I am based in Michael Page Legal’s Birmingham team and the majority of the team are from legal backgrounds ranging from corporate law to criminal law. We already had experience of working in the sector which we believe is very important to a career in legal recruitment. Across our national business, many of our consultants come from fee-earning backgrounds and have decided to switch into legal recruitment.
So what attracted me to making the move?
I was a corporate finance solicitor at an international firm in Birmingham and was approaching 2 years PQE when I moved to Michael Page Legal. It was a tough decision for me to leave the law behind and there was a lot of weighing up of the pros and cons.
Essentially, I was looking for something different. But something where I wouldn’t feel like all of the skills and contacts that I had developed over the last six or seven years of studying and practising law would be lost forever! I had not previously thought about legal recruitment but the more I looked into it, the more it appealed to me.
Why a career in legal recruitment:
- Lots of client contact – I was lucky to get a lot of client contact as a solicitor and I did not want to lose this. As a legal recruiter, the most important part of our role is getting to know our clients and candidates and the only way we can properly do this is to meet them. What really appealed to me was the fact that these people would be my clients and I would be their sole point of contact. We also regularly present at seminars and events, which gives us further opportunity to network and grow our client base.
- Staying within the legal sector – as mentioned above, it was tough to “leave the law behind” but remaining in the legal sector by speaking to partners and solicitors on a daily basis, means that it doesn’t actually feel like I have left it behind. Coming from a legal background also ensures that you have your ready-built network of clients and solicitors. I also enjoy continuing to keep up-to-date with any legal developments as this helps us fully understand our clients’ needs and market trends.
- Autonomy and diversity – each day is different and our days are what we make of them. I really enjoy this element of the job. We are given the freedom (within reason!) to organise and plan our days in the way that best suits our market. This can mean client meetings outside of Birmingham or spending our day catching up with candidates in the city centre.
What Michael Page Legal can offer you:
- Working for a leading international organisation – we are part of PageGroup which is a leading brand and we have more than 5000 employees and a global office network, while maintaining our local expertise.
- Meritocracy and a clear progression path – at PageGroup, you progress as quickly as you want to progress. You do not have to wait until you are at a certain level of PQE before you climb the ladder. I was promoted within 18 months of being at Michael Page Legal and there is a clear structure as to what you have to do to get to the next level. Everything is very transparent. The majority of our directors and managers started as consultants and have worked their way up.
- Training and development – this was crucial for me. I did not want to start a new career without the infrastructure behind me to make the transition as smooth as possible. The training at PageGroup is fantastic. You are not under pressure from day one and there are specific training and development programmes that you will attend from the outset. Remember, most of us have made the same switch so we have been in your shoes!
- Competitive remuneration – this is something I am asked about a lot. You will be switching careers so you need to take this into account initially. Still, with a bit of hard work and time, you can earn more than you would in practice.
Interested? Great – but would you be right for Michael Page Legal? Below are some of the key qualities that you will need to make your career a success at PageGroup:
- Strong commerciality and ideally, a good working knowledge of the local legal market – this is likely to come from a career as a solicitor or paralegal
- Excellent communication skills
- Self-motivation and drive
- Resilience
- Ambition
Still interested? Contact me for a confidential initial discussion about careers at Michael Page Legal in Birmingham.
T: 0121 634 8800
For a confidential discussion about career opportunities outside of Birmingham contact Katherine Jackson, Operating Director at Michael Page Legal.
T: 0207 269 2413
Visit our careers website now for more information about working at PageGroup.
Prior to joining Michael Page in 2012, Conor worked for four years at international law firm Squire Patton Boggs in Birmingham as a Corporate Finance solicitor having trained and then qualified at the firm in 2010. He recruits solicitors into private practice from NQ to Partner level across the West and East Midlands. The team also have a specialist in-house function, recruiting for a range of companies and organisations in the region.