Congratulations!
After years of determination and hard work in completing your law degree, securing a training contract and completing your two years of training you are going to qualify as a Solicitor!
The next step in your legal career is an exciting and challenging process with law being a particularly competitive job market and the process of applying for jobs as a newly qualified Solicitor being a daunting and complicated affair.
eNL are an expert legal recruitment agency who are able to assist you on this journey where possible and are on hand with advice, tips and market knowledge that will assist with your search.
To view all our current NQ vacancies please click here
Not sure which direction to go in?
Think about the seat which you enjoyed the most and feel passionate about, this is most likely to be the area of law that will suit you best for your future career. Careful consideration should be given to this important decision as it will ultimately shape your future career. Whilst you can change your area of specialism later on in your legal career, getting experience in a new area of law can be a challenge, so it is better to get this right from the outset.
Whilst a focus on practice area is key you may also want to consider which legal sector you would prefer whether that be Private Practice, In-House or working in the Public Sector. We have specialist Consultants working across all these sectors who can advise you on the pros and cons of working in these legal sectors.
Want to stand out from crowd of high quality candidates?
Ensure you have an effective, well written CV which focusses on your future goals, career aspirations and recent achievements. First impressions are all important on leading the way to gaining an interview.
Here are some things to think about when putting your CV together:
- Keep it clear, easy to read with structure and formatting
- Go into as much detail as possible on your chosen area of qualification, tailoring your CV to that specific role
- Highlight your achievements and relevant work experience
- Be honest – Any misleading or incorrect information contained on your CV could cost you landing your dream job
Should I stay or should I go?
No reason to stay is a good reason to go!
Continuing with the firm at which you were trained is a comforting prospect for many, offering the reassurance of friendly faces and familiar ways of working. But in the current climate that is not always an option and newly qualifieds will need to be flexible in order to secure a position.
We recommend that Trainees assess their options as soon as they are able to do so. Once their current firm has advised them whether or not there will be any suitable opportunities for them, they can begin to prepare accordingly.
In either case, it’s essential to consider long-term goals and how best to achieve them. Where do you see yourself in five years’ time and which route is more likely to help you get there? Staying with your current firm may not be the best option for you to achieve your long-term aspirations and therefore keeping your options open or having a focused plan in place will stand you in good stead to get where you want to be.
Other factors to consider also include work life balance, culture fit, size of firm and location.
Salary Information For Newly Qualifieds
As a recruitment agency working across all legal sectors and vacancies, including public, private and in-house, our salary survey details remuneration for a variety of legal roles in a range of sectors, across the United Kingdom. We have collected data and analysed it to develop an understanding of the amount of compensation paid both regionally and nationally, to provide a comprehensive salary and pay benchmarking guide.
Please Click here to download your copy of eNL’s Salary Index.
How can eNL Legal Recruitment Help You
Since 1999, eNL Legal recruitment has provided insight, guidance and support to clients and candidates to support the legal recruitment process. We are a leading legal recruitment agency who are able to assist you on your journey to finding a new legal position, offering a personalised, tailored and confidential service. Our friendly, experienced team all have a strong knowledge-based approach to matching the right candidates with the right clients and roles. Our strategic and commercial focus can be depended upon to deliver straight-forward and practical advice which will achieve positive end results.
What do our Newly Qualified Candidates Say About us
“ I just wanted to drop you a line to formally say the biggest thank you for all your help in securing me an NQ position. From as soon as I first contacted you through a recommendation by a colleague, you were so kind and helpful. I immediately put my trust in you and you made me feel so at ease with the whole process. You promptly followed up with firms to arrange interviews and get feedback making the process quick and painless compared to other processes which I’d had to chase and which were protracted and drawn out. I'm really pleased with the offer I have and everything has been seamless since. Thank you so much!! ”
“Gemma's direct and pragmatic approach was thoroughly appreciated in enabling me to secure a career-changing opportunity. Highly recommend her.”
“Rebecca helped me find the perfect role as an NQ. She knew the market really well and made sure that the whole experience was smooth from start to finish. She took the time to understand exactly what I was looking for and matched me with my perfect job. I can’t thank her enough for the help, support and professionalism she showed and have already been recommending her to people I know!”