Legal receptionist/Administrators

edrushuk

How did you get your first role?

I am currently employed as an admin person within an executive search company, but looking to focus more in the legal sector. As I have no legal experience, I feel there is little point sending my CV to legal recruitment companies.

So how do legal secs/receptionist get their first roles?


I have over 20 years experience doing admin/reception role, but mostly in the media sector.

If someone who is currently employed in these roles or similar, could come back with some tips, I would be very grateful.

Thank you

Susanna

robpw2

edrushuk wrote: »

. As I have no legal experience, I feel there is little point sending my CV to legal recruitment companies.

perhaps you could try sending your cv to some law firms , with covering letter explaining what it is your after , if you do not send your cv how will companies know your looking ?

SarEl

edrushuk wrote: »

How did you get your first role?

I am currently employed as an admin person within an executive search company, but looking to focus more in the legal sector. As I have no legal experience, I feel there is little point sending my CV to legal recruitment companies.

So how do legal secs/receptionist get their first roles?


I have over 20 years experience doing admin/reception role, but mostly in the media sector.

If someone who is currently employed in these roles or similar, could come back with some tips, I would be very grateful.

Thank you

Susanna

Whilst a formal qualification isn't a requirement for a legal secretary, I know that we wouldn't employ someone who doesn't have one as a legal secretary. At the risk of being jumped on every person who has ever done secretarial work - from our point of view, excellent secretaries are ten a penny to recruit because there are a lot of them around, so if a legal secretary is what we want, that is what we recruit. Most firms will have trainee positions from time to time, but that may not be what you are looking for after already having been in employment for some time.

We generally recruit through specialist agencies, who also supply our temps. You may find that you could build up some experience temping, but again, my own experience is that we are looking for someone who already knows what they are doing, so they are usually qualified.

edrushuk

Hi ya,

Rob - That is what I plan to do, to send my CV to law companies that specialise in the music sector, then to others.

SarEl - I thought that would be the way it happened, but these legal secs must have had a first legal role. I totally recognise that any employer would take on someone who has already has the experience, but that experience must have been gained.
Also at the moment I don't feel it would be a good idea to give up a full time role for a temp one. Not while I am still on a DMP.

Thank you for your help

Susanna

Caroline_a

As an experienced PA/Office Manager I once temped at a solicitors for a month during a period when I was out at work. I have to say that the work was basically the same as in any other office, some slightly different procedures but nothing that couldn't be explained and taken on board in a matter of a few minutes. (I worked as PA to the Senior Partner)

I would say that many of the procedure were unnecessarily 'in the dark age'!

SarEl

Caroline_a wrote: »

As an experienced PA/Office Manager I once temped at a solicitors for a month during a period when I was out at work. I have to say that the work was basically the same as in any other office, some slightly different procedures but nothing that couldn't be explained and taken on board in a matter of a few minutes. (I worked as PA to the Senior Partner)

I would say that many of the procedure were unnecessarily 'in the dark age'!

I am always wary of getting into debates about secretarial work because it usually gets me black looks (being vaguley unable to type, myself!) - but my legal secretary and my PA are two different people and do totally different jobs! There is a difference between being a secretary in a legal practice and a legal secretary.

OP, I am not an expert in this because I only know what we and a few other chambers / solicitors offices that we deal with may do. But most of us seem to train people up - and on that basis they tend to be younger people (and there was another minefield I just stepped into - not siggesting you are old OP!), or people who have come in in different roles and who have often taken the training on on their own initiative to progress. It can be done part-time.

edrushuk

Hello again,

Caroline, I am coming from a similar background as yourself, but with slightly less executive support experience, so it is good to hear you could handle the work.

SarEl - I support I would be more interested in PA work in the long run, I don't really want to end up spending all my time typing. You are right that I am of the older age range (40+), so I assume that will be another mark against me.

I think I will go ahead with my mailout and see what happens. Luck might be on my side and someone might give me a break.

Thanks again

Susanna

duckandcover

I worked in the mailroom in the Paris office of a very well known law firm during my year abroad two years, and got offered the opportunity to stay on full-time to become a legal secretary - tbh I'd have done it if it wasn't for the fact I had to do my final year! So there's always that route :P

Caroline_a

edrushuk wrote: »

Hello again,

Caroline, I am coming from a similar background as yourself, but with slightly less executive support experience, so it is good to hear you could handle the work.

SarEl - I support I would be more interested in PA work in the long run, I don't really want to end up spending all my time typing. You are right that I am of the older age range (40+), so I assume that will be another mark against me.

I think I will go ahead with my mailout and see what happens. Luck might be on my side and someone might give me a break.

Thanks again

Susanna

The phrase/word is experienced! Don't put your date of birth on your CV, and you'd be quite surprised how the more experienced administrators and PAs are actually quite sought after these days!

SarEl - I guess it depends on the practice and I worked for a solicitor's office and I know you are a barrister so maybe demands on admin support are different?

Mischa8

Just wanted to add my views here.

I have worked in my first job as legal secretary/PA/receptionist combined for the past 20 months. Prior to getting this job I'd temped long term for 2 years in high level PA positions and had PA/secretary permanent roles previously. I did work as architectural secretary/PA for 6 years where you have specific technical terms and forms etc.

I completed a 3 month evening legal secretarial course and the company I did this through actually offered to try and find you work, through a sort of jobs board on their website etc.

I was extremely lucky in that one of my mum's friends is a legal secretary and knew of a small, local firm whose legal secretary was retiring. I went along for the interview and partly because I knew the *friend* but also partly because I'm good at my job, I got the job. I was lucky in the sense that I've needed little training and have learned on the job. I will think about looking around this year but to be honest I think my time here so far has helped greatly with my confidence and knowledge in the role.

To the OP if you want to go for the legal PA role you should look into that. There are several legal recruiting websites, you could ask about temp to perm jobs, that way if it doesn't work out no-one really loses out, or even just temp for a legal company, they may take you on or you can add that experience to your CV.

Good luck anyway.:)

athensgeorgia

I've been in the same profession for many years and even though it is mainly answering the telephone I do have some minor admin duties.

I'm doing a college course at the moment to be a legal secretary and even though it wasn't the profession I wanted (I just wanted a qualification to prove I can do what I can do) I'm really enjoying the legal side of it. Its 2 days a week but after working for the past 16 years it doesn't feel like 2 days. It's an NVQ Level 3 ILEX, which I'm hoping will be what law firms are looking for.

I've actually decided, I'm not 100% certain though, when I get my certificate in June to apply for admin jobs to get some real experience on my CV, because I don't think my current job will look good to potential employers.

I'm really unsure though, Do employers want experience or qualifications on a CV?