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Candidate Newsletter - Autumn 2007

Ten-Percent Legal Recruitment http://www.ten-percent.co.uk
Candidate Update Autumn 2007

1. Legal Recruitment Market Report - updated 13/09/07
2. Age Discrimination
3. Open Plan Offices - loathed or loved?
4. Flexible Working Hours and the legal profession
5. Newly Qualified - what do I do?
6. Online legal recruitment blog
7. Vacancy Database online - new and improved
8. Let us do the work! - head hunting with a difference
9. 2007 Charitable Donations
10. Let us recommend you - our findasolicitor service

Welcome to our Autumn newsletter, sent out to candidates who are registered with us on our database. If you do not wish to remain on the database to receive new vacancies, please email us the word 'remove' and your full name to cv@tenpercent.co.uk . If you wish to remain on the database, but not receive these updates (sent quarterly), please email 'no updates' with your name to cv@tenpercent.co.uk

1. Market Report (full report - http://www.ten-percent.co.uk/weeklyreport.htm)

2007 has been a very busy year for most recruitment companies, as the market has expanded in most sectors, and contracted somewhat in the LSC funded work areas. For permanent placements the fields of law are shifting. Crime remains awful, although picking up slightly. Conveyancing is good - lots of work on both the temporary and permanent side coming in - although again London central not moving very fast. Other areas appear to have a bit of a shortage. Personal injury - not very good, although commercial and civil litigation have picked up slightly.
In the temporary fields - TP Locums - http://www.ten-percent.co.uk/locum.htm - is finding increased numbers of assignments out there as firms struggle to attract new blood into firms, and are finding it easier to take locums for contract work and then ditch them when any source of work dries up.

It remains the same as always at NQ level - just not getting the vacancies into us in the same quantity as previous years - there are firms out there interviewing at present, and there seem to be increases across the board in the amount of work available. More and more of our recruitment is now focused more on experience rather than qualification.

Commercial litigation remains a barren wasteland, although we have had a couple of commercial litigation posts into us now, including an NQ one (second since 2004!). Commercial property remains busy, and there is a real lack of any candidates in that field at times. Property litigation as well seems to be the 'in' thing, and I expect this to increase in time, as more and more issues arise for the new generation of landlords out there.

2. Age Discrimination and Newly Qualified Solicitors
Things have not changed very much at all since the new laws came in from our perspective - I rue the days spent reading all the legislation and attending courses! Our agency has never discriminated on any front, and I have been happy to put forward 70 year old lawyers for NQ jobs if they wish me to. Firms can do as they please really - if they want to ignore an application they will do, but just dress it up as something else. Still lots of ads for NQ-3 years PQE solicitors, which employment lawyers were advising recruiters to cease doing. I have noticed an increase in firms taking on older solicitors, which is good.

3. Open Plan offices and solicitors - we have found that a lot of solicitors loathe them! Read full article..

4. Flexible working hours and the legal profession - partners can be blind to the benefits of part time solicitors - Read full article here

5. Help! I'm going to be newly qualified - how do I find a job? Full advice here

6. Online Legal Recruitment Blog - interview questions and answers, advice for negotiating pay rises and career progression

I regularly add articles to my online blog about legal recruitment techniques and guidance on interviews, candidates, recruitment processes, salary levels, increasing fees, marketing, advertising etc.. You can view the blog by clicking here.

7. Vacancy Database Online

If you would like to see our full lists of vacancies, simply click here to visit our online searchable vacancy database.

Alternatively, to make a change to your registration or job searching area, please email us at cv@ten-percent.co.uk

8. You do the head hunting, we do the work!

Did you know that Ten-Percent Legal Recruitment offers a mail out service? If for example you are a 4 year PQE conveyancing solicitor wanting to know what opportunities there are in North London, we can contact every firm in the area within 72 hours, and let you know of anything arising. There is no charge for this service, and all information is strictly confidential. We do all the work - sending out a CV once you have approved the firms who are interested, arranging the interviews etc.. Contact us at cv@ten-percent.co.uk to express an interest. We simply need the geographical locations you are interested in, type of law, current salary levels and notice periods.

9. Charitable Donations

This year we have given money to one of our candidate's own charities helping school children in Africa, supported an ongoing SendaCow project, assisted regional projects being run by the Stroke Association and the Parkinson's Society, and given money to two local charities to pay for the upkeep of a horse for the disabled and purchase a garage for a small playgroup/breastfeeding support group. For the year 2006-2007 the company donated over £8,500 to the trust. Further details of the work of the Ten-Percent Foundation can be found here

10. Find a Solicitor

Ten-Percent Legal Recruitment offers a findasolicitor service to the general public for free. If you would like your firm to receive recommendations, simply email us to tell us why, and the areas of law, and we will add the firm (or you) to the list. There is no charge for this service.

I look forward to hearing from you if we can assist. Over 4,500 solicitors and legal executives have registered with us since April 2000, and we offer our services to all UK firms, large or small.

Regards

Jonathan Fagan
Director
Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited
www.ten-percent.co.uk

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