There is a commercial reality to consider when job hunting, even in a candidate tight market. That is that law firms have budgets set for salaries, and these are generally based on charge out rates as well as ensuring principles of equality and transparency are built into their salary banding and remuneration policies. We have had several instances of late, where candidates are forgetting this when sharing their salary expectations.

The six tips below are vitally important to remember when applying for a new role in the legal industry, no matter the state of the market. They are based on our many years of specialist legal industry recruitment experience.

1.      Take a Long-Term View

One thing we discuss regularly with our candidates is their long-term career goals. We ask them where they see themselves in 5 or 10 or 15 years. We discuss whether a particular role is taking them one step closer to that desired future role. We consider whether the move make logical sense on their CV. Any change in role should clearly be a move for more responsibility, broader experience or to work with chosen experts in your field.  

If you apply long-term strategic thinking and work backwards, it is much simpler to consider what it is that you are trying to achieve. It may be that you want to move overseas with your career, or eventually take your skills in-house. Carefully consider the career long game – what are you trying to achieve overall? Does this next move get you that step closer to your desired end-state? If it does not, then there is no point in making the move.

This long-term view can also be applied to your starting salary. Often if an employer is having to negotiate and deliver an increase, it can come back to bite you in terms of your next salary review and even out over time.

2.      Understand All of your Reasons for Looking for a New Job

Often, we say to candidates, that if you are just looking for a salary increase, then you should ask for one from your current employer and stay where you are. If there are other reasons involved, such as wanting more training, development opportunities, or exposure to more prestigious clients, then these are well served by acting on the next strategic step on the career ladder.

3.      Have Realistic Salary Expectations

These should be based on your years of experience and skills, as even in a candidate short market, salary banding in top tier firms is here to stay. Salary guides should be taken with a grain of salt as they do not consider individual circumstances, areas of practice experiencing high demand or geographic factors. They tend to factor in the extremes and not give you an average. If you are needing a figure for comparison, use the data carefully, and round your years of experience down and not up. Do not get caught up in inflated high-end figures! A specialist legal industry recruiter can help you ascertain what you are worth in the current market.

Take time to also consider the non-monetary benefits of moving to a new role. Price in the investment in your training and personal development, and the expertise of the colleagues and partners at a new firm. Often this can be priceless.

4.      Negotiate Respectfully and in Good Faith

Negotiating a starting salary needs to be done carefully, respectfully and it is not something that everyone is necessarily good at. If you need help doing this, then a legal industry specialist recruiter has the skills and experience to help with this. At Alex Correa Executive, we can also advise you as to whether your salary expectations are realistic and meeting the market. It is especially important during this process to be respectful of people’s time. Firms expect you to have done your research into their values, programs, and policies up front as part of your due diligence. After you have received an offer is not the time to be dragging your feet and investigating and comparing HR policies.

5.       Understand that you are Being Assessed at Every Step of the Process

Making a good impression goes way beyond your CV, covering letter and interview skills. You will be assessed by all parties involved at every stage of the hiring process. This includes how responsive you are to an invitation to interview, how quickly you make informed decisions, and your written and verbal communications skills. If it takes you a week to provide an updated CV or academic transcript, you demonstrate poor administrative and client services skills. If your CV is poorly drafted with spelling errors, then it suggests your drafting skills and attention to detail needs work.

We also suggest that our candidates send a thank you note to an interview panel, thanking them for their time. This helps keep you front of mind, exudes professionalism, and demonstrates both gratitude and good relationship skills. The little moments in the hiring process add up and demonstrate how you will go on to behave as an employee and with their client base.

How you behave through the hiring process reflects who you are, what you are about and demonstrates your character, honesty, and integrity. Poor behaviour will adversely affect your reputation in the market.

6.      Be Transparent

If you are interviewing with other firms, or dealing with other recruitment consultants, you should be honest about it. Nobody enjoys being surprised by this at the offer stage. You do not need to divulge the names of the companies, but it does help to know that there are other opportunities that you are considering. You will not be penalised by this; it can help manage expectations. It also demonstrates your ability to manage competing demands on your time professionally. We will understand that you are making a considered and informed decision based on your career goals and values.

Job searching and applying for new roles can be a stressful process. Alex Correa Executive is one of the few firms in Brisbane that will hold your hand through this process and really help you understand and plan for what it is that you want to achieve long term from your career. We help with career advice and have decades of industry experience and expertise to draw from.

If we feel a role is not right for you – we will tell you! If we think you are better off where you are we will tell you (and have done so!) We have even been known to help a potential candidate negotiate a salary increase to stay at their own firm! We take the long- term view on your career and are already a respected career sounding board for many Queensland based legal professionals.

If you would like to discuss your career with one of our team, please get in touch. We are always here to help!