Specialists in Legal Recruitment 164 offices in 34 countries | www.michaelpage.co.uk/legal YOUR NEWLY QUALIFIED SURVIVAL GUIDE. As a trainee ready to qualify, you’re faced with a range of options and decisions that you need to make. It may be that your priority is to stay at your firm, or you could feel it’s time for a change – regardless of whether or not you’ll be kept on. This may be the time you decide to look at a firm with an international presence, or consider a move in-house. WHAT’S THE MARKET LIKE? Many trainees are already exploring the market, while others are waiting to see what happens at their current firm. Either way, the current market is difficult, and flexibility is essential to successfully securing an NQ position. TOP TIPS FOR THE NEWLY QUALIFIED • Be flexible If possible, consider options in locations further afield and in a broad range of firms. This will maximise your chances of getting your first choice. Secondly, investigate carefully which area you want to qualify into. You may well have an interesting and rewarding career in what was originally your second, third, or even fourth choice. • Include strong references Include copies of your appraisals with your applications (blanking out confidential information). If you’re able to obtain a personal partner reference this will add further credibility to your applications. • Use a recruitment consultant If you register with a recognised, leading legal recruitment agency, you shouldn’t need to register with more than two agencies. Particularly in London, all the leading agencies work with the top 100 firms and if you register with more than two agencies, you are likely to have the same role run past you three, four or five times! Keep in control of where your CV is being sent, and keep track of the consultants you are dealing with. An agency can’t truly represent you without meeting you and gaining a proper idea of how you come across in interviews, so make sure you meet your consultant wherever possible. Once registered, agree timescales for regular contact with your consultant. If you receive email/voice messages about opportunities, or are called in person but cannot speak freely, then contact your consultant at the earliest opportunity. • Prepare for success Don’t feel you need to restrict your CV to a minimum of two sides. Provided the CV is relevant and based on your legal experience, the more detail the better. The most important part of your CV is the applicable experience you had on the particular seat of your training contract for which you are applying. Use figures and amounts in your CV and talk about the size of transactions and caseload you handled. If you’ve been involved in marketing/business development throughout your training contract, put this in a separate section and elaborate. If you’re applying for more than one practicing area, then consider making two separate CVs and tailoring each accordingly. For more information and to register with Michael Page Legal, please contact our private practice team: Top-tier and US Rebecca How 020 7269 2312 | [email protected] Jane Gaunt 020 7269 2244 | [email protected] West End, Mid-tier, Niche and Boutique Nick Shillinglaw 020 7269 2440 | [email protected]
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Specialists in Legal Recruitment164 offi ces in 34 countries | www.michaelpage.co.uk/legal
YOUR NEWLY
QUALIFIED SURVIVAL
GUIDE.
As a trainee ready to qualify, you’re faced with a range of options and decisions that you need to make. It may be that your priority is to stay at your fi rm, or you could feel it’s time for a change – regardless of whether or not you’ll be kept on. This may be the time you decide to look at a fi rm with an international presence, or consider a move in-house.
WHAT’S THE MARKET LIKE?
Many trainees are already exploring the market, while others are waiting to see what happens at their current fi rm. Either way, the current market is diffi cult, and fl exibility is essential to successfully securing an NQ position.
TOP TIPS FOR THE NEWLY QUALIFIED
• Be fl exible
If possible, consider options in locations further afi eld and in a broad range of fi rms. This will maximise your chances of getting your fi rst choice. Secondly, investigate carefully which area you want to qualify into. You may well have an interesting and rewarding career in what was originally your second, third, or even fourth choice.
• Include strong references
Include copies of your appraisals with your applications (blanking out confi dential information). If you’re able to obtain a personal partner reference this will add further credibility to your applications.
• Use a recruitment consultant
If you register with a recognised, leading legal recruitment agency, you shouldn’t need to register with more than two agencies. Particularly in London, all the leading agencies work with the top 100 fi rms and if you register with more than two agencies, you are likely to have the same role run past you three, four or fi ve times! Keep in control of where your
CV is being sent, and keep track of the consultants you are dealing with.
An agency can’t truly represent you without meeting you and gaining a proper idea of how you come across in interviews, so make sure you meet your consultant wherever possible. Once registered, agree timescales for regular contact with your consultant. If you receive email/voice messages about opportunities, or are called in person but cannot speak freely, then contact your consultant at the earliest opportunity.
• Prepare for success
Don’t feel you need to restrict your CV to a minimum of two sides. Provided the CV is relevant and based on your legal experience, the more detail the better. The most important part of your CV is the applicable experience you had on the particular seat of your training contract for which you are applying.
Use fi gures and amounts in your CV and talk about the size of transactions and caseload you handled. If you’ve been involved in marketing/business development throughout your training contract, put this in a separate section and elaborate. If you’re applying for more than one practicing area, then consider making two separate CVs and tailoring each accordingly.
For more information and to register with Michael Page Legal, please contact our private practice team:
Top-tier and US
Rebecca How 020 7269 2312 | [email protected]
Jane Gaunt 020 7269 2244 | [email protected]
West End, Mid-tier, Niche and Boutique
Nick Shillinglaw020 7269 2440 | [email protected]
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