10 ways to get a job in the legal industry

1. Know your market – It is paramount, when looking for a job in the legal industry, that you do your research and do proper market research. You need to know what jobs, where, and what opportunities or roles are available. When you take the time to understand the general market terrain, you have a great opportunity to stay one step ahead of the rest of your rivals.

2. Be Narrow: After a general knowledge of the entire legal industry in your area, you’ll need to narrow your search to a specific area of ​​focus. As a law student or recent law graduate, you might consider public interest law, internships, internships, or working for private firms. If you have a legal support education, then you could opt for jobs as a paralegal or licensed secretary. The point is that securing a job as a legal professional does not mean that you can apply for every job available, you have to be specific and let all your options boil down to a single point of focus.

3. Keep up appearances: No matter how much faith you have in the strength and viability of your CV, it cannot replace your presence and personal appearance. What this means is that you don’t expect your application to do all the work for you; in fact, some employers would not be so impressed with what you have written. Instead, they want to evaluate you, your temperament, neatness, punctuality and manners, etc. These and many other nonverbal clues are what your potential employers are looking for when you walk in the door. It’s no wonder then that “appearance is everything” couldn’t be more true in a legal industry.

4. Network: Networking in the legal industry is just as necessary as in any other high-powered industry. It is essential to make and maintain contacts within the industry that could help you get a foot in the door. Sometimes it’s who and not necessarily what you know that makes the difference.

5. Get online: In today’s world of information technology, many lucrative and high-profile jobs are advertised on the Internet. Be sure to frequent many online job boards and postings. There are even some job boards that are specifically dedicated to the legal profession and will help you filter your searches and speed up your search time.

6. Join Linked-In – Although this may be the same as above, the difference is that on LinkdIn you are not actually sending your resume to everyone you see, rather the website helps you connect and get in touch with people in your line of profession. You get to recreate online what you may not be able to do offline by networking with the best relevant shots in the legal industry.

7. Be Prepared: There’s no point in looking for a job, connecting with people, and walking into the interview room without the right level of preparation on your part. Make sure you have everything that is required of you. Let your resume be up to date. Prepare adequately for any type of question that may be asked and learn as much as you can about the history of the company.

8. Consider additional training: If you are changing jobs or want to advance your career, consider taking additional training and classes. Doing this and with your work experience will definitely increase your chances of getting the next job faster than others.

9. Go Pro-Bono: Volunteering for some non-profit public law service can make your CV look good. It won’t hurt to spend some of your spare time taking on some public cases, although they may not pay you financially, but they will surely give you a cutting edge experience above your other job search rivals.

10. Be Candid – When looking for a legal job, make sure you are candid about your education, experiences, and all other information you submit. Remember, almost all law firms do a basic background check on their potential employees, you don’t want to get caught lying.