BCL Legal Recruitment

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NQ FAQ’s

How do I register with BCL Legal?

In order to register with us fully we need you to send us a copy of your CV. Once we have received this we will telephone you to discuss your requirements. Our administration team will contact you by email requesting various documents that we are legally obliged to get from you.

Do you send my CV out without my consent?

BCL Legal do not send your details for any position without your express prior permission.
I am already registered with another agency, can I also register with you?
BCL Legal are likely to have different relationships to the agency are already registered with. As long as you are clear about which agency has your permission to approach each firm and keep a record about who has done what for you, there should be no problems or conflicts.

When you find a job for me what happens next?

When we are instructed on a relevant vacancy we will contact you to discuss. If you are happy with the vacancy we will forward your details to the firm. We will then take any feedback and liaise with the firm to arrange any interviews.

The last job I applied for was my training contract, my CV is very out of date can you help?

We are always happy to advise registered candidates on the content of their CV’s. By sending us your CV at the start of the process we have the opportunity to review the information and make constructive comments, which will help you to improve it. A general rule of thumb is to concentrate on the areas of law you are most interested in pursuing and ensure that you as comprehensive a review of your skills as possible.

Should I tailor my CV for each application?

Your CV should be different if you are applying for positions in different areas of law. You should be highlighting the relevant areas of training for each different position. However at NQ level we would not expect your experience to be niche’ enough to warrant changes between applications in the same area of law. This is. of course. unless the client is looking for something very particular and unusual, which you may need to add to your CV. You are likely to register with us whilst undertaking your 4th seat (or 5th/6th seats – depending on your training format). If you are currently training in your preferred discipline it will be necessary to update your CV regularly as the experience will be improving all the time.

I have not had an interview since my training contract, I do not know what to expect?

At BCL Legal we work hard to ensure we get as much information about the interview process as possible. We will advise you on the format, what to expect and how to prepare. Generally this will include a discussion about your CV and the information contained therein. It is also quite common for firms to run some form of technical test. The content of these tests is often closely guarded by clients although we will be able to give some advise on preparation.

Can I apply for more than one location/ area of law with the same firm?

This very much depends upon the firm in question. Some firms are very pragmatic and happy to consider that candidates may have several choices regarding areas of law/ locations.

What salary can I expect to earn?

This varies wildly from firm to firm and location to location. Equally some firms to settle on their NQ salary quite late in the process. We will be able to give some advice when you register, this will take into account your location, preferred disciplines and the size of firm that is likely to be interested in you?

If I accept a position in a less favoured discipline, can I change later on?

Generally speaking it is possible to move disciplines later on in your career. Obviously moving from personal injury to clinical negligence is potentially easier than moving from criminal to employment law. We do see candidates who qualify into an area of law and find they do not enjoy it, again we do see these candidates achieve movement into a more desired area later in their career.

I have been offered a position internally but it is not in the area that I would prefer to work in, what should I do?

Most candidates have enjoyed their training contracts and feel loyalty towards their qualifying firm. You need to find out why you have not been offered a position in your preferred area of law and liaise with the firm. If it transpires that there are no roles available for you in the preferred area you need to way up your options. Most firms are understanding of NQ’s who have a particular desire to specialise in a certain area. It may be that your HR team can advise about how long you can consider the position you are offered before making a decision and how the firm will react to you going for external interviews. BCL Legal are always happy to assist by giving you an indication of how many position we are likely to see in your preferred discipline and how strong a candidate you will be for those positions against other candidates on the market.