Preparing for Work
Launching a legal career does not happen overnight - it begins in first year! There are many steps required to successfully prepare to get the job you want in a competitive environment:- Research and learn about the profession and the variety of careers within and outside the legal profession
- Gain as much legal work experience as you can
- Network
- Develop a first class curriculum vitae and cover letter
- Prepare for interviews
- Attend the Careers careers events
- Get a mentor
- Be aware of the skills that you will need to develop to be a great candidate
- Optimise your communication skills
- Understand the seasonal clerkship and Supervised Workplace Training systems
Researching the profession
Knowing the professional environment and being able to converse comfortably about recent issues makes you appear engaged and enthusiastic about the law. This broader knowledge may be the factor in differentiating you from other great candidates. There are many ways to develop your understanding of the profession:
- Speak to fellow students, colleagues and lecturers
- Read the legal and business sections of the daily papers and the Financial Review
- Become a member of the Law Institute of Victoria (free for students) and attend Young Lawyer functions
- Read publications such as Lawyers Weekly and Lawyer 2B
- Use tools such as Legal 500
Gradlink's Careers for Law Graduates Guide is a helpful guide outlining career paths for law graduates.
The LSS also produce a Careers Guidebook. Click here to download the 2009 edition.
The University's Careers & Employment service's website has valuable information on job searching strategies as well as Graduate Careers on job searching strategies in an economic downturn.
Work Experience
Work experience is the key to getting a good graduate position. The more legal work experience you have the better. It provides you with opportunities to develop necessary skills, become used to the legal work environment, and to develop contacts in the legal profession.Firms are keen to see that you have legal experience – they are also impressed by the voluntary and the community work you may have done.There are many ways to gain legal work experience, such as.
- Para-legal work
- Voluntary and community work, such as at a Community Legal Centre
- Internship in a legal department of a corporation
- Work at the courts
- Part-time work with a barrister
- Legal Research
- Analysis
- Oral communication
- Written communication
- Interpersonal skills
- Planning and Organising
- Professionalism
- Problem solving
- Teamwork
As you can see from this list, many of these skills can be developed in non-legal work and in extra-curricula activities. As such all work experience is valuable. However, as you progress through your studies it is advisable to begin seeking legal experience.Employment opportunities are advertised on the Careers Office Employment pages. However many jobs are never advertised and it is important to be proactive in your job searching. You can do this by following up any leads and contacts, networking, and ‘cold calling’ – identifying firms you are interested in working in and sending them your CV.If you need any advice on gaining work experience and job searching, you are welcome to book a consultation with the Careers consultant.The Law Students’ Society also runs a work experience program to help you find opportunities. (link)
Network
Networking is simply talking to people about your career aspirations. The more people who know you and of our plans the more opportunities will arise. Many positions are never advertised and are filled through word-of-mouth. Effective networking can alert you to these openings – in fact it can sometimes create these openings.On one level networking is talking to people you meet; on another level it is strategically putting yourself in places where you will meet the people you need to meet.
- Attend public lectures and professional development seminars where key people are speaking and attending
- Engage with your lecturers – they often have large professional networks
- Attend professional social functions such as those run by the Law Students’ Society and the Law Institute of Victoria
- Speak with fellow students and colleagues
- Do some voluntary or community work
- Follow up on chance encounters – you never know when you are going to meet someone who will important in your career!
Click here for the powerpoint of the Networking is not a dirty word! presentation which was presented by the Careers Office as part of the Preparing for Work seminar series.
Cover letter
A cover letter is your first point of contact with a prospective employer. It must be well-written, succinct and summarise your skills and experience, your suitability, and what you can offer the firm or organisation. Your cover letter must impress the reader to the point that they will continue on to read your curriculum vitae.Some key points on cover letters:
- A cover letter is a formal business letter
- It must conform to the format of a business letter and the language must be polite and business-like
- It should not exceed 1 page in length
- Select a font that is simple and clear and easy to read
- Double check for spelling and grammatical errors
- Make it clear which position you are applying for
- Personalise the letter by finding out the name of the person to whom it should be addressed
- There are 4 sections to a cover letter:
- Introduction: A brief introduction stating the position you are applying for, where you saw it advertised and some basic information about you, for example, a 3rd year LLB/Commerce student at the University of Melbourne.
- A paragraph on you! In this paragraph you will use demonstrated examples of your skills, attributes and experiences to illustrate how your suitability for the position.
- A paragraph on why you have chosen to apply for THIS firm or organisation. This can be quite genuine and is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your knowledge of the firm and the legal profession generally.
- Concluding paragraph including your availability for interview.
Note: Sections 2 and 3 can be reversed depending on the flow of the letter
A sample cover letter is available for your formatting guidance.
Curriculum Vitae
Your curriculum vitae (CV) is the key document for your success in gaining employment. Think of it as your primary marketing tool! While your cover letter must entice the reader to read your CV, your CV must engage them enough that they want to meet you for an interview.The CV documents and summarises your education, work experience, skills and achievements. There are no set rules for CVs however there are some important guidelines:
- The format should be logical and easy to read with clear sections
- Ensure that the most impressive and relevant information is close to the front
- You should use reverse chronological order consistently
- Use the active voice and begin bullet points with a verb
- The font and layout should be simple and the paper good quality
- It should not exceed 3 pages in length
- Put your name and page number in the footer of each page
- Check very carefully for spelling and grammatical mistakes
- Emphasise and quantify your achievements
- Tailor the CV to ensure that there is a connection between your experience and the position you are applying for
In deciding what to leave in and take out, assess each point according to its relevance to the position you are applying for; its recency and its excellence.It is a good idea to write a master CV which details all of your work experience, achievements and skills. You can then easily tailor more targeted CVs from the master for specific job applications.
A Sample CV is provided as a guide. Resume Express has online tips for writing your CV and the University’s Careers & Employment service’s website and publication Wise Up For Work has further information and sample CVs.
Preparing for Interviews
If you have been offered an interview the employer has been interested enough in your CV and cover letter to want to meet you and discuss the application further.The prospective employer will be looking to see how well you will fit with the firm, how your skills and aptitude match the position and generally how you will work with colleagues and clients. They are also an opportunity for you to learn more about the position and the working environment. The key to success at interview is to be prepared.
- Know about the position you have applied for and about the firm
- Your interviewer will have read your CV so you must know it well and be prepared to discuss any part of it in detail
- Prepare some questions to ask the interviewer
- Be well rested and arrive early
- Dress in business attire
There are many different interview techniques. The interview may be one-on-one, it may be with a panel of interviewers in a formal setting, or it may be a ‘fire-side’ chat. In any case you must be professional at all times and keep on the subject – which is you and the position! If the interview is a ‘fire-side’ chat style, be careful not to be lured into being overly familiar and casual! For example, if they ask you about your experience on exchange, try to focus on the personal growth and the skills you developed – the things that are relevant to the position – and not the great parties you went to! Interviewers may ask you direct questions about your experience, your CV and your goals. However it is very common nowadays for interviewers to ask some behavioural questions as well. The premise for these types of questions is that your past behaviour in specific situations will predict how you will behave in the future.
Again, be prepared for this kind of interview questioning. Questions are often around the themes of teamwork, interpersonal skills, communication, negotiating ability, initiative and problem solving. Go through your past employment and life experiences and think of instances where you have handled situations well. The attached document has more information on behavioural Interview tips and questions to help you prepare. Graduate Careers also have some handy tips here.
You can download presentations on interview techniques by Allens Arthur Robinson and Blake Dawson.
The University's Careers & Employment service also has some valuable information on interviewing on their website as does the website Career One.
Events
The Careers Office programs events during first and second semester. The events are designed to help you explore careers options and pathways and to begin networking with the profession. These are free to Melbourne Law School students and are an invaluable way to learn to manage your career.
For a full listing of forthcoming events click here.The Guest Lecture Series is an opportunity to hear from the best and brightest in the profession as they talk about cutting edge legal issues. These lectures are very relevant for your career development as it is a rare and valuable opportunity to have the chance to hear such people speak of their working lives. All students are welcome to attend these lectures.
Mentoring
Having a mentor is an invaluable way to develop your knowledge of the profession, identify which skills you need to enhance and to begin to make your professional connections. Mentors are often willing to to discuss career options with you based on their experience in the area.
The Melbourne Law School Mentor Program will begin in 2009. This program is designed specifically for first year students as part of their orientation into the world of law.
If you are a later year student there are other mentor programs which you might register with.
The Victorian Bar runs a program with barristers mentoring Indigenous law students and the Young Lawyers Section of the Law Institute of Victoria has the Later Lawyers Network Mentoring program. Victorian Women Lawyers (VWL) and Women Barristers Associations (WBA) jointly run a mentoring program for female law students.
You can always arrange your own mentor - perhaps a colleague, family friend or someone you may meet through networking. Joining committees such as the Young Lawyer's Section committees of the Law Institute of Victoria is also a good way to work closely with other practitioners and learn from them.
If you need further advice on approaching a mentor and managing the relationship, you are welcome to make an appointment with the Careers Counsellor to discuss.
Developing Skills
Developing skills is integral to your graduate success. Work experience is a great way to develop your skills in a professional environment, as are voluntary and community work and extra-curricula activities such as Law Review or mooting competitions. By being involved in work or other activities you are able to provide examples to demonstrate and substantiate your skill level.Key transferable skills are:
- Oral and written communication
- Interpersonal and teamwork
- Organisation and time-management
- Problem solving
- Professionalism
- Research
- Analysis
Workskills is an invaluable site developed by the Melbourne Law School to help students assess their skill levels and to build employability skills while studying. It is advisable to do the skills audit on the Workskills site regularly throughout your studies to help you identify which skills you need to further develop. The site is specific to Melbourne Law School so it is useful to help you decide which subjects and extra-curricula activities will develop the skills you need. The skills audit not only helps you identify your weaknesses, it also helps to identify your strengths! This is great for your confidence and also when you are writing you CV.
The Law School's Language and Academic Skills Adviser, Dr Anthony McCosker, can help you to develop your legal writing and communication skills and provide strategies for study, time and task management.
Natalie Wieland, the Law School's Legal Research Skills Adviser, is available for individual consultions to develop your legal research skills. She also runs workshops to prepare you for legal research once you are working in a law firm. Completing one of these workshops is a great way to add to your skill base and give yourself an edge when applying for Traineeships. Natalie can be contacted via email on nwieland@unimelb.edu.au.