Articles From the Team

Insights - the challenges of Legal Recruitment

Legal recruitment can be a very rewarding career but, like with any job, it does have its challenges(!). Here are my insights: 

You’re dealing with people -

I enjoy speaking to different people everyday, it keeps the job interesting. However, it can also be challenging. Recruitment is ultimately a sales-based industry where your people are your product(s), but people can be unpredictable. Recruitment allows you to build great relationships with a range of different people but sometimes people do change their minds. Their circumstances change, and that can be challenging. It can be frustrating at times but also incredibly rewarding; and...

It’s emotional –

it really is a rollercoaster ride. One day could be the best day of your career, and the next could be the worst.  It’s certainly interesting but you have to be determined to work through the lows; and,...

It’s time pressured -

Clients can call you about jobs at any time and sometimes these jobs will be urgent. An important skill in recruitment is correctly qualifying a job and knowing how urgent a requirement is. Prioritisation is key. If the role is out with other agencies, the level and the discipline will determine the relative urgency. You may need to stop what you’re doing, reprioritise your day, and start looking at a new job straight away. This leads on to my next point…

It requires a lot of organisation -

You’re responsible for planning your own day, so you have to be organised and incredibly motivated. On the flip side, this also means that, if you’re prepared to put in the work, you will reap the rewards; and...

It’s competitive –

There are lot of legal recruitment agencies across the UK and it can be very competitive. Candidates may be registered with multiple agencies, and other agencies may be instructed on the same roles as you. It often comes down to candidate/client relationships, knowledge of the market and speed. It certainly helps to have a competitive streak!

For further insight on what it's like to work as a legal recruiter please contact our Talent Manager, Jo Leaver for a confidential conversation and an honest overview of the role.