Reading Time: 3 minutesSmallLaw v BigLaw – the differences The US has a slightly different definition of the two types of law firm operating in each jurisdiction. In the UK we call them High Street law and Commercial law firms, although the two overlap a bit. In the USA they term the two types of firm SmallLaw and…
Reading Time: 3 minutesPractice Managers in a solicitor’s firm – who are they and how do you get a job as one? Practice Managers are usually the most senior administrative member of staff in a solicitors’ firm or company. In a lot of firms they are expected to have a considerable and varied amount of experience with tasks…
Reading Time: 3 minutesWhat do umbrella companies do and is there any point using one to do locum work? We have been working with locums in the legal profession for over 10 years now and it seems to be a fairly recent phenomenon that a very small minority of our locums and other locums we’ve come across employ…
Reading Time: 5 minutesWhat makes a good job reference? We often get job offers for our candidates which involve a clause to say that the offer is subject to satisfactory references. A few times during the last 16 years, we have experienced difficulties getting hold of a satisfactory reference but the vast majority of references are very straightforward.…
Reading Time: 2 minutesTop 5 things to take to an interview with you We hear lots of feedback as recruiters as to items that our candidates take in with them to interviews and here are the top 5 to add value to any job applications you might make. 1) Your CV. So many people turn up to interview…
Reading Time: 4 minutesThere are an abundance of different websites online to search for legal jobs. These include job boards, agency websites, posting boards and blogs. However, these are the best sites in our experience (apart from our own of course!): 1) Law Society Gazette Online This site, until very recently, was in our opinion absolutely dreadful. The…
Reading Time: 4 minutesHow to have a Successful Career as a Legal Secretary Most people do not grow up thinking, “When I start work I want to be a legal secretary”. It is more common to think, “When I grow up I want to be a lawyer”. But these days legal secretaries in some law firms actually earn…
Reading Time: 3 minutesWe sometimes get queries from trainee solicitors asking if it is possible to change law firms during a training contract, and whether they ought to do it. Our advice is always the same; jump through the burning hoop of the training contract with as minimal fuss as possible and only change law firm if your…
Reading Time: 3 minutesVery recently, a candidate got in touch about a vacancy, explaining quite apologetically that she was returning to work after a break and could she be considered for the post. As a recruiter, I have to be honest and say that whenever anybody tells me they are returning to work I almost involuntarily sigh because…
Reading Time: 3 minutesImproving chances of success when applying for a job – become a Borg Whilst working as recruitment consultants, we often get asked by candidates what they can do to improve their chances in relation to a specific job that they may be considering applying for. Very often there are a whole raft of things that…
Reading Time: 5 minutesFive common mistakes when writing a CV. Here are five very common errors that arise from CVs we receive every day of the week into Ten Percent Legal Recruitment. Some of them are glaringly obvious, others are not so straightforward. 1) Not putting any contact details on the CV This is very common and a…
Reading Time: 4 minutesTop 5 Tips for making sure you get the most out of interviews. These tips apply as much to senior members of staff and managers as they do for junior staff. They are designed so that you get the most out of the recruitment process when you apply for jobs with a law firm. 1.…
Reading Time: 5 minutesTop 5 Tips for making sure you get the most out of candidates applying for your posts. These tips apply as much to senior members of staff and managers as they do for junior staff. They are designed so that you get the most out of the recruitment process when they apply for jobs with…
Reading Time: < 1 minuteCandidates Registered in the last 7 days 02091811 Residential and Commercial Conveyancing Locum Solicitor available from the 7th September for 2 weeks and then from the 28th September onwards. 02091740 Wills and Probate Solicitor Locum available 2-3 days per week until the end of September and then full time. 01092030 Commercial and Residential Property Locum…
Reading Time: 2 minutesSalary Myths and the Legal Profession The legal profession is plagued by salary myths. How many times have high street solicitors been speaking to acquaintances and informed that as they are a solicitor they must be earning loads of money, at least 6 figures? How many law students still start their degree course thinking that…
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe June 2015 version of Legal Recruitment News is available at www.legal-recruitment.co.uk – click here to go straight to the newsletter. It includes our Legal Job Market Update and Locum Rates for June 2015. You can sign up to receive our newsletters every month or so via email as well. Simply email us at cv@ten-percent.co.uk
Reading Time: 5 minutesThinking of studying for the BPTC? (BPTC stands for Bar Professional Training Course – formerly the BVC Bar Vocational Course – also known as IWMLP – an Incredible Waste of Money for a Lot of People)? The cost in 2015 of studying this ‘course’ is £18,500 according to the University of Law (formerly the College…
Reading Time: < 1 minuteHow to be a Locum – new .pdf guide We have produced a new free guide on how to be a locum. This includes sections on getting work, realistic expectations, hourly rates, popular fields of law, payment, insurance, umbrella companies and much more. You can get additional information from the www.interimlawyers.co.uk FAQ section for both…
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe Death of 20 days Annual Leave There are still a number of law firms out there who offer 20 days annual leave. Occasionally this crops up and it is probably useful to know that by offering 20 days annual leave you are risking losing staff to the competition and not being able to recruit…
Reading Time: 3 minutesMothers returning to work – a missed opportunity? The legal profession very often lags behind other sectors for recruitment practices and HR trends. Firms have tended to be inflexible about hours, reluctant to recruit part time staff and hesitant to offer alternatives to salary increases. It is not surprising therefore that parents returning to work…
Reading Time: 3 minutesHere follows a CV review. We offer free CV reviews provided you are happy for us to publish our feedback on the website and your CV in full. CV REVIEW IS AT THE FOOT OF THIS CV – NO FURTHER COMMENTS ON THE CONTENT OTHER THAN THE PARAGRAPH AT THE BOTTOM. Candidate 010141129 Name Address…
Reading Time: 3 minutesHere follows a CV review. We offer free CV reviews provided you are happy for us to publish our feedback on the website and your CV in full. Candidate 03062139 Address: Telephone (Mob): Telephone (Home): Email: Date of Birth: Marital Status: Single Sex: Male Nationality: British Driving Licence: Full driving licence EDUCATION 2014 – 2016 …
Reading Time: 4 minutesHere follows a CV review. We offer free CV reviews provided you are happy for us to publish our feedback on the website and your CV in full. Candidate 22022159 Name Address Home: Mobile: British DOB Personal Profile A hard-working, honest and punctual individual who always maintains a very high level of commitment and works…
Reading Time: 5 minutesHere follows a CV review. We offer free CV reviews provided you are happy for us to publish our feedback on the website and your CV in full. Candidate 14021231 Address Tel: Email: Professional Profile Trainee Solicitor qualifying in June 2015 with experience in private client, personal injury, commercial, conveyancing and civil litigation. Looking for…
Reading Time: 4 minutesHere follows a CV review. We offer free CV reviews provided you are happy for us to publish our feedback on the website and your CV in full. Candidate 09021949 PORTSMOUTH I am a self-motivated, hardworking student at University of Portsmouth. I am currently studying for a degree in law and expect to gain my…
Reading Time: 4 minutesTen-Percent Group Permanent and Locum Candidate Update March 26th 2015 New Candidates registered in the last 7 days: London 23032102 Employment and Commercial Litigation Solicitor, 1 year PQE looking in and around London and the Home Counties. 24030635 Personal Injury Locum Lawyer with over 9 years experience of a range of EL/PL and RTA work,…
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe Annual Baby Boom Phenomenon and Locum Cover Every year we see a surge in maternity leave cover and requests for locums. This is known as the ‘Baby Boom’ time slot. For 6 weeks in March and April we go through a time when partners and HR managers call us to enquire about cover. It…
Reading Time: 2 minutesHourly Rates of Pay for Locum Solicitors and Legal Executives – March 4th 2015 update Locum hourly rate payment varies widely according to the demand, length of assignment, level of experience and advance notice available. Hourly rates go up during the summer (June-September). NB: These rates are intended as a guide only. Hourly rates can…
Reading Time: 5 minutesChecking Candidates As a legal recruitment agency in some aspects our life is very easy when it comes to checking candidates before submitting them for vacancies. Firstly, the Law Society maintain an online directory of all solicitors with current practising certificates. This means that a solicitor can instantly be identified and confirmed to be holding…
Reading Time: 4 minutesNew Year Resolutions for Lawyers? Every year we get a number of calls and emails from lawyers relating either to a change in practice or job, expansion or contraction, or new year resolutions – both employers and candidates. These are the top 5 queries since December 29th 2014: “I am a partner of a small…