I am Executive Recruitment Consultant

[Ownyourchoices]

I have been doing this for 20 years - well before LinkedIn. I have been in tough markets for employers, tough ones for employees, through the financial crisis and COVID. And I am still here - AMA

Thank you - this is sound advice.

I would trying getting back into Government via my skillset - legal - if you are set against going in as legal counsel, try for regulatory roles or legislative drafting or any roles were being able to navigate legislation is involved - lawyers bring good training to this. Once in you can move up - trick is getting in.

Thank you very much for answering, really appreciate your advice!

This is a really interesting thread. I have two questions if that's okay.

The first is about movement from a corporate legal career. Have you helped anyone do this and do you have any recommendations for a career change for a litigation solicitor with 20 years experience where they can look at a salary of £80K+ minimum?

The second relates to a friend's situation, also a lawyer, who is looking to move but has been disciplined for an error and has a formal warning on her record. Should she disclose this or would it show up on a reference anyway? Have you dealt with any situations where the applicant has something like this for something that is essentially an administrative error and not anything which calls to question their competence or honesty.

Litigation can be a tricker move as its not commercial advisory type work which lends itself to moves into companies more easily. Like the earlier PP, its sometimes best to move using the legal skills into an organisation which has potential moves beyond legal. And law does pay well, you may need to go down a bit to get yourself out of law.

Second one - ok, that is always tricky. Was the formal warning just within her employer or more broadly - like the law society. Lawyers are actually weird referees at times - ie, they don't always say a lot. She needs to have a couple of referees she trusts from the organisation who can validate that it was not a serious issue. But I would always disclose. And then offer up referees to back you.

Thank you for your reply.

Yes it seems most roles will not pay what I earn now and many in house roles want contract negotiation experience.

It was an internal warning from her firm and she thinks the firm would give a very basic reference but has not asked as she doesn't want them to know she wants to leave. At what stage would you disclose it? Interview stage or wait for an offer?

I would suggest that she find someone in that firm that can at least do an unofficial reference. A colleague/ peer -someone who has left the firm but was there when they were - there must be someone. Lawyers tend to be very careful about giving not great references. I mean, I have seen people with official law society reprimands/finding listed on their website still successfully change firms/jobs.

Then talk about it when references are asked for. But they need to offer the alternate option like an unofficial reference or a reference from someone who has left that particular firm.