Moving Up In The Legal Industry

Moving up in the Legal Industry

What can my next legal move be? You’ve got a few years of experience under your belt, you’ve been there, done that and own the t-shirt to prove it. Now your sights are firmly fixed on which direction your career may take next. But with so many varying roles and an equally diverse choice of paths to follow, which one is right for you? The career path taken by solicitors is a relatively straightforward one. Over the last few years you will have worked across a number of different specialisms and now that you are qualified, you get the opportunity to choose which area you would like to specialise in. Sometimes this can be done by staying with your existing employer but may mean moving to another form, depending on your field of choice and size of employer. As you assume more responsibility and start to make your mark you can eye the prize of becoming a Partner. Or if that’s not an ambition recent changes to the profession have seen the introduction of a number of middle and senior management roles that don’t necessarily lead to partnership, such as Associate Director or Counsel. If you are a barrister and have successfully landed a job in chambers you will see that the cases you are dealing with begin to increase in seriousness and complexity. From here career progression can take two forms - self-employment or opting to practice at the Employed

www.monster.co.uk Bar and apply for in-house roles within either public or private sector organisations. By pursuing the first option your career success will be largely a result of how good a reputation you have and the client base you have managed to build up. Whereas the second option offers more by way of personal security. From here career progression will either follow the management route overseeing an entire legal department, for example, or pursuing the ultimate ambition (for many barristers at least) of ‘cutting silk’ as Queen’s Counsel (QC). Legal Executives also have two distinct paths to consider. Some will follow the legal executive-senior executive-practice manager route. While others use their jobs as a springboard to re-launch their careers as a solicitor – upon obtaining additional professional qualifications that is. Irrespective of what job you are doing right now you will need to follow a continual professional development plan and be prepared to burn the candle at both ends to acquire the qualifications needed to help steer your career in the direction you want to go.

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Moving up in the Legal Industry

What achievements should I add to my CV? If you were an employer receiving hundreds of applications for an advertised position, what would you look for to determine who the best applicant was? The answer to sort the good from the great is simple -: achievements. As we have already seen the legal sector is one of the most popular career choices for fresh-faced graduates. But competition for jobs isn’t solely reserved for new entrants coming into the profession, positions at all levels are hotly fought over regardless of whether you have five minutes or five years’ experience. So what will make you stand out against other candidates who are vying for the same promotion, what says to employers that you are the right candidate for the job? In 2009 Cristiano Ronaldo became the most expensive footballer in the world following his move from Manchester United to Real Madrid in a deal worth £80m. Despite being a winger, a position not known for scoring many goals, Ronaldo still managed to net a goal in every 2.3 games – the same goal:game ratio as Wayne Rooney, an out-and-out striker. Now you may be wondering what this story has to do with your legal career, but the two are inextricably linked. To really stand out among your peers you have to demonstrate that you have that extra quality which can make all the difference to how

www.monster.co.uk your team functions. So when it comes to writing your CV you need to focus on your achievements, the moments in your career when the limelight has shone on you – the times when you have gone beyond the remit of your job description and outperformed those around you. For example, perhaps you: • have the highest win rate in your firm • have a successfully built up a reputation for maximising referrals • are prolific at getting results from contentious and noncontentious cases • oversaw the successful merger between two companies which earned your company a pretty package • have a good track record in identifying new business development opportunities When writing your CV you need to put yourself in the recruiter’s shoes and ask yourself, What would make me want to hire this person, what makes him/her a better applicant than the rest? Make the recruiter’s decision an easy one and position yourself as the obvious choice by showcasing your career enhancing moments -you may not get a pay rise like Ronaldo but you will get the job you deserve.

Further Reading - How should I list my previous jobs on my CV? - What makes a good CV design and layout? - How can I make my CV more effective?

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Moving up in the Legal Industry

What are the important skills to develop? At this stage in your career it’s quite literally a case of every man or woman for themselves. The legal profession is packed with highly skilled and many highly motivated people who are eager to advance their position at the very next given opportunity. And if you reading this, you’re one of them. The further up the career ladder you progress the more skills you will learn and it is your responsibility to identify the key skills that are relevant to the job you already doing and, more importantly, the job you want. By taking steps to acquire some of the key skills required for your next position before you assume that role rather than waiting to learn them on the job itself, is one of the most effective ways of making yourself stand out from other candidates applying for the same position. Suppose you are planning a move from legal executive into a senior role, the simple fact that you acted as the main point of contact for clients and are experienced at handling complex and varied caseloads will stir little more than a “So what?” Reaction from a recruiter, because all you have done is repeat the basics of your current job description. But being a confident negotiator with strong communication skills, an excellent litigator with first class analytical skills combined with the ability to train, develop

www.monster.co.uk and supervise other members of staff will reposition your CV from an also-ran to strong contender. Similarly, solicitors and barristers need to expand their portfolio of skills which could range from developing marketing skills to attract new business to mentoring and managing teams of junior assistants and trainees. To put yourself in serious contention for that next step up the career ladder you need to provide a recruiter with evidence of the skills you possess, how they have made a difference in your work and how they have benefited your current employer. And once you have identified the skills you need, find out what staff development and training schemes are run by your company or an external training provider accredited by your respective professional body, such as the Law Society and the Institute of Legal Executives

Discover Job Profiles Monster’s Career Snapshots show you the skills you need in order to take your career to the next level:

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Moving up in the Legal Industry

How can I get my boss to notice my efforts? To progress your career in the direction that you want it to move you need to become your own PR expert and to raise your own personal profile within your firm, get noticed by the people who can influence your next career move and position yourself as the obvious choice when the next round of promotion come. And there are a number of key ways to do this without it looking like you are an attention-seeking glory hunter. As a legal professional you are all too aware of the demands of your job and the workload you have to manage, that’s a given. But how you manage that workload can more often than not make a difference between standing still in your career and taking the next step up. So be seen as someone who gets things done, on time and within budget. The ability to prioritorise your tasks and be ruthless with your time could give you the opportunity to take on extra responsibilities that will reflect positively on you, make a clear-cut difference to the way things are done, and will further your career plan. Not only does taking on additional duties demonstrate your willingness to help your employer, it helps raise your profile as

www.monster.co.uk someone who goes the extra distance, wants to expand their capabilities and is willing to pitch in when needs demand. Career progression in this sector is dependent on results, how well you serve your clients and the level of successful cases you close. Obtaining testimonials from some of your clients is one of the most effective ways of getting your boss to notice how good a job you are doing. Working in the legal profession is rarely a solo effort - it invariably involves working as part of a team. So regardless of whether you are a solicitor, barrister or legal executive, for instance, if you have landed a great new client or won a major case then share the accolades among everyone in your team. By drawing attention to others you inadvertently shine attention on yourself. The people who get promoted are the ones who know their job well, do it well, and do it better than everyone else. But sometimes we all need to shout from the rooftops to be heard by those with the power to help us make that next step up the career ladder.

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Moving up in the Legal Industry

Should I move internally or externally? Since the turn of the new millennium the face of the legal system has changed significantly and many firms have been forced to adapt to these new developments by repositioning themselves and identifying their niche in the market, whether they be specialists in certain areas or general law practitioners. All of which means that there is a wide variety of choice available for you – all you need to do is determine whether the firm you are currently with can provide the opportunity to practice the type of law you want to be doing, can meet your expectations, motivates you, and can take your career in the direction you want it to go. Suppose you want to work for one of the top legal firms in the country like the Eversheds of this world, the decision to stay with or leave your job will be relatively straightforward. But what if the company you’re at already fits the bill yet the opportunities to move into the role you want to do come up once in a blue moon, what do you do? By staying in the same job with a company that offers little in the way of career progression you may be doing your career prospects more harm than good in the long term. The legal sector is one where your reputation can mean the difference between being an also-ran or the top legal eagle in the business.

www.monster.co.uk But before you march into your boss’s office brandishing your letter of resignation push your employer to see if there are any opening expected to come up or if you are as good as you say you are, ask if such a position could be created for you. Good lawyers are hard to find and your employer will want to retain their top people rather than lose them to a rival firm. And if that fails then dust off your CV and find a company that will give you that opportunity. Moving from one job to another can be seen as a sign of ambition, especially if you are moving to a firm that enables you to specialise in your chosen field and offers genuine career progression. But making a habit of moving around will inevitably signal a red flag to employers, so keep your flirtations to a minimum.

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Moving up in the Legal Industry

What attributes make a good manager? You’ve being doing well in your career thus far and now the doors of management are open for you. But just because you maybe the best legal executive in your firm or the leading barrister with a win-rate that would make even the great Rumpole blush, won’t necessarily qualify you as a good manager – it takes more than that simply being the master at your current role. Taking a step into management is a whole new ball game – especially in the legal sector. Aside from doing your own job you need to know how other roles operate and begin to see things from a corporate, strategic perspective rather than simply concerning yourself with how things work within your immediate comfort zone. So what does it take to be a good manager in the legal profession? It may sound like a cliché and we no excuses for saying that you really do need to be someone who leads by example, who knows their job inside out and does it better than anyone else performing the same role. It’s all about bringing some extra to the table, having that certain je ne sais quo. The job will see you having to manage a number of individuals who are each performing different roles, from paralegals and legal executives to junior and associate solicitors – it is your job to understand how each role within the organisation operates and be able to bring together these varying skills sets and direct them accordingly.

www.monster.co.uk You will need to become commercial orientated too, implementing marketing initiatives and taking a proactive approach to developing new business for the firm. And with this comes an entrepreneurial approach to business. Indeed, solicitors and barristers in particular live and die by their ability to win new clients and are often practicing on a self-employed basis. Of course being a manager means that you need to be confident in your own ability and can make decisions, regardless of how unpopular these decisions may be at the time. But by demonstrating your leadership ability and having good technical knowledge about the area in which you are practicing, the decisions you make will be in the interest of the firm itself in terms of furthering the development of your department, for example. Ultimately, successful managers in the legal sector are commercially aware with strong communication and decision-making skills. They are adept at keeping their cool under pressure, can manage their time effectively and skilled at prioritorising tasks.

Further Reading - How can I secure a pay rise? - What can I do to ensure a promotion? - How can I improve as a manager?

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Moving up in the Legal Industry

How can I make a long-term career plan? Although there is no way of predicting with absolute certainty how the legal sector will evolve over the next few years we can at least get a glimpse of what potentially may happen by looking at some of the developments already talking place which are anticipated to play an even bigger part in the way business is done in the years to come. One of the biggest shake-ups of the legal system, in England & Wales and Scotland at least, will occur when the Legal Service Bill begins to take effect. The Bill will enable the ownership of law firms by external organisations in much the same way as the insurance industry now operates. Just as supermarkets have entered the insurance market offering their own brand of policy these same commercial organisations could enter the legal sector and establish themselves as one-stop shops. Perhaps anticipating these future changes many law firms are starting to reduce their dependence on outsourcing other firms which specialise in key non-contentious areas such as construction and financial law, in favour of bringing these functions in-house. The future of Legal Aid is up for debate with changes likely to be introduced which will have a – some would argue – detrimental impact on criminal lawyers and smaller legal firms who are Legal aid-only firms.

www.monster.co.uk On a more positive note, growth of the industry is likely to come from expansion overseas, notably in China. As the world’s fastest growing economy China will continue to be a magnate for firms keen to capitalise on the rich pickings to be had. Many leading UK-based firms have already set up shop in China and it is hoped that the liberalisation of the legal services market in South Korea and India will create more opportunities for growth in the rapidly developing Asia markets. So where do you fit into all of this? Whether you are looking to rise through the ranks in a traditional management capacity, scaling the dizzying heights until you reach the top of tree donning your rather attractive red gown and sporting a rather fetching wig, or opt to go it alone and establish your own practice, there are a number of possible options for you to take. But the one thing we can predict with absolute certainty is that you will always be in demand.

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Moving up in the Legal Industry

Is law the right industry for me? As if you hadn’t already noticed the legal profession is a competitive environment in which to work, and the higher reaches of the career ladder do not make for an easy climb. Having coped with working long hours, tight deadlines and what may sometimes feel like information overload and you may have reached a point when you need to decide if this is the line of work you want to continue doing for the rest of you working life. It is estimated that we all work over 100,000 hours throughout the course of our working lives it’s important that as much of this time as possible is spent doing something you enjoy. But knowing if you are in the right place or not is not an easy thing to determine, after all this is the rest of your professional life you are deciding upon. Reaching the right decision involves you undertaking and audit on yourself, asking yourself some harsh questions about the things that really motivate you: is it the prestige of working for one of the most respected law firms in the land that motivates you or maybe it’s the sense of achievement and accomplishment you feel when you win a case and see that justice has been done? Perhaps it’s simply the case that you revel in the lifestyle that your job affords you?

www.monster.co.uk But don’t stop there: does your work give you a sense of accomplishment or do you lack recognition for the work you do? Do you feel suitably challenged and have the opportunity to learn new skills or do you feel that your potential cannot be fulfilled in your work? Is the work varied and stimulating or is it staid and repetitive? All of these questions are designed to get you thinking about the things that really matter to you in your career. And if you find that your responses lean more towards the negative then now is the time to dust off your CV and take a look at some of the alternative career options that are available for you. Ex-legal employees can carve out a new living in a number of different careers. Some set up their own firm or opt to specialise in a particular area of law. Others will work for the in-house legal department of a large commercial company, while many more will try their hands at educating the future generation of lawyers by becoming teachers or university lecturers.

What Next? If you’re still looking for advice on finding the right job, creating a great CV or tips on job interview, career-advice.monster.co.uk contains everything you ever wanted to know, and more! If you’re ready to apply for jobs, upload you CV to Monster and then take a look through the latest roles.

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Moving up in the Legal Industry

They say that the grass isn’t greener on the other side, but often it is. Our series of eBooks brings together expert advice to help you secure the job you want and build a successful career. For more career tools, visit career-advice.monster.co.uk.