Building a Career - in the Legal Professional

or- with a Law Degree

Starting in first Year Law

Careers Service Support

Roisin Copeland, Senior Careers Adviser Jan 30th, 2007

To encourage students

to think about what they can do

in their first year

that can help them

build towards a career.

Aim

Objectives:

• to identify where to find resources to help understand the graduate market place for the Legal Profession career or alternatives

• to highlight the process of making a decision between a career in the Legal Profession or an alternative career with a law degree

• to explore what skills and experiences you can focus on in first year to help you build your employability and ultimately a career

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the session students should be able to:

• identify resources to help build a career

• understand the process for making a decision about their career

• recognise the skills, experience and attributes that improve your employability and career building prospects

Careers, Work Placement & Job ShopHouses: 14 & 8 Malone Rd

Where we are!

RESOURCES

Where can I find careers information?

Websites

Publications

People / Networking / Experiences

Websites

Generic careers and Specific Legal

www.qub.ac.uk/careers

-Legal Subject links

Law Society of NI

Law Society of England and Wales

Law Society of Ireland

- Events & Vacancies

•www.prospects.ac.uk

•www.gradireland.com

•www.doctorjob.com

•www.hobsons.co.uk

www.lawcareers.net

www.lawgazette.co.uk

www.solicitors-online.com

www.solicitors-online.com

www.legal500.com

www.barcouncil.org.uk

www.pupillages.com

www.thelawyer.com/lawyer2b

www.lexonthenet.co.uk

Publications

Generic careers and Specific Legal

Prospects, Hobsons, Gradireland, Doctorjob, Insidecareers

The Writ: The Journal of the Law Society of NI

People / Networking / Experience

Careers Service Provision

•Subject Careers Advisers

•Information room staff

•Guest Employers

•Workshops and Events

Academic Tutors

•Tutors

•Peer group

•Postgraduates

•graduates

Professionals / Personal

•Family

•Friends

•Role Models

•Work Experience

Generic careers and Specific Legal

Resources

QoL Queens on Line

• Work Experience Vacancies Database

• Personal Development Planning

Accessing your PDP e-folio (an online planner)Pick up

youre-folio

via Queen’sOnline

Click on “My School”

To pick up somesupports from me.

“My School” Page (LAW)

Today’sPowerPoint

Will Be available

here

Online Career’s Service

Supports

Guide to using the

rest of The e-folio

School of Law

Decision Making

Generic (see vacancies) Specific• Solicitor• Barrister

Further professional training

How many can train in NI each year?

How many in Eng/Wales?

- Graduate Development Scheme

- Media

- PR / Marketing

-Trading standards officer

- Chartered accountant

- Human resources officer

- Advice worker

Professional Training- Where?

1. NI

2. England&Wales

3. Republic of Ireland

4. Scotland

5. Friarylaw – The American Bar Programme in Northern Ireland

1. www.lawsoc-ni.org/

2. www.lawsociety.org.uk/

3. www.lawsociety.ie/

4. www.friarylaw.ie

5. www.lawscot.org.uk/

How long to train and how much does it cost?

How do I build a Career?

Assess Personal Marketability

SELF AWARENESS

1. Where am I now?

Identify target marketsand assess needs

OPPORUNTIY AWARENESS2. Where do I want to be?

Personal Planning DECISION MAKING – ACTION PLANNING

3. How do I get there?

Personal Development,Networking and Marketing

CAREER MANAGEMENT/LEARNING

4. Getting there

PROCESS

EMPLOYABLE?

SKILLS X EXPERIENCE ATTRIBUTES

- Teamwork- Communicati

on- Leadership- Initiative

- Casual- Formal- Relevant- Accreditated

- Motivation- Determination- Values- Disposition

Academics +Skills ? + Experience ? + Attributes?

What is EMPLOYABILITY?

Ability to:

-get a job-do a job

-get another jobCarl Gilleard

Chief ExecutiveAGR

“A degree alone is not enough. Employers are looking for more than just technical skills and knowledge of a degree discipline. They particularly value skills such as communication, teamworking and problem solving. Job applicants who can demonstrate that they have developed these skills will have a real advantage.”

Digby Jones, Director-General, CBI

“To be employed is to be at risk, to be employable is to be

stable”

Dr Peter Hawkins: The Art of Building Windmills. Career tactics for the 21st century

Great Expectations

Carl Gilleard, Chief Executive, Association of Graduate Recruiters

…..Employers continue to raise the bar….Look for graduates with:

- interpersonal skills- commercial savvy- cultural sensitivity- knowledge of the business- work experience- the ability to market themselves- and manage their own learning and careers

SELF AWARENESS

• How well does my CV or application form market my ability?

• How well can I market (with evidence) my non academic achievement?

Skills, Experience, Attributes

SELF HELP

Spring Careers Programme

OPPORTUNITY AWARENESS

• How well have I researched legal careers?• Which jurisdiction do I want to work in?• What criteria to I need to meet to be

selected?• What is involved in the selection process?

SELF HELP

Moving Into Law Guide for QUB students

Subject Links – www.qub.ac.uk/careers

www.prospects.ac.uk www.gradireland.com

The Big Deal 2007• The time: Friday 30 and Saturday 31 March 2007• The place: Eversheds LLP, Senator House, 85 Victoria Street,

London• The scenario: You will be part of a small team involved in

the race for Western airlines to develop routes into the rapidly-growing aviation industry of India.

• The task: You will have to work as a part of a team, along with an Eversheds lawyer, to successfully complete a number of commercially-led initiatives throughout the day. These tasks will culminate in a time-pressured, multi-party negotiation which must result in a mutually acceptable solution in the form of a contract.

• The skills: You need to be able to show us your creative, enthusiastic, team-spirited, commercially aware (not to mention fun!) qualities in order to get the most out of the weekend.

www.eversheds.com closing date Fri. 2nd Feb07

Action Planning

My Timetable 06-07 Year 1

• Career Spring Prog Events • Feb 22 Work Experience Fair• Mar 20 – Training Contracts• Target Summer Work (transferable

skills)

My Timetable 07-08 Year 2

• Career Autumn & Spring Events• Research firms• Applications preparation• Vacation/relevant work experience

applications• Queens Award for Work Experience• Applying for CorporateTraining

Contracts Eng/Wales

Solicitor? Timetable2006/07

– apply for work experience (Jan/Feb 2008)

– apply for training contracts with larger firms for 2010(July/August 2008)

• 2008/09 Year 3

NI- Institute Exam Dec08- Institute result Apr 09Eng/W– apply for LPC (1 Dec 2008 tbc)– apply for training contracts with

small/medium-sized firms

• Law Trip 2007 EASTER

Study Visit to City Law Firms in London: Provisional Employer visits Allen & Overy Simmons & Simmons

Lovells Herbert Smith Clifford ChanceStephenson and Harwood Eversheds

• Develop insight into the nature of work carried out at leading corporate and commercial law firms.

• Enhance their understanding of effective application and selection techniques, including appreciation of skills, abilities and attributes measured at interview/ selection.

• Form an impression of what it may be like to live and work in London.

Undergraduate development Experiences• Sport

• Clubs & Societies

• SSCC Staff Student Consultative Committees

• Science Shop

• Tutoring in Schools

• Voluntary work

• Enterprise/Entrepreneurship programmes

Start now to build your career

• Get familiar with resources• Find out what will impact on your decisions• Do things to develop your

– Skills– Experience and Attributes

The careers service can help:• Education programmes• Information resources and events 21st Feb Work

Experience Fair• Guidance: one-to-one