By Kate Tregoning, Managing Director, Michael Page Legal, Policy & Offshore
Kate is a specialist in recruitment services having worked in the industry for more than 20 years covering legal, accounting, finance and secretarial disciplines. In her current role, Kate is responsible for recruiting partners into US and UK law firms, as well as running the Legal, Policy and Offshore businesses for Michael Page International.
Advice for candidates
The legal jobs market is similar to others in that a number of candidates are cautious about changing jobs at the expense of job security. But we are seeing quality legal professionals enter the market, driven by a personal ambition to achieve career progression or invaluable experience at a global firm.
If you’re doing great work and this is not being rewarded in your current job, however cautious you are to move, look for opportunities to market yourself as this could open many doors for you. This can be done by getting involved with industry events or conferences and having articles/blog posts published or being quoted in relevant articles. Potential employers will be reading key industry publications so if you have the opportunity to comment, make sure you do so.
Aligned to this, networking is also a powerful tool to leverage for increasing your chances of being noticed within your peer group. The key to successful networking is to be consistent and ensure you invest over the long-term. Make an effort to stay in touch with your recruitment professional.
Advice for clients
A common misconception about the current market is that the talent pool for candidates has substantially increased and that candidates will take part in protracted interview processes and accept reduced salaries. In legal recruitment, there tend to be specific hot spots for roles where candidates are in short supply and high demand. Any prevarications or delays in the recruitment process can result in having to form new shortlists which cause months of delays. The implication of this situation is that firms can miss out on the best quality candidates, either through competition or by underestimating their ability to retain candidate interest. There are quality candidates that can be attracted into the market, so organisation should have the confidence to hire.
As a specialist recruitment company, Michael Page International has built up many long standing relationships over its 35 years in operation. In the legal profession, our candidate database spans both local and international markets so our clients can find the best people.
To view the latest legal opportunities with Michael Page, click here
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