Information on the Best Ways To Apply for Non-Legal Jobs
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Information on the Best Ways To Apply for Non-Legal Jobs
1. APPLYING FOR NON LEGAL JOBS
Many solicitors find it difficult to conceptualise themselves in a non legal role. Having made
big sacrifices and spent so much time to train and qualify within the profession, applying
for another kind of job is something many are at first reluctant to do.
Over time however, making that adjustment and looking at career options in a more
expansive way is easy, compared to the challenge of convincing an employer to take a
‘chance’ on you and offer you a job in preference to the many other candidates they can
attract, with a skill set more closely matched to what the job involves.
Getting employers to take your application seriously, and to fairly consider you for a role, is
always difficult for people seeking to switch careers – but more so if a person is considered
‘overqualified‘ for the position for which they are applying, as is likely to be the case for
you. A difficult economic environment, such as the one we are currently in, only multiplies
that difficulty.
So, it’s important to be clear, this whole business is a tough, challenging one – even if you
are only looking for a job paying modestly and / or just to keep you going in the short term.
However, what is critical to understand is that, while this is a significant challenge, getting
a job outside the law is still absolutely achievable.
Remember, you do not need lots of jobs – just one – and you have a whole host of really
marketable skills built up in your career and life to date that will interest employers - if you
just present them in an engaging way. That is what this guideline is about, how you should
‘set out your stall’ in the non-legal job market in order to be seriously considered by
employers currently spoilt for choice.
Important Disclaimer – Please Note
The Law Society does not give any guarantees, undertakings or warranties
concerning the accuracy, completeness or up-to-date nature of information within
this document. The Law Society also does not take responsibility for any
dependence or reliance placed on the use of support services information
provided - and cannot accept liability for any loss or damage incurred as a result.
Information on Applying for Non Legal Jobs © Law Society of Ireland2. HOW TO APPROACH THIS WHOLE MATTER
It is likely that you will need to fundamentally change the kind of work you are involved in
two or three times during your lifetime. The rate of career change is continually increasing.
Many solicitors now need to consider "What do I want to do for a living?" at the most
fundamental level - and need to look at applying for jobs outside of private practice and
outside of the law altogether.
Many will consider other options. For instance, some will decide to go back to college and
learn a new specialty. Further education is right for some people – but you need to
consider options like that carefully. Remember, if you stop working for a while, you
eventually are still faced with the same question, "What do I do now, work-wise?"
There is no one ‘correct’ way to go about switching careers. Each solicitor about to do that,
either for a short term or for the longer term, needs to develop her / his own individual plan.
However, there are several factors that have broad application and these are outlined
below.
Determination is Necessary
In the classic career change book, "What Color is Your Parachute?" the author Richard
Nelson Bolles notes, "Successful job hunting systems are those which have figured out a
way to help the job hunter keep at it. This is the key."
You are well advised to approach career change as if it is a full-time job. If you're
employed, then you need to attend to job search after work, during lunch breaks and over
weekends. It should become quite an obsession.
It is simply a fact that it is usually much more difficult to switch careers than it is to advance
in your current one. However, if you tenaciously pursue your goal each day, your
determination will pay off.
Self-Analysis
No one can tell you what career to pursue. It must come from you. One way to get started
is to analyse where you are now. It's likely you were drawn to the legal profession because
of some interest or ability you possess. Explore your aptitudes and interests by writing
down on paper all the things you like to do in your current job - and then do the same with
all former jobs.
Next, try breaking all the things you have identified as ‘likes’ into specific actions or
behaviours. For example, if you like to write project reports, what specifically do you like
about it. Do you like interviewing your sources, analysing the data or writing the report
itself?
If you "like working with people," break that down into more behavioural terms. Do you like
teaching them, advising them, supervising them, helping them?
Common Threads
Look for similarities among your past jobs. Were you drawn to them because of some
particular aspect of these jobs? For instance, maybe they required communication skills
like listening, negotiating or persuasiveness.
Information on Applying for Non Legal Jobs © Law Society of IrelandIf you find one or more common threads running through your past jobs (or hobbies), you
should strongly consider pursuing career areas that contain the same thread. On the flip
side, if this pattern can be linked to major dissatisfactions with current or former jobs, you
have more work ahead of you. At least you'll know what you don't like to do.
You stand a much better chance of convincing a potential employer that you can be
successful in a new career, if you can prove you've succeeded in related areas in the past.
Identify Barriers
Barriers come in all shapes and sizes. List yours. Perhaps you've decided you would like
to get involved in nursing but your degree and professional qualification are, of course,
quite something else.
You might list barriers such as: "No contacts in business; don't know the kinds of jobs that
are available; full-time job takes up much of my day," etc. The next step is to identify and
list action steps that overcome barriers.
What Job Exactly?
It's often not enough to decide you want to "get into sales" or "work in personnel." You still
have more homework to do.
Once you have narrowed the field down, look at it under a microscope and compare it to
what you know about yourself and common threads you have discovered.
For instance, the solicitor who knows s/he builds rapport quickly, has persuasion skills and
wants to be rewarded monetarily for results, may choose sales as an alternative career.
Now the questions are: Where and what will s/he sell, how will s/he sell it and to whom?
Only when s/he analyses all such factors in light of their abilities and interests, will their
path become clear.
3. RECOMMENDED STEPS
3.1 Assess What You Have to Offer
Before you decide to change professions, examine your strengths. When you change
professions or industries, you want to feel confident that you have what it takes to
succeed. Look at the environments that you enjoy, the jobs that are interesting to you, and
the differences in daily routines.
Research your potential new profession or industry: Is the pay what you thought? Will
there be a lot of travel? Do you get to use your personal strengths on a regular basis?
Does it require presentation skills? Is there upward mobility or is the promotion process
very lengthy? Take a personality test to confirm your self-evaluation.
For example, if you want to move from a legal position to sales, you may perceive sales as
fun and high-energy but may have never contemplated the many rejections you will
encounter. Would the competitiveness of a sales job and being constantly ranked against
your peers encourage or discourage you? These are just some of the concepts you may
want to consider before switching careers.
Information on Applying for Non Legal Jobs © Law Society of IrelandFocus On Your Transferable Skills
When you change careers the focus will be on the ‘soft" skills - referred to as "transferable"
or "portable" skills. These are skills you have used at any and every job or situation you
have been in, including volunteer work and school.
Examples of transferable skills are: communication skills, ability to work with a diversity of
people, ability to plan and organize, time management, analytical problem solving,
customer service skills, etc.
Make a list of your transferable skills, keeping in mind that these are the skills you could
use regardless of what company you worked at, or what position you are applying for. A
good source of desirable transferable skills can be found in job postings. Print out several
postings and highlight words that reoccur. These are “key traits” that the employer is
seeking – don’t underestimate them.
Be Clear About Your Uniqueness.
Each candidate is unique. What makes you unique? Think about your personality and your
personal traits. One of the things that the interviewer is looking for is "someone to fit in" -
who is likeable with the ability to work well with other team members. Your personal traits
could be the tie-breaker between you and an equally qualified candidate. Think of at least
five personal traits that make you unique. Some examples are: friendly, flexible, quick
learner, reliable, responsible, easy to get along with, detail-oriented, loyal, etc.
Believe in Yourself
Once you have established what you have to offer, you will begin to see the value you can
bring to the job. When you believe in yourself and the fact that you have something of
value to offer, it is easier to show confidence and convince the employer that you can do
the job. Any sales person will tell you that when you believe in your product and its
reliability it is far easier to sell and influence someone to buy.
3.2 Look At Yourself Through The Eyes Of The Prospective Employer
Think of transferable skills. If you were in a general practice firm and are headed towards
sales, what can you discuss? With your general practice firm job, did you handle client
interactions and did you present information to them? How does this translate into sales?
Are you are able to establish rapport with clients and potential business partners, which
are key for a sales job. You may also by able to regularly exceed targets - another good
match for a sales career. You may have been successful in presenting new ideas to
clients, convincing them of the benefits of a proposal. These examples illustrate how to
make your current or last job skills transferable to a new and different job.
Information on Applying for Non Legal Jobs © Law Society of IrelandPrepare Stories About Your Past Experiences
When you can show examples of past successes, you will have a better chance of
showing the interviewer that you have used similar skills in past jobs, even if the job duties
are different.
Changing careers is not easy to do in any market, but in a tight job market it will take that
extra step to differentiate yourself from the next candidate. Remember, the employer has a
problem – there is work to be done. It is your job to listen to what the interviewer is looking
for and then to sell yourself as the solution to the problem. Letting the interviewer know
you heard and understand the job will make you appear more interested in what is going
on at the company, and in turn will make you appear to be a more viable choice as the
best person for the job.
3.3 Use the Most Appropriate Self Marketing Tools
If you are switching career paths, it is probably best to use a functional type CV. A
functional CV allows you to provide pertinent information by listing your skill set and
usually does not present previous employers until the end of the CV. It uses headings such
as "Sales and Marketing," "Financial Planning," and "Business Development" rather than a
chronological listing of jobs under each heading. How to draft a functional CV is covered
in Section 4 of this Handout.
A functional CV is much like getting a car ready for direct sale. The car is shiny, looks
great, the tyres are new, it has low mileage; then someone drives it and realises it has an
automatic transmission. They wanted manual, but really like the car, so now they think, "Is
it really that important?"
That is what you want the employer to think. You look great and very promising. Does it
really matter that you have not had direct experience? From your CV you seem like a quick
learner so they call you in for the interview. If you portray your strengths correctly,
employers will be so overwhelmed with your positives that direct experience may not be a
hindrance.
3.4 Addressing The Issue of Career Change In Your Covering Letter
If you are making an obvious career change, such as to sales, you must explain it in the
cover letter. Say something like: “My experience has been as a solicitor. I have worked
closely with clients on numerous projects and dealt with all levels of personnel in a
competitive environment. I would now like to expand and advance my career by applying
my developed skills to a sales position. Relevant skills and experience include…:”
Give bullet point information of your background and then continue your cover letter. This
technique will allow you to address your career change with confidence in a brief, casual
tone and immediately return to how you could be an asset to your future employer.
Information on Applying for Non Legal Jobs © Law Society of Ireland4. DRAFTING AN APPROPRIATE CV
To produce a CV that works best for non-legal jobs you need to decide which attributes
and achievements are appropriate for the job you are applying for. As well as including
past experiences you can also consider including skills in which you have little actual work
experience - but expect that you can handle with ease.
Your work history and education history may be included after you have described your
capabilities and achievements. Often this kind of CV works best on one page. You may
have to prepare this kind of CV individually, for each job you are targeting.
Planning a significant change in career direction often involves being perceived as
‘overqualified’ for the job you’re interested in. Being overqualified often presents more
problems than people expect. Employers and recruiters can have suspicions as to why
you’re interested in the position and it can be easier and safer to just hire someone who
more closely fits the job description.
In these circumstances, your CV should be constructed to take focus away from your
qualifications and try to accentuate the reasons behind your interest in the position being
applied for. This can be done in a number of ways:
Tone down job titles / achievements / keywords. If your CV is full of law related matters,
tone this down so that details irrelevant to the job being applied for do not crowd out
other more relevant matters.
Use a CV format that takes the focus away from qualifications (maybe including them
lower down in the CV) and highlight relevant skills and experience instead.
Demonstrate in any way possible that your skills are related to the company’s growth
plans and which you’re looking to develop in the job applied for.
Accentuate your team working skills. Doing so will demonstrate the success of the
team (and the company) is of more importance than your own concerns.
Demonstrate enthusiasm for the job applied for. Look at presenting previous
responsibilities and achievements in a way that is relevant to this role.
4.1 The Functional CV Format
In this format the main information is presented in terms of job functions rather than in
chronological order. It is not as popular with employers as it can suggest there may be
hidden gaps in employment. It is very useful however if you want to place emphasis on
skills / strengths that you have that are relevant to a specific job / sector.
4.2 Drafting a Functional CV
When you are writing a Functional CV you have to try and list all your experience under
various functional headings. You should have a look at the headings below and decide
which of them may be useful to you. You can of course use other headings.
Once you have chosen the headings you will have to decide which is the most appropriate
order to put them in, e.g. if you are looking for a management position put this functional
heading first.
Information on Applying for Non Legal Jobs © Law Society of IrelandYou should have between 2 and 5 bullet points under each of your headings. If you have
more than 6 bullet points under a heading consider whether you could list any of the bullet
points under another heading. You should probably end up with between 3 to 6 functional
headings.
When you are writing the bullet points under each functional heading you must stress the
responsibilities and achievements which are relevant to your next job. In a Functional CV
you should include voluntary / non-paid work experience which is relevant to your next
position under the functional headings.
In general you should normally include a brief summary of the employer you have worked
for, the job titles and dates, after the functional part of the CV. If you feel that this will stop
you getting to the interview stage you may want to leave out any reference to your actual
employment history. In this case it may be best to keep your CV to one page.
Typical Functional Headings
Administration, Advertising, Communications, Construction, Consulting, Counselling,
Designing, Editing, Education, Electronics, Engineering, Human Resources, Insurance,
Journalism, Law, Management, Marketing, Medicine, Music, Nutrition, Organisation,
Planning, Production, Promotion, Public Relations, Publishing, Research, Sales,
Secretarial, Strategic Planning, Training, Transport, Travel, Writing
Training
Only include the most important training courses on your CV. You may not want to bother
with a section on training or you may combine it with Education / Qualifications depending
on how much space you have on your CV.
Education / Qualifications
Only list the most important qualifications. If you are a professional you do not really need
to list your Leaving Certificate results. Even in the case of recently completed education, if
your work experience is more likely to be of interest to an employer, you should put that.
Additional Information
Include any additional information, such as whether you have a driving licence - if you
have a clean driving licence, say so. Date of birth, marital status and nationality are today
best left off your CV.
Interests
Keep this part fairly short, but make sure you list any current positions of responsibility. If
you do not currently have any management responsibility and you are applying for a
management position you may want to include positions of responsibility that you have
held over the last few years, e.g. Play football for a local team - Captain, 1993 - 1996.
Information on Applying for Non Legal Jobs © Law Society of IrelandFunctional CV
(Sales Focused)
Curriculum Vitae Diane Everywhere
Experienced in selling by telephone, managing client relationships and the
delivery of professional firm services coupled with determined work ethic.
Intent on building successful long term career in sales through service
excellence and relationships of trust with clients.
Business Development
Responsibility in my job for identifying and progressing new business opportunities for the
firm.
Prospected and identified potential new clients, prepared presentations and participated in
pitches for business.
Centrally involved in the development of a web site and new design of stationery to facilitate
business development.
Earlier experience of selling products and developing relationships by telephone.
Was top selling sales person in our unit in Kompass Ireland for two months running.
Service Provision
While training as a solicitor, I had ongoing relationships with clients and I regularly cross
sold and won business through customer recommendations.
Provided services to the highest level of excellence and regularly had clients contact partners
with compliments about work done for them.
Provided services to clients face to face and by telephone within the law firm and by
telephone and e-mail with Kompass Ireland.
Relationship Management
Have always maintained a system of staying in touch with clients and seeking the opportunity
of new business or business through recommendation.
Involved in Chamber of Commerce and also a networking organisation, maintaining a wide
network of business acquaintances.
Involved in Young Solicitor Association and through this have good access within the
profession.
Legal Services
Trained and qualified as a solicitor within a progressive firm with a wide range of client types.
Gained wide knowledge of legal matters having worked in conveyancing, in the general
commercial area and in debt collection.
Plan to capitalise on my aptitude and qualification to succeed in professional selling
environment.
Address: 55 Every Place, Salthill, Galway; Tel: 086 2348767 Email: dianne@eir.net
Information on Applying for Non Legal Jobs © Law Society of IrelandFunctional CV Continued
(Sales Focused )
Curriculum Vitae Diane Everywhere
EMPLOYMENT
Employers: Duffy, Duffy & Duffy Solicitors
Old Town, Swords, Co. Dublin
Dates: March 2006 – March 2009
Employer: Kompass Ireland – Stationery Suppliers
Main Street, Coolock, Dublin
Dates: August 2004 – August 2007
Employment as a Student:
Tesco, Clonshaugh, Dublin – Bacon Counter
Summer 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005,
Worked in Hooters Restaurant, San Francisco, on J1 Visa
Summer 2003
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
1999-2003 University College Dublin Bachelor of Civil Law Degree
2006-2008 The Law Society of Ireland Professional Practice Course
Admitted to Roll of Solicitors March 2009
INTERESTS & ACHIEVEMENTS
Member of the UCD Law Society
Awarded Debater of the year 2000.
Represented UCD at a number of intervarsity debating competitions.
Over the years I have traveled extensively and enjoy meeting different people and
experiencing new cultures.
Address: 55 Every Place, Salthill, Galway; Tel: 086 2348767 Email: dianne@eir.net
Information on Applying for Non Legal Jobs © Law Society of IrelandFunctional CV
(Business Admin Focused)
LISA ANYONE
44 Any Drive, Ballincollig, Co. Cork,
Tel: (021) 234 1234
Lisa @hotmail.com
Good Administration, Commercial Management and Legal Skills.
Seeking Progressive Company That I Can Help To Develop and Grow.
Business Administration
Taking responsibility for all aspects of a busy administration office, including
bookkeeping, lodging receipts, handling reception and people calling in.
Good secretarial skills, with circa 50 words per minute typing and proficient in all
Microsoft Office programmes.
Able to function well under pressure, prioritise work, build team spirit and lead a
team of busy administration staff.
Capable and adaptable, able to adjust to a new work environment.
Sales Support
Good telephone experience, able to handle sales enquiries and liaise between
field sales staff and customers.
Able to sell on the telephone, provide customer support and build relationships.
Can quickly get to grips with a diverse product range and competently handle
technical queries from customers with a very short lead time.
Commercial Management
Efficiency focused – I like to have good systems in place and to anticipate and
steer around problems affecting areas I’m responsible for.
Multi-tasking, with a record of success in my last role of handling a wide range of
assignments and being able to function under extreme pressure at times.
Experienced in negotiating wide ranging matters at senior levels in business.
Legal Skills
In training to qualify as a solicitor I gained all round commercial legal knowledge
including drafting agreements, terms of business, employment law etc.
Gained experience of a wide variety of businesses, from work done with clients
during my legal training.
Wide network of colleagues and contacts in the legal profession.
EMPLOYMENTS
2006 – 2009 Training contract with Hanson O’Malley, Solicitors, Dublin 2.
Trained with this two partner legal firm, working with their wide range of commercial
and private clientele. Also centrally involved in the firm’s own administration function.
2005 – 2006 Administration / Reception role in Walsh & Ass, Graphic Designers.
Wide ranging responsibilities in an extremely busy and exciting young business.
QUALIFICATIONS:
2006 Qualified as Solicitor Law Society of Ireland
2002 BCL Degree, 2.1 Honours University College Cork.
Information on Applying for Non Legal Jobs © Law Society of IrelandFunctional CV
GERRY ANYONE (Community Work)
48 Any Road, Galway, Co. Galway
Telephone 087 2345687
email: gerry@hotmail.com
Having recently completed Psychology studies I am seeking a challenging role in
working with disadvantaged young people. Considerable experience with youth work,
I am also a solicitor with knowledge of family law and the judicial system.
KEY SKILLS
Managing and administering youth and community projects and resources.
Assessing the needs of young people, and planning and delivering programmes
related to health, fitness, smoking, drugs, relationships and bullying.
Running arts-based activities, community/environmental projects, residential
activities, outdoor education and sporting activities.
Befriending and supporting individuals in various settings.
Mentoring and counselling individuals to encourage social inclusion.
Recruiting and training volunteers.
Undertaking administrative tasks, verifying information and responding to queries.
Meeting, liaising and networking with police, educational establishments, social
services, to address issues and promote opportunities for young people.
Working with parents and community groups to win support for improved
provision and acting as an advocate for young people’s interests.
Identifying and pursuing sources of funding for projects to improve services
and/or resources for young people.
Drawing up business plans, writing reports and making formal presentations to
funding bodies.
SKILLS RELATED TO TRAINING AS SOLICITOR
Advised clients on family law and on wide ranging criminal law matters.
Gained experience across a broad range of sectors and types of work.
Drafted documentation for lodgements in High Court proceedings.
Organised and prepared documents for both large and small scale discovery.
Consulted with medical experts in respect of finalising their reports.
Liaised with counsel at motions; supported clients at counsel meetings.
Attended at initial consultations with clients and prepared briefs for counsel for
matters to be heard at District, Circuit and High Courts.
EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS
2006 BSc (Hons) Psychology 1st Class Honours Open University
1999 Qualified as a Solicitor Law Society of Ireland
1995 BCL Law Degree 2.1 Honours University College Dublin
Information on Applying for Non Legal Jobs © Law Society of IrelandVALERIE EVERYONE Functional CV
24 Every Drive, Mallow, Co. Cork, (In House Legal)
Tel: (022) 234 1234
valerie@gmail.com
PROFILE
Solicitor, skilled in commercial law and property transactions, seeking role as
a Legal Counsel in a dynamic environment with wide ranging legal challenges.
Commercial Management Support
Support for all business functions in drafting and reviewing contracts - such as
commercial trading agreements and event contracts.
Preparing and reviewing contracts and agreements including license agreements,
IT contracts, manufacturing agreements, franchise contracts, customer
information, and wide ranging policies and procedures.
Ensuring adequate systems and controls are in place to ensure compliance with all
applicable regulatory rules and principles.
Delivering a framework that ensures all complaints with a legal / compliance
element are effectively managed to resolution.
Legal & compliance management of a number of outsourcing projects within
Ireland and UK involving obtaining the Financial Regulator’s approval.
Advising management on legal issues particularly in technology, the internet and
privacy matters across Europe and their implications on the business.
Managing Litigation Matters
Responsible for the management of client company’s legal affairs acting as
conduit for all instructions and ongoing matters with advisers and head office.
Developing the core competition legal argument based on domestic competition
law and Articles 81, 82 and 86 of the EC Treaty.
As the lawyer with responsibility for the competition law argument, working with
the team to ensure that a seamless and coherent legal and economic argument
supporting our client’s case was presented to the court.
Representing client’s company in litigation before judicial and administrative
bodies, and recommending tactics and strategies for cases before the courts.
Anticipatory Legal Advice
Providing legal guidance and assisting in the identification of potential risk factors
related to the Company's practices, strategic business units, as well as all
products and services.
Reviewing global custody agreements and third party agreements, investment
management contracts, service level agreements, business terms and ancillary
contracts.
Company secretarial duties to two Irish domiciled companies.
Information on Applying for Non Legal Jobs © Law Society of Ireland Providing advice and recommendations to operational staff on all relevant legal
and regulatory issues.
Providing general legal support to management within the investment division.
Compliance Manager for a period during which internal restructuring took place.
Taking responsibility as the company Health and Safety Advisor, ensuring
compliance with all legislation and safety standards in the workplace.
Tracking changes & developments in the global legislative and regulatory
environment relative to privacy matters.
EMPLOYMENTS
Solicitor with Haughey O’Brien 2006 – 2009
Involved mainly in commercial and financial services in this large corporate law firm.
Training contract with Patrick Walsh & Associates, Solicitors 2003 – 2006
Gained wide general practice experience here, including commercial and litigation.
EDUCATION
Professional Diploma in Commercial Litigation 2009
Law Society of Ireland
Diploma in Commercial Conveyancing 2007
Law Society of Ireland
Admitted to the Roll of Solicitors 2006
Law Society of Ireland, Final Examination
Postgraduate Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Studies 2001
Griffith College
Undergraduate BSc. in Agricultural Science, Honours 2.1 2000
ACHIEVEMENTS
Runner Up, Law Society of Ireland, Trainee Solicitor Moot Court Competition
2002.
Runner-Up, Irish National Moot Court Competition 2003.
Enterprise Ireland, National Student Enterprise Awards Finalist 1999.
First Prize in Dublin City University New Business Ideas Competition 2000.
1995 Student of the Year in St.Mary’s Convent, Waterford.
Semi-finalist in Munster Schools' Debating Competition 1996.
Information on Applying for Non Legal Jobs © Law Society of Ireland5. ACCESSING OPPORTUNITIES
5.1 Places You Will Find Jobs and Related information
Newspapers will generally be found in public libraries and the major professional
journals and trade magazines are likely to be held in commercial libraries. The
Paperboy web site lists newspapers. National newspapers contain different types
of vacancies on different days. Remember that competition is likely to be fiercer
for a job advertised in a national newspaper than for one advertised in a Careers
Service publication.
Specialist journals and magazines may be published by the relevant professional
institution or by commercial publishers and generally contain articles, which will
give you an idea of current issues in the profession or sector and new products or
ideas. In some professions, these journals will be the principal place to find
advertisements.
Prospects Today is produced weekly and contains immediate vacancies for new
and recent graduates and is available on the ‘Prospects’ web site.
www.gradireland.com the official higher education careers website in Ireland. You
can use this site to search for current vacancies as well as annual vacancies with
major graduate recruiters.
www.prospects.ac.uk predominantly covers UK vacancies but there is a search
facility for jobs in Ireland.
Graduate careers websites such as www.doctorjob.com include a vacancy
section. Vacancies predominantly in the UK.
Employer websites - employers are increasingly using their own websites as the
principle source of notification about their graduate vacancies. Many companies
no longer publish recruitment brochures and handle applications on line instead.
Recruitment sites such as www.irishjobs.ie, www.recruitireland.com, and
www.jobs.ie Many sites ask you to register and will then send you direct
notifications of relevant vacancies.
Specialist journals on line and on line bulletins from professional bodies.
Additional resources are listed in Section 5.4 of this Handout.
5.2 The Hidden Market of Unadvertised Jobs
Many vacancies are never advertised - perhaps 70% or more. Some companies
don't want to pay expensive advertising costs. Others receive so many speculative
applications that they don't need to advertise. Smaller firms may prefer to recruit
someone who has been recommended - ie through word of mouth.
You can tap into this hidden jobs market by making speculative applications.
Information on Applying for Non Legal Jobs © Law Society of IrelandHow Can I Identify Employers To Contact?
By reading the papers to find out which companies are expanding, relocating,
developing a new product or service. National newspapers will contain articles on
industries, commercial sectors and specific organisations.
By researching company websites for information about opportunities.
By finding out about what other solicitors and graduates from your course are doing.
Higher Education Careers Services are required to gather information about the first
destinations of their students in the year after graduation. This information will give
you an idea of the types of company which might employ you.
By using employer directories such as:
o Professional Institution Directories listing member firms.
o IPA Yearbook
o Professional Directories such as PR, Media, performing arts)
o General directories giving products or services and turnover (e.g. Kompass)
By making the most of personal contacts you have in your career area of interest.
Network with your friends, family, former employers. Make sure you tell people that
you're looking for a job. These contacts can be an excellent source of information.
If you don't have many contacts in your field, consider conducting some Informational
Interviews.
An Informational Interview is a process of gathering information through personal
contact. Talk to people who are doing the type of work you might like to get into.
See the guidelines for network interviewing and possible questions to ask at a
network interview.
You will need to find information on employers at several stages in the job search
process. The information sources listed above will also be useful when:
Researching a job application
Preparing for interview
Deciding whether to accept a job offer
As mentioned previously, statistics show that the hidden job market is where the
majority of vacancies are. Research indicates that between 50% and 75% of jobs are
never advertised. Instead, these vacancies are filled by people who build up a
network of contacts or approach companies directly. Accessing the unadvertised jobs
market is therefore a vital part of your personal marketing programme.
Information on Applying for Non Legal Jobs © Law Society of Ireland5.3 Create your own Opportunities
Accessing the unadvertised jobs market is about creating your own opportunities. It is
a much more proactive approach than responding to advertised vacancies - although
you should not neglect that element in your job search either. There are two main
channels into the unadvertised jobs market:
1. Networking
2. Speculative applications to potential employers
Surveys have shown that, on average, the chances of getting a job through an
advertisement are below 7%. Getting a job through networking - focusing on your
expertise, targeting an employer who will value your expertise, and arranging to see
the person to hire these skills through your network contacts can, if properly
conducted, achieve success rates of up to 86%. So networking can be 12 times more
effective than answering an advertisement.
Networking
Networking is the process of developing personal and business contacts who can
help you with information to identify job vacancies which have not yet been
advertised on the open market or through recruiters, or who can refer you to
someone else who can.
Although the main aim of networking is to get a new job, that is the one thing you do
not ask your network contact for directly. Rather, look upon networking as a way of
exchanging advice and information. There are a number of topics you can
realistically cover which will lead you to your objective; these include:
Advice on the career options open to you
Ideas about what new directions you could take
General advice on your CV
Information about job opportunities
Referrals to other people who can do any of the above
The first thing you must do is develop a network list. As a starting point, make a list of
anyone you can think of who might be able to help you in your job search.
Remember that although your best contacts may be at the management level which
could employ you, valuable information and further contacts - and jobs - can result
from contacts at all levels, in any role, in any organisation or sector.
Grasp every chance to broaden your networking opportunities. Attend exhibitions,
conferences or trade fairs relevant to your target field. This gives you the chance to
meet / renew contacts (and provides common ground valuable in telemarketing). To
get a full list of the many events on offer, refer to the "Exhibition Bulletin", available in
most reference libraries.
If you are not already a member of a trade association or professional institute - join
now. Most hold regular local meetings giving you an opportunity to meet contacts
who could be useful to you, and provide a way of keeping up-to-date on what is
happening in your sector. The "Directory of Business Clubs, Groups & Associations"
(available in reference libraries) is a good place to start finding out what
organisations exist.
Information on Applying for Non Legal Jobs © Law Society of IrelandSpeculative Applications To Potential Employers
As between 50% and 75% of jobs are never advertised, speculative letters are likely
to form a large part of your personal marketing campaign. Before putting pen to
paper, consider exactly what company you are targeting and why.
You can approach companies directly at any time, but you are more likely to get a
positive response if you can present yourself as a solution to a new challenge or
problem faced by that company or organisation.
Research shows that a 'round-robin' letter of the "I am writing to introduce myself and
to discuss any opportunities you may be able to offer" type stands a chance of about
1 in 1200 of getting a positive response.
However, a well-researched, carefully targeted letter can increase your chances of a
response to about 1 in 30.
To a large extent, a successful direct mailing campaign is a numbers game. When
marketers tell you that a well-crafted and targeted direct mail campaign can be
expected to generate at best a 2%-3% response rate, that will give you some idea of
just how many approaches you need to make. That is not to say that you can rely on
volume to get results. Quite the opposite. An effective campaign is one which is
extremely well targeted and researched.
5.4 Resources You Can Access
The organisations listed below and their web sites provide useful information:
Dublin Institute of Technology
Trinity College Dublin
University of Limerick
University of Ulster
Two other very useful sites for solicitors and graduates in Ireland are:
Grad Ireland is a web site for Irish graduates
Prospects is a comprehensive careers web site for graduates
The information sources listed below are not intended to be comprehensive and, with
the exception of Prospects Graduate Services, are not endorsed in any way.
Job Hunting Websites
Gradireland - Current graduate opportunities in Ireland
Irish jobs - job opportunities in Ireland
Get Headhunted - job opportunities in Ireland
Monster jobs - job opportunities in Ireland
Recruit Ireland - job opportunities in Ireland
Jobfinder - Ireland
Gradunet - On-line graduate recruitment guide
Prospects - Jobs in the UK and links to other countries
Stepstone - Jobs in Europe
Information on Applying for Non Legal Jobs © Law Society of IrelandEurograduate - Career opportunities and planning in Europe
EURES - for information about employment in Europe
Job finder - USA
Jobweb -Graduate jobs in USA
job seeking overseas - Info and links
4 International Careers - Directory of job sites and career resources
Irish companies abroad - Irish companies abroad
Voluntary Work - Information on voluntary work opportunities in Ireland
Short term and Part-time - work in Ireland
Newspapers and magazines
Paperboy
provides links to national, regional and local newspapers worldwide
Magazineboy
provides links to magazines world-wide
Useful Directories For Researching Companies & Making Speculative
Approaches
Doras
Directory of Irish web-sites, including list of Irish recruitment agencies
Index Ireland
directory of Irish Companies
Kompass
directory of employers searchable by country
The swift guide to Ireland
Online directory including comprehensive listing of Irish companies by
industry area with brief descriptions and links to their web sites
Golden pages
Irish Golden pages
Niceone
Irish internet directory: Niceone, including list of recruitment agencies
Yellowpages
UK electronic yellow pages
UK Index
Directory of UK web-sites
UK Recruitment and Employment Federation
The professional association for recruitment agencies and has a searchable
database for agencies dealing with specific areas of work
Bigbook
Listing of 16 million USA businesses
Reuters
To find out more about companies see the Reuters website for searchable
press articles on organisations and sectors
Information on Applying for Non Legal Jobs © Law Society of IrelandYou can also read
