6 Essentials to Land a Job in an Overcrowded Market

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The world’s largest law firm by revenue, Baker and McKenzie, requires those who apply for the position of paralegal be qualified solicitors with at least two years post qualification experience under their belts.

The legal professional pool is already saturated and a spokesperson from the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) confirmed that it is becoming more and more usual for qualified lawyers to take on paralegal roles:

“Today’s recruitment field is an employer’s market with opportunities to work in the law becoming increasingly competitive. It may also indicate a market shift in demand for skills and competence, away from employing based on professional qualification.”

This market shift has recently become more common knowledge; grades are important in getting you through the door, but marketable experience is priority number one.

So then, how does a qualified lawyer fresh out of university, with little on site practice go about gaining this much needed experience?

Networking

(64% of students find their job through networking)
We have all heard this over used cliché ‘it’s not what you know, but who you know that counts’. But it is true, by networking and meeting professionals and masters in your field, you broaden your horizons. Many young law students are reluctant to contact people they don’t know for advice and assistance, but a recent statistic stated that 64% of students find their work through networking, so it is important that you network. Start right now on LinkedIn.

Internship Schemes

In Gibraltar we are immensely lucky to have government funded Internship schemes to the Capital of the of the USA; Washington D.C. These kind of programmes are entirely focused on getting young professionals the experience and in the field practice they need to increase their prospects. The Washington Centre (TWC) not only provides internships but also classes on professional development, communication, leadership and public speaking. These kind of schemes are invaluable both for your own personal growth (giving you marketable experience) and proves your value to potential employers.

More Internship Schemes

One piece of advice that is drilled into all young professionals at TWC is to keep on finding unpaid / little paid work experience to build your repertoire. Some may think since they’ve graduated with a distinction that their efforts deserve a well-paid job from the start, unfortunately this is not always the case. Marketable experience is what you need to achieve your goal, so get out there and prove your value first, it will pay off in the end.

Find a Mentor

Finding someone with a wealth of experience to share can be one of your biggest tickets to success. Plato attributed his knowledge to the guidance of Socrates and Richard Branson was mentored by Sir Freddie Laker. Entrepreneur, author, multi-million dollar investor Tai Lopez attributes all his success to what he has learned from ‘downloading’ the knowledge of successful people.

“I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it” – Thomas Jefferson