right now.

Employment

Employment law is another area which is seeing a drastic increase in the wake of Covid-19.

There have been changes to employment law due to the pandemic, with many issues in this field yet to be resolved.

As of late August 2020, there were 39,000 individual employment claims waiting to be heard according to the Ministry of Justice figures.

Barry Clarke, the president of employment tribunals in England and Wales, said he expects the backlog to continue to rise. He said this “would pose huge challenges to the ability of the [employment tribunal] to deliver justice within a reasonable time, which deeply troubled him”.

Conciliation service Acas received 33,000 calls in regards to redundancy in June and July 2020, an increase of 169% on last year.

As you can see, there is a lot of work to be done in this area of law, and practices with this specialism are looking for talent to help clear the backlog.

Private Client

During this time, if you haven’t before, it might be time to consider working with private clients on cases to start to build your own private client portfolio.

Private clients are an international growth industry which can be an extremely good career move for a solicitor to consider.

If you have excellent interpersonal skills, and it is your ambition to work closely with your clients to provide the best outcomes for individuals you have built an excellent relationship with, then becoming a private client solicitor could be for you.

Private client opportunities are currently booming, so now is a great time to make a career change into this area of law if you think you’ve got what it takes.

Looking at the Positives

Facing redundancy can feel daunting, but it is crucial to think of the opportunities that a new role can bring.

You have the chance to work with a legal recruiter to find a role that fits exactly the direction you want your legal career to be going in.

If you aren’t sure about the direction of your legal career and would like to explore the options that are available to you right now, get in contact with us here.

A Different Location?

Finally, expanding your job search is another way to increase your options.

In your legal career so far, your work might have focused around one particular town or area, and this is understandable if you have family ties.

But for anyone with the opportunity to do so, looking to expand your job search into areas you hadn’t previously considered is a great way to increase your job prospects.

If you are searching for a new legal role in the North West – get in touch with us today by calling 0121 259 121, click here to view our current vacancies or click here to send us an email with your legal career enquiry.

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.

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

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

Stage 1: Planning

Job search methods

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

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

Understanding the opportunities that are available

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

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

Stage 2: Enlisting help

Recruiting the right recruiter

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

Clarity on skills: a two-way street

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

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

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

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

Monetary motivation

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

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

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

Gender pay gap

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

Non-monetary rewards

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

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

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

Management in practice

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

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

Stay or go: your own list of reasons

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

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

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

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