Articles From the Team
How best to use a recruiter to find your dream in-house legal job!
Finding your perfect job can be a very time consuming and frustrating activity. Add into this normal life of working/ commuting/ family and social requirements you really have very little time to look for the right next opportunity.
By taking advice and guidance from someone with industry knowledge, you have a much better chance of covering all bases. All 'we' do each and every day is speak with and learn about the businesses and legal teams in your area- giving us the contacts, knowledge and information that you will need to help with that dream move.
So what do you need to do:
Send us your CV Simplistic but there are individuals that we get calls from who only send us their cv if an advertised role is of interest to them. A couple of points here: we don't advertise every role and of the ones we do it is often the case that even before the role is advertised we already have a shortlist in mind. So like the lottery- you've got to be in it to win it! Even if a move is 12 months off, start to develop a relationship with a recruiter that is working in your area of interest. It can often take time for the right in-house role to arise and you don't want to miss it when it does come about!
Know what you want You need to have a strong idea of your capabilities and what job you feel is the best fit. This isn’t just about the type of role you want – you should explain all the aspects that make up your working life. Do you prefer to work for a large corporate or a smaller enterprise? Do you want to work in a team or do you prefer something more individual? What sort of a commute is going to work for you?
Be honest with yourself Over the years I have met individuals who pressure themselves into thinking that the next step of their career needs to go in a certain direction only to decide after some questioning that a different direction actually suits them better. Maybe you don't actually want the pressure of a head of legal position, managing a team but would prefer a sole lawyer role. There are many routes to a successful and meaningful career. Work out what makes you tick and what you most enjoy and let us find it for you!
Research It is our role to bring the right opportunities to you, provide you with job descriptions (if they exist from the client) and insight into the company, legal team (if one exists) and overall opportunity. However, we are finding that not enough job seekers are doing their own research into the companies put in front of them and being insightful enough so that when at interview they can offer insightful thoughts and ideas borne from their research.
Find specialists You always want to speak to people who know exactly what they are talking about in your sector. In other words, you don’t want someone who's a jack of all trades but master of none. Find an agency that is a specialist in your area and find out about things like their clients and the types of placements they have made before.
Understand the relationship It is always best to build a good rapport with a recruitment consultant and maintain that relationship. Keep in close contact with them throughout your job search and let them know how things are at your current company. Even after you get placed, you should meet up with them now and then – they will be keen to know how you are finding your new job. If at some point in the future you are looking to move on again – that relationship you have built will give you a head start.
Encourage feedback Whenever you go for an interview, the recruiter will get feedback on your performance. They will tell you what you did well, and what you didn’t do so well – but you should then ask them to help you improve. Perhaps your body language was wrong, or there was a certain type of question you didn’t answer well. Go in and see your recruiter, and get them to almost coach you so you can improve. Every step of the job seeking process is an opportunity for you to learn and get better.
For more information please contact Mark Levine or visit our website BCL Legal.