Thanks to my involvement with my local JLD, I’ve been able to build good relations with local firms and junior lawyers working at local firms. Recently I was able to speak with a partner and head of department at one of these firms. He very kindly spent a good half an hour on the phone with me, and we talked about what someone in his position would be looking for in any new potential paralegal/junior recruits.

The intention was to learn more from a head of department’s point of view about what applicants and graduates can show to stand out in applications to their team, which for me in this case was the employment team, but this can be useful for any other practice area also. Here's what I learned.

This is another addition to a wide range of blogs and articles written by us members of the legal community, so the best thing you can do is to pool as much advice together as you can to give yourself the best possible shot at getting noticed over other applicants at any point of the application process.

Attitude

This should be a no brainer, really! When interviewing, attitude is key. Firms get their first real impression of you in interviews where they can see and speak with you. So you want to show a genuine 'can do' attitude, a genuine desire to get involved with as much on offer as you can, and a keeness to excel in a particular area.

Ultimately, the work we do as lawyers is about the individual application of information to the client and how that client wants it. Doing that well means the client will be satisfied and will return or refer others to you. And doing that with a positive and professional attitude means the client will go away feeling like they’ve received a top-quality service!

Practice area expertise

Having work experience is a good start, no doubt. Having experience in legal practice is even better. And having experience in a particular practice area that aligns with the area you’re applying to is amazing!

If you come in with experience, you’re already ahead of many other applicants and that will stand you well if you can get your expertise across well.

For example, areas like corporate and employment are very multi-dimensional. At any point, you could find yourself getting involved with transactional, advisory, advocacy, mediation and contentious work. So showing that you can get involved competently in these kinds of tasks, even if you don’t yet know everything, will be a bonus.

Maybe you’ve got experience with compiling bundles for court hearings? Or preparing claim forms? Or researching Lexis PSL or PLC for precedents for a particular kind of agreement? Show this off as it demonstrates that you’ve got involved with a range of work and know what you need to do when presented with similar work at another employer.

And if you don’t have experience yet?

Showing that genuine interest and excitement in a particular practice area will look good on applications and in interviews.

You should read and keep up to date on developments in a particular area. Sites like Lexology are good places to start as you can tailor your search for news and developments to particular practice areas you're interested in.

A reactiveness and diligence in applying yourself to the various changes happening in the world and profession are key. The world never stays still and things can change very quickly and with little notice. We’ve seen this with events like the 2016 financial crisis, the covid-19 pandemic, and more recently the war in Ukraine and the cost of living crisis.

To put yourself in a better position, gain and maintain a good knowledge of issues that are ongoing and what's on the horizon. Keep up to date as best you can and you’ll be in a better position to gain the rapport and confidence of people, particularly those who have a high-level say in recruitment decisions.

Remember that the best lawyers are those who understand their clients and are able to communicate their knowledge and advice to the client in a way that they understand, and in a way that they want it.

Remember, competition will always be high

There’s no way to get around this. You'll be one applicant in an ocean of hundreds or thousands across the board.

Recruiters will receive CVs where, broadly, university grades and achievements will be very similar (even though you may be proud of what you’ve achieved, and you should!), so you should ask yourself what else there is to you and how you can differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack.

A well-rounded applicant is someone who desires not just to dedicate themselves to studies, but to other ventures in their life such as charity, helping communities, coaching, writing, and so much more. Early in your career, this is a good marker to aim for to show you can apply yourself to a variety of practice areas and tasks that will inevitably come your way. Pigeon holing yourself too early paints you into a corner that can be difficult to get out of in the training stage, and the last thing you want to do when you’re training is turn your nose up at opportunities to improve and try new things!

We're more than our grades and achievements. We're all interesting humans in this diverse profession with our own values and ambitions and goals that we want to achieve.

Remember, you're much more unique and interesting than you probably give yourself credit for, so big up yourself at every opportunity you can get!