For those in search of a career that’s intellectually stimulating, lucrative, and interesting, law can perfectly fit the bill. Although it entails long hours and many years of hard work to achieve success, it offers dynamism, excitement, and a healthy paycheck once you’re qualified and in full-time employment.
But if law is anything, it is competitive. You are not the only one who has ever fallen for the lure of fast-paced days and financial stability, and the recruitment process, whether you’re applying for university, work experience, vacation schemes, training contracts, or permanent employment, is cut-throat.
If you have your heart set on a career in the legal field, but need a hand standing out, here are five top tips to help you…
#1: Choose the Best University
Getting ahead on the career ladder starts early on in a field as competitive as law, and this means that from the moment you settle on a university to complete your undergraduate degree, you’ll be judged on the choice that you make. You need to do your research from day one, looking at lists of the top 10 or 20 universities for the subject. Although you should not solely apply to these, put at least three of them amongst your options to help you get a head start. Follow the same rules at every stage of your academic career to boost your chances from the beginning.
#2: Choose What to Specialize in Early On
Every lawyer will specialize to some degree, whether this is in divorce law, commercial, or property, and it’s best to decide what area you wish to go into at the earliest possible opportunity. We’re not suggesting that you rush this decision; rather, that you pay enough attention in your studies to identify the topics you most enjoy and excel in. Once you have goal to work towards, read, research, and learn, until you are the best qualified person in your specialist area at every stage of your academic and professional career.
#3: Complete Work Experience
In one respect, law is no different to any other vocation: experience matters. Being able to demonstrate the requisite skill set and your application of it will always be viewed as a positive point in your favor, as will your dedication to your chosen field of study. If employers can see that you have spent time of your own accord completing unpaid work experience, your commitment to the field and your future success will shine through, making you an ideal candidate for employment.
#4: Network
We’ve all heard that old saying that ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’, and to some extent this is true. Although one would hope that most employers will not demonstrate an overt degree of bias towards known candidates, it helps to have proven yourself to those who can give you a step up the career ladder, and networking provides you with such an opportunity. Take advantage of the events that your university sets up, whether these are professional lunches or specialist seminars, to get to know recruiters. Introduce yourself to the right people, try to engage them in interesting and insightful conversation, and they might just remember you when it counts.
#5: Create a CV That Shines
Last but not least, there is that one golden piece of advice that every aspiring professional should abide by: a strong CV will get you everywhere. In many cases, the first knowledge of you that potential employers have is that which they gain from your CV. This should therefore showcase not only the strengths of your personality, but also your skills, relevant experience, and academic and professional qualifications. If you’ve followed our advice above, these should be enough to sell you as a potential candidate to any law firm looking for their next talented young professional.
Start building the foundations of a successful legal career today with our five top tips.
