Articles From the Team
The importance of keeping an open mind when searching for a new conveyancing role
At BCL, I recruit specifically within residential property across the North West and this is a close knit market to work in. And EXTREMELY busy at the moment especially!!
Whether the SDLT holiday extension has been a blessing or a curse very much varies depending upon who I’m speaking to but that’s a blog for another time!
I’ve noticed recently I’ve had similar conversations with Conveyancers and assistants I’m working with, when helping them to find their next move on the career ladder. These are often along the lines of asking people to keep an open mind when deciding whether or not to pursue a role based on a bad experience someone else has had with a firm or just ‘something they’ve heard about x’
If you’re very experienced and have worked in the residential property market for many years, it’s more than likely you will have heard negative stories about most firms because in my experience, people tend to shout louder about something they’re unhappy about in any situation! I’m guilty of this and do try to make more of an effort to leave positive reviews. This can also mean you have a very limited number of firms you can consider!
Some advice I would give to anyone who has concerns about a firm based on a previous experience of a friend, current colleague etc would be:
- Situations change – a firm/particular department may have faced challenges for many reasons in the past but this doesn’t mean they haven’t remedied them. If you ask the questions, firms may be able to provide reassurance. Don’t be afraid to ask.
- One size doesn’t fit all – I’ve had such varied feedback from candidates who might have interviewed at the same firm and until you meet a firm/team, you can’t say if this is going to be for you. For every negative example, I will have had a positive from someone that I can give you. Most of the time!!
- It’s not you, it’s me – if you have negative feedback from someone who previously worked with a firm / person, it’s worth bearing in mind that there are two sides to every story and this obviously works both ways! As a recruiter, I would always give someone the benefit of the doubt before completely dismissing them and not working with them.
- Honesty is the best policy – EVERYTHING you tell me is confidential so if you have a particular concern we might be able to find a solution to, ask me and I can make enquiries for you if I don’t already have the market knowledge. I’ve worked in the market for almost 8 years now so if I feel an opportunity / person isn’t right for you, I will tell you not to pursue this because I don’t want to waste anyone’s time.
Granted, this isn’t always the case and sometimes, people do have genuine and very valid reasons not to pursue a particular opportunity. I would only ever ask someone to reconsider if I can give you constructive advice as to why it’s worth your time. I work with so many people who have been in this exact situation and have found something they might have dismissed has become their preferred option based on their personal experience at interview.