Are you looking for a graduate law job? They can be pretty hard to come by especially if you don't go down the traditional clerkship route. Here are some of my very best tips for you to secure a graduate legal role.
- Have a plan- Before you start applying, think broadly about the type of legal work you might want to do and initially start with a targeted approach. I would suggest you start small and know that you can always broaden the scope. Whilst there is a lot of be said about being open minded, being focussed on one, two or even three broad areas of law can help provide clear targets for your search. Don't forget to include Government legal departments and or companies.
- Be Organised- Keep meticulous records of your applications, get a note book or use a spreadsheet (if you are that way inclined). Keep track of who you have contacted and when, set reminders to follow up. Keep an eye on the legal press so you can mention any big developments or awards so that you can mention them if you are contacted. Be diligent, be organised and be professional- it will show.
- Market yourself- Live by the mantra that just because there is no job advertised it doesn’t mean that there is not a job available. Network in the practice area you want to work in. Think of unique ways you might be able to stand out - perhaps start a blog or a try and get an article published. Ask your friends if they know of anybody you can connect with in the space, reach out to HR Managers, Partners and Hiring Managers directly, build a network on LinkedIn, join online industry groups and try and arrange informal coffee meetings or attend any industry events that you see and try and make connections with people.
- Personalise it- When contacting people, remember that no one wants to get an application that isn't personal. No one likes a generic 'dear colleagues', or 'dear madam' email. Know that people like to be addressed with their actual name. Make sure you aren't cut and pasting the same old cover letter. You may cover less ground with a bespoke approach but your hit rate will improve substantially.
- Consider options at boutique firms or firms out side the CBD. The advantage, smaller law firms do not typically take the large volumes of clerks/ paralegals that the bigger top tier and global firms do and will have a much smaller pool to recruit graduates from.
- Consider expanding your experience with paralegal or document review work. If you dont have much legal experience, it is worth considering getting some paralegal experience to bolster your Cv. Some large firms have document review teams that can offer the experience of working on large matters and help you expand on the skills you have so that next time a junior role comes up you will hopefully be the person who scores an interview and the job!
- Apply to roles directly. In the most cases this will serve you best (with the exception of Document Review roles) until you have some actual PQE under your belt. Unless there are special circumstances top tier, global and mid tier law firms do not like paying recruitment agents fees to secure candidates with less than 12 months legal experience. Special circumstances include candidates that have significant pre-admission experience which is akin to graduate experience, exceptional academics (ie University Medallists/ First Class Honours), market forces meaning a certain area is in demand or changes since graduate intakes were calculated (intakes are often confirmed 18- 36 months ahead of time). It is also worth remembering that firms may have hired new Partners since grad numbers were confirmed so may need to hire and may ask an agent to help. Other special circumstances may be if you can demonstrate that you have more experience than a regular graduate (because you have not rotated and have worked as a non- rotating graduate) or it could be that a firm contacts a recruitment agency as they don’t have any graduates as they are a new entrant in the market.
I hope these tips help- Good luck!
