“Hello. Are you a job agency?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Well, I’m looking for a legal job and you’re a job agency, so I need you to help me.”
“Okay. What is it that you’re looking for?”
“A job in the legal industry.”
I’m sure I’m going on with this conversation, it is very boring. However, suffice to say, this conversation carried on for a further minute before it transpired that this was a particularly cantankerous LPC graduate who presumably had been watching too much LA Law or This Life and the way to get into the legal industry was to march your way in and be rude to everyone you speak to.
There is almost an assumption amongst people from other industries coming into the profession that there are jobs aplenty, the idea of the purpose of legal job agencies is to simply find anyone who wants one a job. You’ll see in our blog and on our website (www.ten-percent.co.uk) numerous articles and comments to the effect that our legal recruitment agency is simply unable to assist with any training contracts applications for inexperienced or temporary legal roles as we specialise in permanent and temporary work for qualified or experienced staff. It does not seem to matter for some of these people who seem to think that this is simply put there to deter the weak minded and if they phone up and pretend to be strong and sturdy individuals and speak to you as if you are mud on the end of their shoe that you might be persuaded to help them and give them a job.
I regret to say that that is not the case, and usually these telephone calls end pretty abruptly with me or one of my colleagues informing the person that they really should look at our website and read all the notes on there before bothering us on the telephone.
It is about the time of year when lots of law students finish their courses and wonder what on earth they’re going to do with themselves for three months until the next year of their degree starts. This time of year terrifies me, because on the recruitment side we can be very busy picking up new vacancies and dealing with new newly qualified solicitors, and yet at the same time we have to handle telephone queries from law students wanting jobs. It can be infuriating when a call comes through to arrange an interview but the consultant misses it because he’s busy on the phone trying to explain to yet another LPC or LLB student that they really need to look on the website for details of our services and that we are unable to assist.
If you are reading this and are a law student or graduate, read our website, don’t ring us unless you wish to purchase one of our paid services. Our consultants will be polite but firm, and will try and get rid of you as quickly as they can. This is not discrimination by any stretch of the imagination, it is simply business. You are not worth anything to our company at this stage of your career, but we have to concentrate on generating income so that we can continue to provide free advice on the site for law students and graduates to assist them in their search for training contracts and work experience. Help us to help you (there’s a good strap line).
Jonathan Fagan is Managing Director of Ten Percent Legal Recruitment and really loves law students and graduates, whatever the time of year. However if you wish to ring him about a training contract or work experience placement, please don’t. If you wish to email us for careers advice on any subject please do on cv@ten-percent.co.uk.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Well, I’m looking for a legal job and you’re a job agency, so I need you to help me.”
“Okay. What is it that you’re looking for?”
“A job in the legal industry.”
I’m sure I’m going on with this conversation, it is very boring. However, suffice to say, this conversation carried on for a further minute before it transpired that this was a particularly cantankerous LPC graduate who presumably had been watching too much LA Law or This Life and the way to get into the legal industry was to march your way in and be rude to everyone you speak to.
There is almost an assumption amongst people from other industries coming into the profession that there are jobs aplenty, the idea of the purpose of legal job agencies is to simply find anyone who wants one a job. You’ll see in our blog and on our website (www.ten-percent.co.uk) numerous articles and comments to the effect that our legal recruitment agency is simply unable to assist with any training contracts applications for inexperienced or temporary legal roles as we specialise in permanent and temporary work for qualified or experienced staff. It does not seem to matter for some of these people who seem to think that this is simply put there to deter the weak minded and if they phone up and pretend to be strong and sturdy individuals and speak to you as if you are mud on the end of their shoe that you might be persuaded to help them and give them a job.
I regret to say that that is not the case, and usually these telephone calls end pretty abruptly with me or one of my colleagues informing the person that they really should look at our website and read all the notes on there before bothering us on the telephone.
It is about the time of year when lots of law students finish their courses and wonder what on earth they’re going to do with themselves for three months until the next year of their degree starts. This time of year terrifies me, because on the recruitment side we can be very busy picking up new vacancies and dealing with new newly qualified solicitors, and yet at the same time we have to handle telephone queries from law students wanting jobs. It can be infuriating when a call comes through to arrange an interview but the consultant misses it because he’s busy on the phone trying to explain to yet another LPC or LLB student that they really need to look on the website for details of our services and that we are unable to assist.
If you are reading this and are a law student or graduate, read our website, don’t ring us unless you wish to purchase one of our paid services. Our consultants will be polite but firm, and will try and get rid of you as quickly as they can. This is not discrimination by any stretch of the imagination, it is simply business. You are not worth anything to our company at this stage of your career, but we have to concentrate on generating income so that we can continue to provide free advice on the site for law students and graduates to assist them in their search for training contracts and work experience. Help us to help you (there’s a good strap line).
Jonathan Fagan is Managing Director of Ten Percent Legal Recruitment and really loves law students and graduates, whatever the time of year. However if you wish to ring him about a training contract or work experience placement, please don’t. If you wish to email us for careers advice on any subject please do on cv@ten-percent.co.uk.
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