Articles From the Team
Starting your legal job search - what should you consider?
If you’re considering a move in the legal sector right now you’ll be pleased to know that the market is super busy in terms of new job instructions. It’s a candidate light market right now so you may have range of new opportunities to pick from. With choice often comes the feeling of being overwhelmed so it’s really useful to be clear on what you’re looking to gain from your next move from the outset.
Here are some points to think about before starting your search:
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THE FIRM/TEAM
A good starting point is to think about what you enjoy the most in your current firm & why that is.
Equally think about the things you don’t like i.e. if you’re in a large team but have found this isn’t something that suits making a move into a smaller team may help eliminate these issues. If you’re working with a recruiter, be clear to them about these points. What about firms you’ve always wanted to join? If there are firms that you have always been interested in joining but you’ve just never seen a vacancy arise let your recruiter know! They may well have a relationship with the firm and be able to make an approach on your behalf.
THE WORK
Do you enjoy the type of work you’re handling? If not, why?
What would make it better?
As with the above, think about your current role/ How else can you utilise your skillset to broaden out into other areas. Speak to your recruiter if you’re considering retraining, we can often guide you on the types of roles possible to transition into based on your skillset.
LOCATION
Will you relocate?
How long are you willing to commute?
Think about the locations that you’re open to considering. The firms will delve into this and want to know you’re fully committed. With the pandemic it’s certainly opened up locations for many considering travelling further afield if the requirement is only to attend the office a couple of days a week or on a occasion. If you’re considering options like this, ensure you have properly investigated the cost of the commute and time it will take.
WORK/LIFE BALANCE
What do you have currently that you need moving forward?
What don’t you have that you would like?
Often people think that because they have an agreement on working hours, working from home and flexibility with their current firm that they won’t ever be able to find this elsewhere. It’s not always the case. Many firms are very open (now more than ever) to consider alternative working patterns and arrangements. Just be clear to your recruiter about what this would need to look like and they will ensure that this is at the forefront of any conversation with potential employers from the off to avoid any issues later down the line.
SALARY
It’s not everything but it’s certainly a very important factor to think about before you consider opening up your job search.
Is the only reason you’re looking for a move because the salary isn’t at the level you’d like? If this is the case, it is worth having an open and honest conversation with your current employer. We see candidates time and time again go through the process of interviewing with other firms and being offered a role elsewhere to ultimately stay in their current position as when they have handed their notice their employer offers to increase the package / match their new offer. Having these hard hitting conversations early will help to avoid this happening and also help you to decide if making a move is definitely what you want to do.
If you’d like to discuss any of the above, discuss new opportunities or you just need objective advice on salary levels and/or career development, please do get in touch.