Articles From the Team
New Year, New Start!
The festive season is well and truly upon us, Halloween has just passed, Guy Fawkes is around the corner, Christmas markets will soon be popping up and before you know it Christmas will be here! This time of year has got to be one of my most favourite times of the year and I’m sure many of you would probably agree with me. It’s the only thing that keeps me going during these daylight saving days!
Assuming most of you (like myself) will be absorbed with endless shopping lists, food lists, to do lists in the run up to Christmas, and thinking there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done! However amongst all the excitement and holiday frolic there will be those that will be reflecting on the last 12 months and thinking about what they intend to do for the coming year. For some this might be thinking about buying that new car you never got round to getting this year, or perhaps taking that holiday you have been meaning to book this year or some will be evaluating where they want to drive their career next year.
As well as preparing for the great festive season and preparing your New Years resolution, it is equally important to think about what you have achieved in your working life this year and what you hope to achieve next year. As a legal recruitment consultant, in my experience this time of year is usually one of our busiest periods. Reason for this is solicitors, paralegals, legal executives will be thinking about where they want to be in their career next year and firms will be preparing their teams on the back of securing new deals, new clients etc. to work with in the new year. What I have found to be the biggest reason for a lawyer wanting to leave their current firm is not salary (surprising I know!) but limited career progression.
I specialise in insurance recruitment which includes areas such as clinical negligence, professional indemnity, property damage, personal injury etc. and I have worked with some leading insurance teams that have experienced massive growth in a short space of time and as a result the growth has often been too big, too quickly. This is has meant a surge in promoting mid level solicitors to associates making it top heavy and increasingly difficult to get into partnership. As a domino affect this also means that junior solicitors would have to wait that much longer to move into an associate role. Naturally for an ambitious solicitor working in this environment this is not an ideal situation to be in.
Ultimately, frustrated lawyers will now be thinking about moving to another firm where they will be offered a structured career path. Again in my experience now is the best time to start applying for a new job as firms will be getting their recruitment in order ready to hit the ground running in the New Year. This is also coupled with the fact that most lawyers are tied in to a three month notice period and securing new work now means you are in a better position to negotiate finishing at the end of the year. So if you’re looking for a brand new start to your New Year there is no time like the present to get the ball rolling!
I am currently working on a number of new opportunities across the Midlands, South West and in the regions including Oxford with top tier professional indemnity, property damage and clinical negligence teams that are recruiting for newly qualified to associate level solicitors on exciting and challenging roles that are offering competitive salaries, excellent benefits package and great prospects for career progression.
If you are interested in having a private and confidential chat about your current situation and discussing potential new roles, please contact our insurance specialists at BCL Legal or call 0161 819 7475.