ILSPA exists to not only provide people with professional qualifications but also to help people secure employment. Our Students and Members can benefit from expert advice on how to go about the job-seeking process, which will ensure that they achieve their goals.
Legal Secretaries are in great demand and are able to earn good salaries. If you have achieved ILSPA’s Legal Secretaries Diploma, you will be very attractive to law firms because you will have a solid knowledge of various areas of law and legal procedures. Job prospects for Legal Secretaries are very good, because the more experience you gain, the higher your position and salary will be.
There are some key steps to securing employment as a Legal Secretary which we would like to share with you:
Preparing for the job-seeking process
You must plan carefully before applying for a job. In doing so, you are more likely to secure Legal Secretary employment. Overall, you need to market yourself. You need to think of yourself as the product and the prospective employer as the customer. Businesses have to market their products in order to obtain sales, so you too must market yourself in order to obtain a position. You need to have a good think about your skills, experience and attributes, and what you have to offer a firm.
What skills, experience and attributes do you have?
Recruiters can be very choosy in selecting the right person for the job, and they look for candidates who have the relevant skills, experience and attributes required for their roles. You need to ensure that you possess what employers are looking for when applying for vacancies. Self-assessment leads to self-confidence and helps you understand what kind of role you are capable of. It may be that you have achieved a Legal Secretary qualification or have Legal Secretary experience. You may also have transferrable skills which have been acquired through another job.
Writing your CV and covering letter
Your CV provides your first chance to make a good impression on an employer. A high-quality CV will boost your chance of getting a face-to-face interview, so it is vital that the content is tailored for the position you are applying for and the presentation is neat and professional. Not only must you write an excellent CV, but you must also put together a good covering letter. You should imagine that your CV is a product and the covering letter is an advertisement for that product. Recruiters can receive a lot of applications for a vacancy, so your covering letter must catch their attention and make them want to look at your CV. An employer is interested not only in you but also in how he or she can benefit from employing you.
Honing a positive attitude
Aside from having the necessary skills, experience and attributes for the job, you need to acquire the right attitude. Start your job search with a positive attitude and you will achieve your goal. You must have confidence in your abilities and worth, and make sure that you shine not only in your CV and covering letter but also when you attend interviews. Believe in your abilities, see obstacles as learning experiences and don’t give up! You can find some fantastic articles in ILSPA’s online Legal Secretary Journal which cover such topics as positive thinking, communicating assertively and gaining confidence.
Applying for positions
You might be looking for a job to enter the legal profession or you may be looking to move firms. After thinking about what you can offer an employer, take a look at the different types of Legal Secretary positions available so you know what role you are capable of. There are various roles available for Legal Secretaries, from junior and trainee positions to those that require someone with secretarial skills and a Legal Secretary qualification, and others that require experience. If you do not have any experience, recruiters are very willing to employ people with recognised legal secretarial qualifications and good secretarial skills, especially if you have studied through ILSPA. ILSPA’s Legal Secretary Jobs Board has a wealth of different positions advertised for Legal Secretaries throughout the UK.
Attending interviews
If you are offered an interview, your CV has made a very good impression, so you need to make sure that you make the best of your opportunity. Remember the purpose of the interview: it provides the recruiter with an opportunity to assess your suitability for the job and compare your abilities with those of other candidates. Think about what questions you may be asked in the interview, and make sure that you are prepared to answer anything in a positive and self-assured manner. Interviews can differ depending on who is conducting them, so be ready for various approaches and techniques. It is also important to be interested and to ask as much as you can about the position offered, as well as displaying knowledge of the firm to show you have performed research on them. This will show recruiters that you are serious and enthusiastic about the job. When the interview ends, ask what the next step will be and when you can expect to hear from them.
Finally
When applying for positions, you won’t always hear back. Recruiters can receive a lot of job applications and sometimes do not have the time to respond to everyone. But do not let this put you off – keep on persevering! Even though you might not be suitable for that particular role, there will be plenty of other vacancies you can apply for where you have the requirements employers are looking for. Similarly, when attending interviews, if you don’t get the job, try and see it as a learning experience. Make sure you receive feedback and think about how you can do better in the future.
Good preparation is vital when looking for work and success can be yours! Good luck in securing a Legal Secretary job. Please do not hesitate to contact ILSPA if you need further advice. We offer full guidance on securing employment to all our Students and Members.