Here is a selection of vacancies from our Legal Secretary Jobs Board this month:

Executive Assistant/Legal PA – Russell Cooke LLP

Location: Putney

Salary: Competitive

Russell Cooke LLP’s Private Client team in Putney is seeking a highly motivated, professional Executive Assistant who can demonstrate a breadth of skills and experience.

The successful candidate will work in a supportive collegiate team that is widely recognised for its expertise in this area.

View the full job description here:             

https://www.institutelegalsecretaries.com/jobs/candidate/job/173937/

Every year, the Global Footprint Network (GFN) calculates Earth Overshoot Day. This is the day when our consumption exceeds the regeneration of nature on our planet. Last year this happened in July – however, due to the coronavirus, it was recorded on 22 August this year. As human activity has been limited, the earth has had a little bit of a chance to recover.

Interestingly, Earth Overshoot Day happens on different days for other countries. Some of the biggest consumers of the world’s resources are Qatar, whose Earth Overshoot Day is in February, and United Arab Emirates and America, where it is recorded in March. Countries such as Cuba, Iraq and Indonesia seem to consume the least, with the day being set in December.

Since lockdown, the social distancing rules have thrown up many issues for lawyers. Wills and probate lawyers warned the government at the start of the crisis that clients were finding it more difficult to make Wills. Worse still, this was happening at the very time when Wills were most needed. Many solicitors were able to find ways to still get the work done while maintaining social distancing, but this was not always possible. One of the most difficult problems was satisfying the requirement that a Will be properly witnessed.

COVID-19 is having all kinds of far-reaching effects on everyone’s lives. And in recruitment, one of the biggest impacts is an inevitable switch to video interviewing.

But video interviewing has become far more common over recent years anyway. So, sharpening your video interview skills now won’t just be useful during this extraordinary period, but for your future career too.

Here are a selection of insider tips on video interviewing like a pro from everyone at Ambition.

Plan in advance

A video interview is no different from any other interview in terms of content. Don’t expect the questions to be any easier or the interviewer to be any more lenient.

You’ve unpacked the dishwasher, reloaded the dishwasher, descaled the kettle, updated your Facebook status to say how shocked you are at the amount of limescale in the kettle, made a frothy coffee, posted a photo of the coffee on Instagram and liked every article in your LinkedIn feed. You tell yourself it’s because cleanliness is next to godliness, you need the caffeine and you should engage with your connections. But the real reason is you don’t want to reformat the tables in the 300-page prospectus. Sound familiar?

Here’s another scenario: I took three days to write this article because I had to allow the ideas to develop in my mind before I put pen to paper. Was I delaying or was I procrastinating?

Here is a selection of vacancies from our Legal Secretary Jobs Board this month:

Part-Time Secretary – Bowers

Location: London

Salary: Competitive

A Secretary is required 3-4 days a week at assist in the area of education law (special educational needs) and court of protection work.

The successful candidate must have experience in  preparing legal documents , a good typing speed, administration skills and communication skills. The role will include taking dictation, case management and engaging with clients.

View the full job description here:           

https://www.institutelegalsecretaries.com/jobs/recruiter/job/173706/

With the coronavirus pandemic still ongoing, it can be easy to believe that job hunting at the moment is an exercise in futility. In reality, however, many employers continued to hire throughout lockdown, and as businesses around the country reopen, the organisations that had put their recruitment drives on hold have resumed efforts to source new talent.

That being said, job hunting now looks very different than it did back in March, and competition for roles in the legal profession is fierce. With the number of vacancies on-site growing and confidence in the job market improving, we decided to put together this list of advice and tips for how to get hired during COVID-19.

Be patient

With the Paralegal profession being acknowledged as the fastest growing within the legal services sector, it’s important to dispel some of the myths and incorrect assumptions that surround the profession.

All Paralegals are law graduates who wish to become Solicitors or Barristers

This premise is just wrong: many graduates still aspire to enter these conventional professions. However, not all graduates wish to become Solicitors or Barristers. Some may want to become career Paralegals or Paralegal practitioners. The cost of qualifying for the conventional professions is so prohibitive that many graduates see the Paralegal pathway as a viable career alternative.

Paralegals are just glorified Legal Secretaries

A Personal Assistant (PA) is tasked with carrying out administrative and organisational duties on behalf of an executive in an organisation that may be private, public or non-profit.

Individuals also hire PAs to manage their busy schedules. PAs are required to be flexible and productive in the duties they are assigned, so they should stay motivated. When PAs self-motivate, they develop a drive from within that pushes them to focus on achieving both personal and organisational goals.

We are looking for the brightest and most talented Legal PAs for the PA of the Year Awards 2020. If you work in a law firm and want to celebrate the achievements of a colleague, or if you’re a Legal PA yourself whose hard work deserves some recognition, then we want to hear from you.

If you aren’t quite convinced to submit a nomination yet, read on to find out first hand from Legal PA of the Year finalist Eleanor Lawson about her experience with the PA of the Year Awards 2019.

Hello, Eleanor. How did you become a Legal PA?