It’s been well documented that post-pandemic, the UK legal recruitment market has never been stronger. Demand for qualified lawyers has far outstripped supply and we have seen firms out-compete one another with salary hikes and bonus payouts.

The legal recruitment market is extremely buoyant, and despite the predicted recession looming, the UK is a highly attractive proposition for antipodean lawyers as much as antipodean lawyers are attractive to UK legal employers.

So what do antipodean qualified lawyers need to know about working in the UK? Read on to find out how MAP Legal can assist you with your next career move in the UK:

Eligibility

Before you start looking at flats and deciding if you want to live in Clapham or Chelsea you need to work out if you are eligible to work in the UK. The UK government has an online tool which is a great starting point. In the main there are three visas which apply to antipodean lawyers relocating:

• Youth Mobility Visa – This is currently a two year visa applicable to those aged up to 30 years old who have at least £2,530 in personal savings. However, as part of the UK’s post-Brexit trade agreements it has been stated that the Youth Mobility Visa will be extended by an additional year and applicable for those up to 35 years old. Details and timescales have not been drawn up yet but are expected to be made public in 2023.
• Ancestry Visa – If you have a grandparent who was born in the UK you may be eligible to apply for this visa which allows you to work in the UK for five years.
• Skilled Worker Visa – if the above visas aren’t applicable then you could apply for sponsorship from your employer. How to go about this is well documented here.

What work can I undertake?

This ultimately depends on what you want to get out of your time spent in the UK. Some will want to seriously enhance their legal experience whilst others will view the work as a means to travel and see other parts of Europe. The main areas of work are as follows:

• Fixed Term Contracts – this is arguably the most common type of role that Antipodean lawyers secure on arriving to the UK. Many law firms and in-house legal teams will look to hire qualified lawyers into FTC roles ranging from one to 12 months in duration. Opportunities can be found across the breadth of the sector so from Magic Circle and US law firms right through to West End and boutique firms. Many FTC roles mature into permanent roles or are extended. In these roles the lawyer is employed directly by the law firm/company and you’ll receive the same salary and benefits as an equivalent PQE permanent contract lawyer.
• Document Review Lawyer – The Document Review market is London centric in the main and we place many, many antipodeans into these temporary roles. Lawyers with a litigation background will be preferred for these roles. Ranging in duration from a week to many months, these roles are almost always paid on an hourly basis and often will pay an enhanced overtime rate. These roles are popular with those who wish to have more flexibility in their work to allow more travel.
• Permanent Private Practice or In-House – The holy grail for those seeking career enhancing opportunities. Private practice opportunities are more likely to be secured than in-house roles, although both can be attained by well trained, high pedigree antipodean lawyers. Generally speaking it’s the biggest City law firms who will hire permanent antipodean lawyers and your success will be dependent on your practice area; corporate, banking/finance, real estate and employment are far more in demand than litigation. For in-house roles previous in-house experience is almost always needed.

What are my chances of securing a role?

I have recruited lawyers in London for more than 12 years and have always has a great deal of success in assisting lawyer from Australia and New Zealand. There are opportunities for all lawyers who have gained at least three years’ PQE. Why three years? In the main, a UK employer will discount 12-18 month’s experience from an antipodean’s CV; so if you are a 3PQE in Australia you will likely be treated as a 1-2 PQE in the UK.

As stated above, in areas where there is high demand and low supply your chances of securing a role will be better. Examples of ‘in-demand’ disciplines at the moment include: corporate, finance, employment, tax, real estate, construction. Having said that, if you are a litigator from a good pedigree firm there will most certainly be opportunities for you.

Many of the fixed term contract roles we fill require an almost immediate start which is why so many are filled by antipodean lawyers who are already based in the UK and chomping at the bit to commence a new role.

What will I be paid?

This is very much dependent on where you work geographically and also what type of firm you join. London lawyers are the best paid in the UK and have the pick of the bunch when it comes to the number of law firms recruiting. Within the London market there are the major City and International firms, West End, boutique and more general commercial practices. The US headquartered firms will pay the most but it’s far more likely that a mid-tier firm will offer a greater work/life balance. Typically, a lawyer with upwards of two years’ PQE looking at roles within the top 50 law firms in London should achieve a salary of no less than £70,000 and that figure could be as high as £180,000 in respect of some of the US firms.

Firms in the regions pay far less than those in London, however, we have recently seen regional salaries increase and with a lower cost of living regional roles can be attractive.

MAP Legal is a recruitment agency which has a successful track record of securing legal jobs for antipodean lawyers. If you are a New Zealand or Australian qualified lawyer looking to work in the UK please get in touch with us to have a confidential discussion.

The post Australian and New Zealand Qualified Lawyers Working in the UK appeared first on Map Legal Recruitment.

Lawyers are now seeking out roles in the contractor market and intentionally opting into it, for legitimate reasons. The perceived value has gone up massively and clients now recognise that contractors can add real value to their teams and provide a no grief solution. Interim lawyers can provide the answer to an immediate problem and are able to hit the ground running with minimal to no training.

It’s fair to say that the interim legal recruitment market whilst busier than ever does not come without it’s own challenges. Most recently we have seen a greater shift towards fixed term contracts over day rate/ temporary contracts. Largely due to the changes to the IR35 rules we are seeing the pool of contractors decreasing. The candidates we would previously see over and over again are now joining the permanent market which means that there are fewer candidates available whilst the need for interim lawyers is greater than ever.

There is no denying that the permanent recruitment market has got harder since the pandemic.  Fewer people are changing jobs and finding the right person for a permanent position is often taking upwards of three to six months. This has led our clients to think more creatively about how to manage things. As a result we have seen an increase in instructions for an interim hire to bridge the gap and take pressure off. More and more clients are coming to us for interim cover to provide extra support during the recruitment process. What we’re also seeing is that clients are getting quicker and more savvy at moving the interim and contract recruitment process along. In addition, we’re seeing that  contract roles are now frequently open to flexibility in working patterns, salary structures and hours. Clients realise that the best candidates are likely to have multiple offers on the table and, if they want them, they’re going to have to move like lightning.

Due to the reduction in availability of interim lawyers, coupled with the complexities of permanent hiring and the increase in demand for interim lawyers, we are seeing a  ‘contractors’ marketplace and have seen a significant growth in the number of clients introducing contract completion bonuses, designed to encourage contractors to stay to the very end, rather than seeking out their next opportunity as contracts start to wrap up.

For more information about our work in the interim legal recruitment space please contact us directly.

The post The continued rise of the interim market appeared first on Map Legal Recruitment.

The first step in the interview process is to ensure that you do are fully prepared for it. It is crucial that you know where and when the interview is taking place and who you will be meeting. If the interview is in person ensure you familiarise yourself with the location and plan your journey in advance, allowing plenty of time for any travel delays.  If the interview is remote, it is always wise to check your video link is working and that your camera and microphone are switched on. I would recommend you log into the remote call a few minutes before it is due to start, just as you would arrive at an office 5 minutes before your appointment.

Before the interview revisit the job specification to ensure that you are familiar with the requirements of the role that you are interviewing for. Take some time to consider your own experience to date, so that you are able to discuss your skills and experience in relation to the requirements of the role. At the research stage it is also wise to look up the profile of the person or people that you will be meeting. Most firms have profiles of their Partners and Associates on their websites, ,so it is worth reading those as well as any background information about the interviewers on their Linkedin profiles. It is also worth researching the firm and reading up on their website, so that you are more informed about them, the sectors that they operate in and the services that they provide. In addition to the firm’s website, it is advisable that you read up on them in the legal press so that you are familiar with up to date and current market information about them.

Spending some time researching the firm and the people you will be meeting, as well as thinking about your own skills and experience will really help you maintain a good level of conversation during the interview, as well as demonstrating to the interviewers that you have done your research and are therefore committed and interested in in the opportunity that they have to offer.

Be prepared for any competency based and technical questions that might arise. It is always best to ensure that you are prepared  just in case a few scenarios based or technical questions are asked. Where you have not been asked to prepare specifically for technical questions or a formal test any technical questions that are asked are likely to be pretty standard questions that a lawyer at the same level should be able to answer quite easily. Don’t be put off by technical questions, they can be a great way to get the conversation flowing especially if you talk about scenarios from your previous experience.

It is also important to ask the right questions. Remember that an interview is a two way process.  Have a think about a couple of questions that you’d like to ask as this can be an effective way to demonstrate your ambition for the role.

As with any interview the first impression always matters, therefore it is crucial that in addition to being prepared and turning up on time, that you dress professionally and appropriately in business attire for any interview, regardless of whether it is in person or remote.

Finally relax and be yourself. Remain level headed and don’t get too intimidated if you are being interviewed by a senior partner in a law firm, just remember that they were once in your shoes.

The success or failure of an interview will depend on making a good first impression, being prepared and knowledgeable, having a good rapport with the interviewer and the right skill set for the job.

For further information, career advice or to discuss a new opportunity please contact Raj Sidhu.

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In recent years we have seen that many law firms have increased their efforts to hire directly and now have their own internal recruitment teams and advertise their vacancies via their own website, job boards or via social media, usually Linkedin.  Alternatively, they may even approach you directly. However, despite these efforts, the legal recruitment industry continues to grow and for law firms, agencies such as MAP Legal Recruitment continue to offer an invaluable resource for securing the very best legal talent in the market and the most appropriate candidates for their jobs.

As a candidate you would be forgiven for not knowing whether to apply to firms directly or via a legal recruitment agency, which route will give you a better chance of securing that career making move?

At MAP Legal, we provide a highly consultative service tailored to each individual candidate, whether that be a newly qualified solicitor seeking their first role, or a seasoned Partner looking for a new firm. We spend time getting to know you inside out, finding out about your skills and experience, your career aspirations and as importantly where they sit amongst your list of life priorities and family commitments.  It is important that we fully understand your personal circumstances so that we can offer the most suitable opportunities to you.  Whilst a corporate job at a top tier firm may have been the ultimate goal for you in your twenties, by your forties you may be happier in a job that enables you to get away from your desk at a reasonable time so that you can get home and spend time with your family.  We can provide advice on working hours, culture and firm ethos to enable you to decide if a particular job is going to work with your lifestyle and commitments.

A major advantage of partnering with an experienced recruiter is the extra knowledge that we are able to give you; all applicants will have access to the job specification but frequently that provides little guidance in terms of what firms are really looking for, what personality will fit their teams and which particular skills are the most crucial in their new recruit.

At MAP Legal we have forty years combined experience and have worked with our clients for many years, therefore we are able to provide you with a unique insight into exactly what these firms are looking for. We can give you in depth information on what their interview format looks like and the type of questions you can expect to be asked, as well as advising on the types of candidates they like; personality fit can often be as or more important than the appropriate skills and experience that a candidate has to offer.

In addition to having a head start when it comes to the interview, there are a number of other benefits we can offer. We make the applications on your behalf, organise interviews and manage your entire job search for you, saving you a considerable amount of time and effort.

We will provide you with advice in relation to how you can improve your CV and work with you until it reflects you in the best possible light for any particular job. Once applications have been made we follow up with firms and talk through your experience, personality and why we feel you’re suitable for a given role.  Our close working relationship built upon many years of trust and a successful history of placing the right people into their jobs enables us the benefit of being able to do this.

Through our long standing relationships with our clients, we hold considerable sway in our recommendations and since we also know you well, we can answer any initial questions which firms may have about you which, without clarification, could otherwise see your CV on the reject pile.  You are therefore more likely to secure an interview when applying through MAP Legal.

When it comes to an offer we are also better placed to negotiate your salary and overall package, something which can often feel a little uncomfortable when done directly. Having knowledge of the wider market, budgets, salary bandings, flexibility and the urgency with which a particular role needs filling, we do this from an informed standpoint. Ultimately, taking into account all of your circumstances we want to ensure that you are making the best move for your career, and also that we are placing the most appropriate lawyers for the job with our clients.

For a confidential discussion about your next career move please contact Raj Sidhu

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