As a legal professional, you know that mistakes in business happen. It could be the big deal with a project that doesn’t go as planned or a legal case that doesn’t go your way. These are the sort of mistakes that can be addressed and rectified to a greater or lesser extent. You can learn from them and move forward.

The problem with career mistakes is that they creep up so slowly it’s likely you won’t even notice they are there until they’ve taken root.

It’s crucial to know how to deal with the career mistakes that so many solicitors like yourself make. Not addressed, they can impact your general happiness and sense of unfulfillment in your legal work, as well as affecting your quality of life in general.

Here are the three main career mistakes to watch out for and tips on how to overcome them.

Fear of Failure

It’s easy to take the familiar route, the path more travelled, and where you feel most comfortable.

But comfort can slip into coasting without you noticing.

Then one day you realise you are bored at work, or dreading Mondays. Your work can suffer as a result of your lack of motivation and enthusiasm, and colleagues start to notice you’re not your usual self, or ‘on your game’.

You know inside, deep down, that you’re disinterested in your job and should think about moving to a new role or challenge, but you’re stuck in a comfort zone. Your salary is good, and it’s easier to do nothing than branch out – and risk failing.

If you’re not engaged with your current job, it’s worth identifying what’s behind the dissatisfaction and lack of motivation.

Ask yourself how fulfilled you are in your work on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being totally unfulfilled.

Has your income stagnated because you’re not engaged and motivated? Is being unhappy with your law firm impacting on your private life?

You spend nearly one-third of your life at work, on average. So, it’s crucial that you enjoy it. If you find yourself scoring low on your current job satisfaction, finding it hard to move to the next level of seniority within your law firm, and just not enjoying what you do – it’s time to ask the big question.

Should you stay, or should you go?

You have two options to consider. The first is to address what’s making you unhappy at work and seek to improve it. It could be negotiating flexible hours to improve your work-life balance. It could be requesting training to upskill yourself so you can meet future challenges head-on. Or it may just be a case of re-engaging with the job, your legal clients and colleagues.

The second option is to get a game plan in place for your escape.

If you can’t see a future in your current role, don’t be so afraid of failure that you feel you can’t move. See it as an opportunity to try something new.

A specialised legal recruiter can talk to you about your aspirations, hopes and ideal scenarios and help you find a legal role where you will be more fulfilled.

So, put fear of failure aside and never be afraid to leave your comfort zone behind. It could be the best career move you make.

One of my favourite quotes is from Mark Twain, who said “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Losing Connections

After a while, working in the same place and doing the same job, it’s not uncommon for many solicitors to give up networking. It’s easy to think it doesn’t matter anymore. After all, you’ve got the position you wanted; you already know the people you need to know. What’s the point in investing time and energy into developing your network further?

The problem with failing to maintain and increase your network is that you are limiting yourself to those people you have regular contact with; you’re missing out on the chance to meet new people and connect with important influences outside your law firm.

Failure to build your network and invest in relationships could see you missing out on opportunities. That new person you meet could be the one who changes your life!

Without new connections, your old network will eventually dry up, and there will be fewer people to turn to when you need help or advice, and fewer who will think of you when opportunities are there.

So, no matter where you are in your career, keep those networks going. Seek out professional relationships with colleagues and peers. Commit to meeting several new people each month, whether at a seminar, workshop, meeting or other event.

You could consider a mentor too. Mentors provide several positives. They teach you how to adapt, so you remain an asset to your law firm; you’ll have someone to share concerns with and who’s got your back. They can also help you plot your career path and spot personal development opportunities.

Not Fulfilling Your Potential

If you’re comfortable with things just the way they are, you’re in danger of stagnating and becoming out of date in your skillset.

Or perhaps you have been hopeful of achieving Partner in your law firm and it hasn’t happened. You may feel jaded and overlooked, and have become apathetic to chances to upskill.

The mistaken belief that your current knowledge will carry you through could see you out of a job if you refuse to acknowledge that you need to grow professionally and embrace lifelong learning.

Complacency will see you fall behind in skills and ability, and others will overtake you on the career ladder.

Not believing in yourself is a common mistake made by solicitors.

No matter how you feel inside, project an air of confidence and sound assured when you make decisions. If you don’t, others will stop believing in you too.

So, stay curious. Listen to podcasts on legal matters, keep up with the latest legal news and trends, read journals. Stay on top of change and development. Take up offers of training and development, whatever stage you are at in your career.

You may also wish to consider updating and developing your personal brand. Look at your online profile and ensure it’s current and accurate. Involve yourself in events and seminars and strive to become known as the ‘go-to’ person for advice on your specialist legal area.

Be sure your skills are current and invest in yourself by upskilling wherever there is an opportunity to do so – that way, you’ll be able to adapt to change and future proof yourself in your role.

I hope this article will help you avoid the common pitfalls made by many solicitors. If any of these mistakes resonate with you, it’s time to change the way you work.

Start today.

Next Steps

If you’re reading this article because you are looking for the next move in your legal career, call one of the Clayton Legal team on 01772 259 121 and let’s have a conversation to explore your options. With our help, your transition can be smoother and quicker.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year, download our guide here.

Whether you are a Child Care Paralegal or a Senior Conveyancing Solicitor, an interview is potentially the start of a new level in your career and a step nearer achieving your aspirations. So, it’s essential to get it right.

You’ve already made a positive impression with your CV, or perhaps a direct application or covering letter – so that first hurdle has been crossed.

The interview, be it over the phone, over a video call virtually, or face to face, is a chance to bring all of those points to life – and it’s essential to put your best foot forward and create a positive first impression that increases your chance of the job offer.

Here are our top seven steps to success…

1. Plan Ahead

Give yourself plenty of time to do your research. Learn all you can about the law firm and the job you’re applying for.

Don’t just look at the facts and figures; see if they have an online newsletter and sign up for it and follow them on social media. You may spot an interesting snippet of information or news story that you can bring into the interview.

Find out what specialisms they have, and what their plans are for future scaling.

These easy hacks will show your knowledge and demonstrate you are keen to work for their law firm.

2. Work with Your Recruiter

It’s also a good idea to work closely with your specialist legal recruiter. They will be able to discuss the role in depth with you and point out any gaps in your skillset that need addressing.

They can also help you assess your value and the strengths you bring to the role, such as soft skills, as they will have in-depth knowledge of the law firm you’re hoping to join.

3. Create a Cheat Sheet

Interviews are stressful enough without adding to the anxiety.

This top tip is useful in keeping you calm and avoiding any last-minute panic. You can use the notes app on your phone to list all the essential things about the recruitment job you need to remember.

Include:

• address of the interview
• contact number
• interviewer’s name
• time of your interview

Add three or four main points you want to make during your interview, some brief notes on your answers to competency-based questions and anything else that you think you might need.

You will then have all the information to hand for last-minute revision – allowing you to walk into the interview with confidence.

4. Be on Time

Being on time for an interview is crucial to setting yourself up positively in the eyes of the hiring manager. It says you are a reliable professional and conveys respect.

Conversely, being late for an interview is a no-no. It leaves a lasting impression and will not go down well with the hiring manager, trust me.

To minimise problems on the day, make sure you know where you are going for the interview and how you’re going to get there. Ideally, do a practice run and time yourself.

Everyone knows that hold-ups on the roads or public transport can affect us all.

If the worse happens and you are delayed, phone and apologise as a courtesy. Keep calm and provide them with details of how long you will be (if you know) or ask to reschedule.

It won’t hurt to follow up with a polite email later in the day to reinforce your apology. Good manners cost nothing but can convey a good lasting impression.

5. Harness Your Anxiety

Even with the experience of presenting at conferences or making court appearances, interviews can make the most experienced solicitor or paralegal nervous.

An excellent confidence technique is to “make friends” with your anxiety, says mindfulness teacher Charlie Morley. Acknowledge its presence, but don’t let it overpower you.

Try channelling all that adrenaline by changing your thought patterns – so you view your nervous energy as excited energy. You’ll still feel charged but in a positive way!

You may also consider doing some basic breathing exercises before you go into the interview. I’ve found this NHS exercise helpful.

Finally, positive thought can work wonders. So, picture yourself having a positive outcome and landing your dream legal job. It will boost your confidence levels and give you that extra push to sail through the interview.

6. Know Your Value

Your value to the company goes beyond your knowledge and skills in your specialist area of legal practice.

That doesn’t mean to say that these are not a priority; of course, they are paramount to the job, but your soft skills are also relevant.

Ask yourself what you bring to the law firm that is your USP. Are you a great team player? Do your ethics match those of the law firm? Are you a good culture fit?

If you have relevant testimonials, referrals or letters of recommendation from satisfied clients, take them with you to show the interviewer.

7. Watch Your Body Language

Interviews are not just about talking the talk. You may know all there is to know about your specialist area of family law or litigation and have a first-class degree, but your body language can still let you down and scupper your chances of success.

Body language is more important than you might think – in fact, Mehrabian’s findings are that:

• 7% of meaning in words that are spoken
• 38% of meaning is paralinguistic (the way that the words are said).
• 55% of meaning is in facial expression.

So, pay attention to it!

Avoid fidgeting, crossing your arms, making wild, distracting hand gestures, or slumping in your seat.

Eye contact is the fastest way to build rapport, but at the same time remember not to stare your interviewer out!

Three to five seconds of eye contact works perfectly. If you have more than one interviewer, give the person asking the question 60% of your eye contact when answering and share the remaining 40% across other panel members.

Finally, smile. It’s a fact that smiling will make you feel more confident and you will appear friendly.

The interview is your opportunity to sell yourself and prove your potential value to the employer. So, adopt a pleasant manner and follow these tried and tested interview secrets to get your dream legal role!

Next Steps

If you’re reading this article because you are looking for the next move in your legal career, call one of the Clayton Legal team on 01772 259 121 and let’s have a conversation to explore your options. With our help, your transition can be smoother and quicker.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year, download our guide here.

Yes, you did read the title right. Bear with me while I explain.

Like many of your peers, you invested several years of your life studying, securing a training contract and then specialising in property law.

Then, just as it seemed you could start building your PQE experience, we entered one of the worst economic recessions the country had seen in decades.

For you and, many other colleagues sadly, this meant redundancy.

What followed will have been different for each person. For many, it will have resulted in an element of ‘soul searching’ and asking questions such as:

• What prompted me to choose a legal career in the first place?
• Do I want to stay in the profession?
• What are my options now?

…… and no doubt more questions than I can list here.

For others, it will have been a question of; So where are the opportunities now?

At the time, many conveyancing specialists retrained in areas that were growing at the time, such as commercial debt recovery, and consumer litigation.

Whatever choice you made as you continued to further your legal career, lets fast forward to today.

Perhaps you are now finding yourself thinking that your career isn’t quite where you expected it to be and the ‘Partnership’ you want hasn’t materialised.

Unfortunately, there are few signs you’ll ever secure the Partnership you want either, as you find yourself competing with colleagues who started their career in your current area of expertise and are four to eight years PQE; looking for that first Partner role too.

So what now? The logical choice may seem to be to move to a new firm within your current specialism where you can take the next step up the career ladder….

…….. Or is it?

Fact: There is a desperate shortage of Property lawyers. Clayton Legal’s own Regional Analysis Of Private Practice Latest Report shows an increase in Real Estate roles over the last few years. The data reveals that there are almost double the number of roles compared to the second most buoyant practice area, which is litigation and dispute resolution.

Fact: The lack of property law talent is a direct consequence of law firms failing to invest in training following the recession.

Fact: We have seen a boom in property development over recent years even though major land developers such as British Land and Land Securities Group await the outcome of Brexit.

Here’s a question for you?

Could your original first choice area of legal practice be where your future now lies?

What Are The Opportunities?

Property law is a buoyant area of practice, especially during periods of economic growth. While the economy makes its cyclic journey of rising and falling, the value of land, as an asset, has historically been high. Land and property are always being bought, leased, sold and developed.

With opportunities in both Residential and Commercial Property, you could choose to specialise in one or both. As you are fully aware, Commercial Property work involves private and public sector projects which consequently creates scope to provide legal services to a range of individuals from investors, and developers to government and public sector organisations.

How Easy Would It Be To Return To A Property Law Career And How do I go About It?

Let’s answer a few questions that might now be going on in your mind.

Yes, it would mean some update training. Central Law Training provides a range of programmes depending on which specific area of property law you decide to make a return to.

A common question the team at Clayton Legal are asked is, “But I only have three years PQE in property would it be a backward step in my Partner ambitions as I am now eight years PQE.”

It’s a valid question, and the reality is that no, it doesn’t have to. You have already acknowledged that your Partner ambitions are being hindered in your current area of practice, which potentially means so are some of your personal goals and aspirations.

This begs the question: Is it time to step forward and focus on the positives of a return to property law?

Here are some initial steps to take as you consider this potential change.

Step 1: Use Your Expertise

Identify your key strengths and transferable skills which you can convincingly demonstrate to a future employer. You have been operating in your current area of law successfully and will have acquired a wealth of skills that can sometimes be taken for granted. These are often skill areas that a new property law employer would value.

Step 2: Make A Decision

Decide which area of property law you wish to return to and specialise in. Now it’s time to start your research and have conversations with colleagues, friends and acquaintances currently working in a property practice. Attend some professional events and begin updating yourself.

The more informed you are, the more it will help you make a decision.

Step 3: Your Re training Needs?

Identify what training courses you would be required to attend to return to property law moreover, what’s available in the market?

Step 4: Tap Into Your Network

What contacts do you still have in the property sector? How can they help?

Whom do they know who may be recruiting, are they willing to make an introduction to have an exploratory conversation?

Revisit your LinkedIn connections and start re-establishing and nurturing relationships that have lapsed.

As I mentioned above, take the time to do your research so that if and when you decide to go ahead and make a return to your first choice in law that you have set yourself up for success.

Step 5: Talk With A Specialist Recruitment Company

Of course, you can search and apply direct for your new role; however, why not tap into the market knowledge and expertise of a specialist recruiter. They are there to answer questions and guide you
as you take a new direction in your career.

A specialist legal recruitment company such as Clayton Legal will have in-depth market insight into Regional opportunities and which roles and firms would be a fit and match for you.

Returning to a specialism isn’t as common as retraining for a new specialism, and it doesn’t mean that it can’t and doesn’t happen. We have clients who are asking weekly, “Do you know any property lawyers who would consider returning to the practice area?”

If you feel your career has stalled and are wondering what’s next, could a return to property law be a solution?

Call one of the Clayton Legal team on 01772 259 121 and let’s to have a conversation to explore what’s possible in more detail. With our help, your transition to a revitalised career can be smoother and quicker.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year download our latest guide here.

The most successful people in life recognise one crucial truth: time is the most precious commodity you have, and success is found through using the time you have effectively.

How you go about tackling your working day is the difference between success, mediocrity, and failure.

Here are 7 daily strategies for success utilised by highly effective legal professionals that are worth adopting if you want to stand out in your legal career.

1. They have a morning routine which sets them up for the day.

Highly successful people everywhere have in common an established morning routine such as early rising and exercise. In addition to an early workout, they may meditate or have breakfast with a loved one, and they will always take some time to plan their day.

Successful legal professionals might also use their productive morning time to focus on professional development or some type of continued learning, in the form of reading legal journals or law-related books, following or commenting on online forums or working on industry-related articles for publication.

2. They recognise their most crucial task and focus on it fully.

Most of us tend to avoid our most challenging tasks on a given day. Successful professionals, however, don’t shy away from or procrastinate on doing their most challenging work – they face it head on, first thing, and focus on it fully.

For most successful professionals, this is part of their morning routine. If you can finish (or at least get a good start on) your biggest task at the beginning of your work day, not only does it relieve a lot of stress and free up a lot of mental energy, it also helps to make you more optimistic and productive throughout the rest of your day.

For example, a criminal lawyer might spend her morning writing or researching a case.

3. They don’t get distracted by email or social media.

Whether we’re asking or answering client-related questions or waiting on their responses, legal professionals spend a lot of time dealing with email. In fact, we often feel like if we don’t respond promptly enough to emails, we may risk losing a client or missing a networking opportunity.

But the reality is that these constant distractions to answer emails or social media notifications only break our concentration and diminish our performance on our actual work.

Successful legal professionals know the secret to productivity and mental concentration: just unplug. Even if it’s only for an hour once a day, close your email application, put your mobile on silent in your desk drawer, and give yourself time to focus. Better yet, turn off your notifications and allocate a set time each day to deal with emails.

3. They rely on calendars over to-do lists.

To-do lists should be renamed ‘probably never do’ lists: only 41% of tasks on to-do lists ever get done! Successful people know that if something is to be done, it must be scheduled, rather than merely written on a long list.

Successful people break up their working week into very small blocks of time (15-minute increments or more) and follow that calendar religiously. When things run over-time, as they inevitably sometimes will, they reschedule the task, rather than leaving it to languish on a ‘to-do’ list.

5. They act on things straight away.

Successful professionals live by the ‘touch it once’ rule. This means that, wherever possible, you should deal with things immediately, to avoid the task hanging over you and taking up your mental energy.

So for example, when a great legal secretary gets an email about scheduling an upcoming meeting or a phone call from a potential witness, they will deal with it straight away – or at the very least, go to their calendar and schedule time in to deal with it, so that their mind is free to concentrate on their next task.

6. They lead a balanced life.

There is a lot of pressure in the legal profession to always be working. However, you can’t tackle everything in one day, so stop trying to. Remember, the most important assets in your practice are your mental faculties and social skills; if you neglect your work-life balance by burning the candle at both ends, you will eventually burn out and crash hard.

In addition to daily exercise, maintaining work/life balance is a proven way of reducing work-related stress. A healthy, balanced life is necessary if you are going to have the mental agility to be successful in your career for the long term, which is why successful legal professionals understand the importance of making time for themselves and the other people in their lives.

It is also essential to consider why you want success. Most of us want monetary success to support our lifestyles and families; however, if you neglect your life and family along the way, what success will you have achieved?

7. They’re not afraid to fail

The number one reason why many people never succeed in attaining their goals in life is that they never try. While the prospect of failing to achieve your ambitions can be scary, you shouldn’t let it stop you from trying.

In reality, success is typically built on a series of failures and lessons learned. Do not let your past failures weigh you down or make you feel like a failure. Successful people learn from failures every day and recognise that so long as they do, they are still on the road to success.

The truth is, you’ll only be holding back your career if you never learn to step outside of your comfort zone. So take that leap you have been putting off. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. You never know; it could be the leap that changes your life.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year download our latest guide here.

Having an interview isn’t something you do every day of your life, is it? There are times during your career when you will have bursts of interview activity as you look to secure a new role as your career progresses.

For many people, it could then be several years before they experience an interview again. It’s no wonder then that for someone heading into an interview for a potentially life-changing role – this could be your first shot at a ‘Partner’ position – fear and interview nerves are a reality.

Whether it’s your heart that starts pounding, your hands that get clammy, embarrassingly getting beads of sweat on your forehead, or your breathing gets just a little quicker than usual; each can be visible to your future employer or prospective fellow partners. Not exactly the impression you want to make, is it?

At Clayton Legal, we appreciate how stressful interview situations can be. We also know that confidence is a crucial ingredient to interview success. So, here are our top five strategies for giving your interview confidence a real boost.

1. Give Your Inner Voice A Holiday

Whether we like to admit it in public or not, the fact is that we all have a voice in our head that
at times is our biggest supporter and at others will start spinning stories and runs riot.

Why does it do this? Getting technical for a moment, the brain’s job is to keep us safe by minimising any risk of danger, especially in situations where the outcome is unknown. Cue the interview.

As an interview approaches, ‘our voice’ kicks into action:
“The competition seems stiff, I’ll never make it.”
“They’ve have probably got a strong internal candidate in mind already.”
“Whenever I really want a job, I always blow the interview.”

You see the brain goes into overdrive with all kinds of stories when it doesn’t know what the outcome is. Being aware of this is the starting point. Then there are 2 things you can do.

a. Take control of the stories. Maxwell Maltz, the famous Psychiatrist who wrote Pysco-Cybernetics, describes the brain as a “Success seeking machine”. Use it to create your own success story.

b. Now I know this may sound weird and…when you notice your voice is playing the not so good story game, press your tongue to the roof of your mouth and count to 10.
Notice how it switches the voice off. This simple action cuts the circuit that the brain was running. Don’t believe me though, test it for yourself.

2. Do Your Research

As with most things in life, preparation is key, and I know you may think that, compared to some of the work you prepare for a day in court or on contracts, what I am about to say is a no brainer.

And it still makes sense to know where the interview is taking place, where to park, through to what evidence and success stories to prepare that will demonstrate your competencies.

(The last thing you want is to have been delayed because you didn’t realise that the longest city centre diversion ever had been introduced since you were last in the area!)

3. Bring Your Story To Life

At some point in your career, you will have been asked a common interview question such as, “Walk me through your CV”.

On the surface, it seems an easy question and most people will regurgitate their written CV verbally.
What a lost opportunity. Remember, while some practice areas such as private practice, property law and commercial litigation are suffering from a lack of candidates, there will still be competition because legal firms still want top quality talent.

To stand out from a competitive field of candidates, become good at bringing your story to life.

How?

Start by knowing your story. The roles you have had post qualifying, what made you choose your area of practice, the experiences you had and the types of clients you have worked with.

Take your CV and look at the highlights and bullet points and think in detail about what was happening at the time. Who were the clients, what was the situation, what were the projects or contracts you worked on. After all, some of these events will have taken place 4, 6 or 8+ years ago.

Be able to bring the events to life so that you fully demonstrate the results and impact they had.

4. Be Your Best Self

Being your best self means be at the top of your game on the day of the interview, which is when you are buzzing, excited, when things are just coming so easy for you. Some people describe it as “when you are in your flow”.

The question is, how do I know when I am being my best self, and what do I do to get myself there?

Let’s take the second part of the question first.

How do you get yourself to a place where you can be the best version of yourself in an interview context?

I. Create a list of all your skills, the experience that you bring with you, your strengths and talents. Have plenty of success stories as evidence to support why you are the best person for the role.

II. Be able to share all the above in your story as described in the strategy above.

III. Make sure you are not allowing any nerves to influence your confidence.

A quick exercise to tap into the feelings you have when you know you are being the best version of yourself.

Find a quiet place and sit with your eyes closed. Remember a recent time when you knew you were firing on all cylinders and smashing it. How does it feel as you remember this, and where do you notice this feeling is in your body? It could be in your stomach, chest or even in the hairs on the back of your neck! Imagine …that this place is your source of “confident energy”. When you need confidence, tap into this place in your body and feel the strength, confidence and power and the feeling will return.

Returning to part one of the original question. You will know you feel good and that you have a sense that the interview is going OK.

5. Connect with your Interviewers

Before you can impress or make an impact with a Managing or Senior Partner, or any line manager, you have to first build rapport. The fastest way to do this is through non-verbal body language; specifically your eye contact.

Many interviews will involve more than one person, which could be Head of Department, a Partner, plus an HR manager. The question becomes, who do you give the most eye contact to so that you build rapport with each interviewer?

As a general rule, you give 60% of your eye contact to the person asking the question and share the remaining 40% amongst the rest of the panel.

Building rapport is also about seeking to understand your prospective employer and demonstrating empathy. When you shift the focus of the interview onto your potential employer’s needs, you’re not only showing genuine interest; you will also inspire your audience to have confidence in you as a future member of their practice team.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year download our latest guide here.

Being a successful criminal lawyer is as challenging as it is rewarding.

Although they are sometimes viewed in a negative light due the types of clients they represent, criminal lawyers play a very important role in upholding both the law and order of our society. Everyone has the right to a fair trial, and it is the criminal lawyer’s responsibility to see that impartiality and objectivity are upheld in the service of justice.

In order to be effective in their roles, criminal lawyers must therefore have a great deal of integrity and a high moral code. However, these are just some of the many attributes that comprise a great lawyer.

If you want to stand out in the legal career race as a criminal lawyer, here are some of the skills and traits you should aspire to.

Effective Communication Skills

Great criminal lawyers are excellent communicators. In addition to being careful listeners, who are able to follow and analyse a complex testimony, they are also very articulate, having both strong verbal and written communication skills.

They not only need to have strong public speaking skills, enabling them to argue convincingly in the courtroom before juries and judges; criminal lawyers must also be able to write clearly, persuasively and concisely in order to produce a variety of legal documents.

Sound Judgement

The ability to draw reasonable, logical conclusions from limited information is essential for any successful criminal lawyer. They have to consider these judgements critically in order to be able to anticipate potential areas of weakness in their arguments.

At the same time, a great criminal lawyer will also be able to spot points of weakness in an opposition’s argument.

Strong Analytical Skills

Preparing legal strategies requires not only absorbing large quantities of information but being able to distil it all into logical and applicable information relevant to each case. There might often be more than one reasonable conclusion, or more than one precedent applicable to resolving a situation.

A great criminal lawyer must therefore have the evaluative skills in order to choose what is the most suitable for the case at hand. The ability to provide a compelling technical legal defence is where great lawyers excel.

Solid Research Skills

Criminal lawyers not only have to conduct legal research to find precedents and other cases with a bearing on theirs; they also need to research the alleged crime committed by their client and circumstances that the police may have overlooked.

A great criminal lawyer knows that over-investigating a case is the single most important thing they can do. In fact, the amount of independent investigations criminal lawyers conduct is probably the single biggest thing that distinguishes them from other lawyers.

Because criminal lawyers are playing catch up from the moment they get involved in a case, being able to research quickly and competently is essential to preparing effective legal strategies.

Proficient Digital Literacy

These days having effective research skills goes hand in hand with being tech savvy – it’s hard to have one without the other. Therefore, criminal lawyers must know how to effectively utilise the tech tools at their disposal.

A great criminal lawyer will not need to rely on their legal secretary – no matter how exceptional they might be – to navigate the digital world in order to conduct case research.

Intuitive People Skills

Regardless of how well a case is researched or presented, at the end of the day criminal lawyers work with people, on behalf of people, and the decisions they make affect peoples’ lives.

Great criminal lawyers must therefore be personable, persuasive and able to read others well. They’re not only able to decide upon the best approach to take in order to achieve the desired outcome but can also gauge jurors’ reactions as well as the honesty of witnesses.

Perseverance And Dedication

If you’re reading this, then you’ll probably agree that the very act of becoming a lawyer takes a great deal of perseverance and commitment. But of course, that’s only the beginning.

Most cases require many hours of diligent research and analysis as well as lots of writing; great criminal lawyers have the perseverance to complete the work necessary to get the job done.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help.

Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

Starting any new legal job can often be somewhat of a rollercoaster. On the one hand, you will no doubt be delighted that you have landed an exciting new role that is a great fit for you, and are looking forward to your future and career progression. However, on the other hand it is often a period in which you may feel a little out of place – at least initially.

Fortunately, there are several things you can do to ensure you settle in quickly to both your new surroundings and team as well as tackle any potential stresses or concerns head on, and really start to establish yourself as a trusted colleague among your peers.

Utilise tools to help keep you organised

Getting and staying organised is not only essential for keeping on top of your general workload; it’s also a key to your career success and longevity, especially if you are aspiring to carve out an exceptional career for yourself as a high-performing legal professional.

Set up a system for categorising your emails as well as scheduling any ongoing tasks and projects. Most companies nowadays use a form of task-management software such as Monday, ClickUp or their own in-house platform. Ensure that you get adequate training on how to use this as it will undoubtedly enhance your productivity and help to keep on top of the many spinning plates.

If your law firm doesn’t use a dedicated task-management software, or doesn’t invest in any 3rd party software, you can always implement your own system. This might mean using your own planner app, or if you’re not the most tech-savvy, you could always do things the traditional way with a daily planner. Regardless of which system you choose, get yourself in the habit of coming up with a rough schedule for how you will go about tackling your tasks.

Set goals that push you – but are also realistic

It’s natural to want to impress when you’re starting a new role in law, and many feel it is par-for-the-course to go over and above in those reputation-building first few months. Yet, whilst it can be tempting to take on more than you can handle, there is a fine line to tread between throwing everything (and more) at the role, and also being realistic with yourself about your own limitations.

If the goals you’ve set for yourself are beyond your current capabilities, you’ll start to get frustrated and discouraged when you keep failing to get things done – this is a sure recipe for a career burnout. Even the most experienced employee is bound to fall short of a goal now and then; as a new hire, it’s going to take you time to learn the ropes of your new law firm. So, allow yourself the chance to learn during this transitional period and try to view your setbacks as a way to become a more efficient and knowledgeable employee.

Rather than cluttering your to-do-list with an excessive number of tasks every day, try to take things slow and celebrate every accomplishment. If you take on too much too soon, you’re likely to get buried and behind on the tasks that really matter. By focusing on your top few priorities each day, you will feel a sense of accomplishment when you’re able to clear your to-do list on a daily basis.

Find The Right Balance

When starting a new job that you really like, it can be tempting to throw yourself in headfirst. However, as with setting realistic professional goals, it’s just as important to establish realistic life goals. Don’t lose sight of your work/life balance. In other words, if you don’t make time for the things and people you love outside of work, you won’t be loving your new role for very long.

Finding the right balance between work and family is one of the most important ways to reduce job-related anxiety and completely getting off on the wrong foot. Making time for yourself and your loved ones, as well as disconnecting mentally from your job, will allow you to return to work refreshed. Try to schedule out your week in advance to ensure that you have time blocked out to unwind with family and friends. Setting this time aside will help ensure that you don’t get overly stressed or exhausted in your new role.

Make time to look after yourself

Just as crucial as finding the right balance between work and play is maintaining your physical, mental and emotional health. You should never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep and a healthy diet. Eating poorly and not getting enough sleep will only cause you to be tired and less productive, which may lead to stress in the workplace.

In addition to maintaining a proper diet and sleeping routine, one of the best ways to impact your physical and mental health is by staying active. This doesn’t mean that you have to join an expensive gym or punish yourself with an extreme workout. A simple routine of either a short yoga session or a quick run before you go to the office in the morning can simultaneously boost your confidence and improve your performance at work.

According to our latest Salary Survey over 14% of respondents had access to a cycle-to-work scheme, while 7% had subsidised gym membership as part of their wider benefits package. Even if neither of these elements are available to you with your new employer, it is likely there are various initiatives and services available to support your general health and wellbeing – make sure you take any logins, information, and the opportunity to engage where you can.

Invest in relationship-building from the get-go

While most firms have some sort of formal induction programme, you should never be afraid to ask questions if you don’t understand how to do something – even after this initial period. For new starters, particularly those in larger firms, it’s possible that you will be placed with a mentor or someone you can go to with questions – don’t hesitate to seek out their help when you need it. While asking your co-workers or boss questions may feel like it shows weakness, actually lets your colleagues know you’re serious about understanding how things work, rather than trying to do something you aren’t sure of on your own.

Relationship-building is crucial in your first few months at a new place of work, and should be across the whole business if possible – with peers, managers, direct reports and any clients or service providers that you communicate with directly. By investing time in this, you will quickly build up trust and ‘social capital professionally’ that according to Danielle Allen from Building Impact, ‘will allow you to advance and contribute meaningfully to the organisation’s growth’.

And finally,

Your first couple of months in a new role are likely to be a whirlwind of learning new processes, building relationships with colleagues, getting used to a new working environment, as well as getting on with the tasks at hand. No easy task – but hopefully with the support of your new employer, you’ll soon become a (valued and respected) part of the furniture.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help.

Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

How many times in your life have you been told to step out of your comfort zone? Probably a lot more than you could ever remember.

Our minds go to a lot of trouble to keep us safely shored up in our comfort zones, where we carry out our normal routine, content in the knowledge that we have the skills and learned behaviours required to manage the situations we regularly face, whether at work or in our private lives.

Comfort zones exist for a reason; they provide a sense of peace and safety, and the confidence that comes from knowing what to expect. As such, they do an excellent job of protecting us from danger, impulsive decision-making, and potential embarrassment. However, the flipside is that our comfort zones also protect us from growth.

Sometimes, a comfort zone is just a cleverly-disguised cage, holding you back from achieving your true potential. When you’re “comfortable” in a position, you stop striving for greatness, which means that you stay in the same place rather than moving forward. Although staying still can seem like a good thing at first, it can too often hold you back – especially when it comes to standing out in your legal career.

Here are 5 ways your comfort zone might be holding you back from achieving your professional ambitions.

1. You’re Not Reaching Your Goals

Everyone wants to feel comfortable in their jobs; we spend a large portion of your life at work, so it’s crucial to feel satisfied with what you do. That’s why firms invest so much time into company culture to attract the right legal talent.

However, when you’re too comfortable in your position, you can begin to be swallowed by it. Eventually, you realise that you’re not making any progress towards your long-term goals, you’re just standing in place.

There’s a common idea among successful people that you’re either moving forward, or you’re letting your ambitions die. As long as you’re sitting in your comfort zone, you’re not moving forward.

If you stay in the same place for too long, you may miss out on opportunities to explore new roles and challenges that improve your quality of life. For instance, you might be happy as a paralegal now, but ecstatic about going to work each day as a solicitor one day in the future.

2. You’re Not Networking

The easiest way to change up your work life and step out of your comfort zone is to look for ways to network and collaborate with others. Take advantage of opportunities to work on challenging projects with others on your team. Even if you discover that you don’t like the work, you’ll still be investing some time into networking, which can be crucial for your future.

Whether it’s done online or in person, networking can be challenging; talking to people we don’t know and advocating for ourselves are things most people would rather avoid, regardless of their qualifications or experience. However, expanding your professional network is an essential part of career development in today’s competitive job market.

Not only will regular updates on LinkedIn allow your network to keep up with the work that you’re doing, but it can also serve as an excellent tool for recruitment. You wouldn’t want to miss out on the next big step in your legal career, just because networking was outside of your comfort zone.

3. You’re Afraid of Change and Failure

Fear isn’t always a bad thing; it can sometimes keep us safe from dangerous experiences. However, fear of change in the modern workplace is often detrimental to career development. With the ever-changing landscape of the legal sector, if you’re unable to evolve with the times, you may find that your career is stuck in a rut.

Often, a fear of change in the professional world comes from the desire to avoid failure. We assume that if we stick to the things we know, we’ll be less likely to make mistakes. However, the best employees know that they need to take risks from time to time.

If you’re a litigation fee earner, for instance, you might be great at consistently handling mixed caseloads, but to truly excel in your role, you also need to be able to network in order to drive the success of your law firm, which might mean reaching outside your comfort zone.

As with being afraid of change, being afraid to fail will keep you a prisoner in your comfort zone. Rather than going after what you really want to do, you’ll only focus on what you know how to do. We shouldn’t be afraid to fail, however, because failures pave the way for improvement and growth.

4. You’re Not Experimenting / Developing New Skills

The only way to discover your potential in any career is to experiment. You aren’t born knowing what you’re good at and what you have a passion for. You only find out more about yourself when you take on new challenges and explore unique opportunities by pushing your limits.

Trying new things in the workplace improves your chances of thriving in your career. You’ll learn more about what you like and dislike about your role so that you can pursue positions that suit you better in the future. Plus, you show that you have an experimental side with new experiences to place on your CV, which improves your chances of standing out to a future employer.

While working on the same projects all the time might make you feel comfortable, it doesn’t put your abilities to the test. On the other hand, stepping outside of your comfort zone to explore something new will allow you to develop new expertise.

Twenty years of employment as a legal secretary is excellent, but not if you haven’t gained anything from it. On a successful legal professional’s CV, you’ll see endless accomplishments that came from each of the roles they took on, no matter how long they stayed with a firm. A career is much more than just a profession; it’s a way to develop your knowledge and talents as an individual.

5. You’re Starting to Settle

Finally, if you stay in your comfort zone for long enough, then you might be conditioning yourself to settle. Even if you’re no longer happy in your role, you’ll tell yourself that it’s better to stay where you are than try something new.

This prevents you from pursuing a life where you’re delighted by your career. You may even reject opportunities to grow and explore new things because you’re afraid of the uncertainty the future holds.

The most successful people know that sometimes, to accomplish great things, you need to be willing to embrace change. You don’t have to be a risk taker, but you should be confident in yourself to know that if you do fail, you’ll learn from it and grow from it.

Future employers want to see that you are willing to try something new as evidence that you’re motivated and passionate in your professional endeavours. Don’t let your fear of the unknown or of failure hold back your career; you alone have the power to transcend the boundaries of familiarity and comfort that you’ve established for yourself.

When to Stay in Your Comfort Zone

While comfort zones can be limiting, they’re also helpful at times, too.

You need focus and energy to grow and develop successfully. If you’re continually stretching yourself in every available direction, you might end up feeling overwhelmed. Burning yourself out at work isn’t the best way to reach the top when it comes to your career. You need to find the right balance between comfort, and risk.

Achieving excellent things in your future doesn’t have to mean destroying your comfort zone. Sometimes, it’s just about knowing when to dip your toes in and test the waters. Consider your personal threshold for fear and change and build a strategy around it.

For instance, when working on your development plan, pick a few “stretch” goals to take you outside of your comfort zone, and balance them with tasks you feel content about. If you’re not sure where you should be stretching yourself, it may be time to speak to a mentor, or a specialist recruitment consultant, like Clayton Legal.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year download our latest guide here.

Everybody makes mistakes. It doesn’t matter if you’re a solicitor with years of experience in your field, or a graduate paralegal joining a team for the first time. Mistakes happen. A small misstep is a positive learning opportunity, particularly if you approach it with the right attitude.

However, there’s a difference between small oversights, and miscalculations that wreck your reputation, harm your career plan and leave you struggling to achieve your goals. Here are 5 common career mistakes that we constantly see as a legal recruitment specialist.

1. Thinking Your Career Progression Has To Be Linear

These days, terms like ‘job hopping’ have a bad reputation. However, there’s nothing wrong with moving to a different law firm if you can’t follow your career goals with your current employer.

When you look at the career plans of successful people around the world, you’ll see thousands of entrepreneurs, executives and legal professionals who got to where they are today not by ‘climbing the ladder’, but by developing their skills and pursuing opportunities where they could find them.

Countless legal professionals stick by the same firm for years, hoping for a promotion that might never happen. However, sometimes finding the right role means looking in a different direction. Don’t let your loyalty stop you from reaching your true potential.

2. Struggling With ‘Shiny Object’ Syndrome

While there’s definitely something to be said for self-advocacy and seeking challenge and advancement, it’s equally important to ensure that you’ve carefully explored your potential at your current firm before seeking opportunities elsewhere.

Although it’s essential to make sure that you’re being paid what you’re worth and developed to your full potential, you want to avoid falling victim to shiny object syndrome. It can be tempting to say ‘yes’ to a new job just because it sounds interesting or looks promising on the surface.

However, before you commit to changing your career path, it’s worth doing your research and finding out whether your new position fits into your plan for long-term success, as well as making sure you’ve done all you can to achieve your career goals at your current law firm.

Evaluate each potential job change carefully and turn to your recruitment agency for help if you need extra support. Remember, it’s not just about getting ‘new’ opportunities; it’s about finding the right ones that match your skills and interests.

3. Failing To Improve Your Skills

When you’ve got a great job with a competitive remuneration package, you might decide that it’s time to sit back, relax and reap the rewards of a successful recruitment journey. However, the most successful people know that there is no ‘finish line’ in their career plan. There are always new opportunities out there for growth and development.

To avoid being stuck in a rut, it’s necessary to work on developing your skills as well as acquiring new ones. If your employer can’t provide you with opportunities to build on your skills, then create your own. Look for networking events or professional development offerings related to your field and keep up-to-date on the latest sector trends.

The more you grow your professional skills and knowledge, the more you open yourself up to better positions, bigger promotions, and a more satisfying and successful legal career.

4. Letting Fear of Failure Hold You Back

Sometimes, if you want to accomplish great things, you need to take chances.

The most inspiring leaders in the world right now didn’t accomplish their goals by sticking to career choices they felt were safe. There’s nothing wrong with trying out a short-term role, signing up for an apprenticeship, or working part-time to find the position that’s right for you. If your experiments don’t work out, you can at least learn something from them.

Challenging yourself to take on new projects and try different things will impress the colleagues in your law firm, even if you don’t always succeed in your goals. What’s more, every failure is a chance to learn and grow in your field.

One of the main ways that fear of failure holds people back is by convincing them to stay in a position where they’re under-challenged, which means that they’re in a role that doesn’t utilise their skills or talents. Working with a specialist recruitment agency like Clayton Legal will help to ensure that you find the right position that makes the most of your abilities.

5. Forgetting to Network

Finally, although many people dislike networking, it is the most effective way to open yourself up to new opportunities and increase the value of your personal brand.

While it can be easy to become complacent and stop networking once you have a full-time role, continuously building your professional social sphere and making new connections in your field is a great way to advance your legal career. The more you network, the more you’ll learn about new job opportunities, professional development, and you may even find a mentor for your career plan.

Networking not only helps to develop your personal brand; it can also give weight to your application when you apply for competitive roles. Sometimes, ‘who’ you know really is just as important as ‘what you know’. Growing your network not only makes you a more valued legal professional at your firm; it will increase your chances of being noticed by other law firms, as well.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year download our latest guide here.

Now that you’ve mastered all of the requisite technical skills and have landed your first job as a legal secretary, how do you set yourself apart as an in-demand professional in the legal field? The answer lies in nurturing a group of key soft skills; though difficult to measure, these skills often count more toward career success than any of the core skills you will have learned. Mastering these five important traits will enable you to excel in your new role.

Reliable & Trustworthy

A legal secretary is a solicitor’s right-hand person, so reliability is a crucial trait that will ensure success. This goes beyond showing up promptly; you might occasionally find yourself called upon to stay at your desk long after other offices have closed for the day.

In a legal office environment, meeting your deadlines is crucial. Often, the work that you are required to do will be linked to a certain timeframe, and if you don’t complete it in time, it could have a negative impact on a client’s case.

Your employer will be relying on you to deliver accurate work within the assigned time. Solicitors value legal secretaries who are reliable and trustworthy, and who are willing to put in the time and effort it takes to get the work done.

Proactive & Driven

The most successful legal secretaries possess drive and initiative. Rather than waiting for a solicitor’s instructions or assignments, they stay on top of what needs to be accomplished in any given time period, by anticipating their employer’s and clients’ needs. Great secretaries are willing to step beyond their comfort zones to learn new skills that will help keep the practice running smoothly.

The best firms will encourage your professional development, as they know it is in their own interests to have a highly skilled team member. You might consider obtaining additional IT or legal qualifications. If you are working in a particular area of law, consider seeking higher qualification relevant to that area. With enough drive and initiative, you can carve out a niche for yourself, becoming not only great at what you do but also making yourself indispensable in the process.

Efficient & Organised

As with any law firm, time is money, so efficiency is an invaluable trait for any successful legal secretary. Secretaries who perform their jobs quickly and efficiently contribute to the bottom line, making themselves indispensable.

However, in order to be efficient, you also have to be organised. Legal secretaries must maintain paper and electronic files, manage projects, track multiple deadlines, maintain calendars, schedule meetings, organise events and keep everything orderly and accessible.

Discrete & Professional

Legal secretaries are constantly handling confidential client files and data, so discretion is essential. Disclosing confidential information, even inadvertently, is one of the quickest ways to end your legal career. If you want to succeed as a legal secretary, you need to make sure that you are able to act with discretion, and that you treat all your work with the necessary confidentiality.

Just as you should leave your personal life at the door when you arrive at work, leave work at work when you close the office door behind you. Avoid rehashing your day with family members or friends; what happens at the law firm, stays at the law firm.

Patient & Understanding

Solicitors have high-pressure jobs that keep them extremely busy, which is why great legal secretaries are so invaluable. Like all work colleagues, solicitors may have certain work habits or attitudes that require a little patience. Some are chronic procrastinators, while others are pretty sure they’re always right, and some are woefully disorganised. An ability to handle all personality types and work challenges with grace is a crucial work trait of any successful secretary.

The clients you deal with will also appreciate your patience and understanding; it’s always good to remember that you may very well be meeting them at a very traumatic or difficult point in their lives.

Patience is key, and the key to patience is understanding. The secretary who handles every situation with diplomacy and tact, smoothing over differences or forging solutions, can become an invaluable member of any legal team.

These are just a few suggestions that could make you not only a great legal secretary but also help you to stand out as an indispensable force in your law firm.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help.
Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.