Articles From the Team

Why use a recruitment agent if you can apply directly or know someone at the firm?! – Part 1

So, the firm you have always wanted to work at is recruiting and, better still, you know someone who works there that can submit your CV on your behalf, or you can always apply directly if the job is on their website, so surely that must be the best way to approach this and not use an agency - Right? Wrong!

You obviously really want this job and therefore you surely owe it to yourself to give yourself the best chance of securing it.

Will your friend be able to tell you why the position has arisen (maybe if it's common knowledge), but what if it isn't? What work will you be handling - specifically? How many interviews will there be? What is their interview process? Will there be any written assessments? Any typical questions they've asked before at interview? These are all important questions you need to know the answers to, to make sure you are fully prepared for your interview. You have no way of finding out these answers if you have applied through a friend or directly, but a recruitment consultant will be able to answer all these questions and more, putting your mind at rest, and subconsciously already putting you ahead of the competition.

But anyway – you have submitted your CV either directly or via your friend - and then there's silence.... How often can you chase the firm and/or your friend for news without becoming a stalker and creating a negative impression? Has your friend actually forwarded on your CV or is it still in their inbox/the bottom of their brief case?! Have they been on holiday? Is the recruiting Partner on holiday? Is your CV going to the right person at all? I have heard too many times of someone's CV sitting on a busy Partner's desk only to be discovered once their colleague has finished recruiting… Your recruitment consultant will of course know exactly who to send the CV to and will be able to provide you with regular updates on your application, so you will have no need to worry that your CV is being overlooked and you can be rest assured that you are definitely being considered for your dream job.

But all that aside - by luck you have managed to secure an interview either directly or through your friend. The day of your interview is dawning - how rusty is your interview technique? When was your last interview? Will your friend give you a full interview prep? Unlikely! But unfortunately most of the people you are up against will have received substantial interview preparation from their recruitment consultant. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not go into an interview at a disadvantage in the first place, I would want to be fully prepared to give myself the best possible chance of securing my dream job.

So to make sure that you not only get that all important interview in the first place but go in to your interview fully prepared, why not give me, Tracy Harris at BCL Legal, a call in strict confidence to make sure the risk is taken out of the application process for you? I place solicitors and legal executives at all levels into private practice across the West and South Midlands (Staffordshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire) and the Thames Valley (Oxfordshire and Berkshire) in a wide range of disciplines to include commercial property, corporate, employment, commercial litigation, property litigation, construction and family law. I look forward to hearing from you shortly and together we can secure you your dream job. Part 2 next month covers the benefits of using a recruitment agency post interview and for negotiating that perfect job offer.