So you want to practise law in Australia?

If you are considering moving to Australia and practising law there are 3 key factors to consider. Migration The first step is your migration status. For non-residents or citizens to work in Australia you will need to hold a valid visa. There are various categories of visas that will provide you with working rights. Occasionally, organisations will sponsor international workers. The “skilled worker” lists provided by the Department of Immigration, lists the categories where visas are more easily obtained. Often an employer would have to provide evidence to prove there were an insufficient number of suitable Australian candidates to perform the job. As law is significantly jurisdictionally specific it may be difficult for an employer to sponsor a foreign admitted lawyer on this basis. Therefore, you may want to consider exploring other avenues. For advice on this you should contact a qualified migration lawyer or a registered migration agent. At Elias Recruitment, we can assist by providing you with suggestions to ensure the process is seamless for you if you require. Requalifying Requalifying is essential to practising in Australia. Law is very jurisdictionally focussed and it is not always as easy to transfer countries. Unless you are from New Zealand, which is under the Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997, it is a fairly simple process. In fact, it isn’t always that easy to change states. As Australia is a federation, each state (NSW, QLD, WA, SA, VIC and TAS) and each Territory (ACT and NT) have their own laws governing areas, from property to crime. Under the constitution, The Commonwealth makes laws for other areas including: Corporations, Family law, Trade Practices, Insolvency and IP. Each state and territory has its own regulatory body that approves admissions. Overseas-qualified lawyers would need to apply to the relevant local regulator to determine what steps are needed to requalify. Each state has its own rules and inevitably judges each situation on a case-by-case basis. You will then need to lodge certain paperwork: eg your academic transcripts and references. Please note: This can take 4-6 weeks so leave plenty of time. List of relevant admitting authorities in Australia Australian Capital Territory – Legal Practitioners Board New South Wales – Legal Profession Admission Board Northern Territory – Legal Practitioners Admission Board Queensland – Queensland Legal Practitioners Admissions Board (See the Queensland Courts website or the Queensland Law Society website for related information). QLPAB Admission Dates South Australia – Legal Practitioners Education and Admission Council (See the Law Society of South Australia website for related information). Tasmania – Board of Legal Education (See the Law Society of Tasmania website or related information). Victoria – Council of Legal Education – Victorian Legal Admissions Board Western Australia – Legal Practice Board Generally, lawyers from common law jurisdictions (such as England and Wales) have fewer steps. You may need to undertake a Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma in Australian Law. A certain number of subjects will also need to be undertaken on Australian specific legal areas, such as Constitutional Law. Lawyers from civil jurisdictions (like Europe) may need to do a Juris Doctor. Once admitted in one jurisdiction it is easier to practice in other states and territories through the mutual recognition process. A good guide for admission in NSW is the Uniform Principles for Assessing qualifications. Employability So once you have gone through the process of requalifying and have the right to work in Australia – what are your actual chances of finding a suitable position? Firstly, it is considerably more difficult if you are currently overseas than if you are already based locally. Law firms often prefer interviewing you face-to-face before making their ultimate decision. In reality, many lawyers tend to be risk adverse – so generally will only hire candidates with local law experience, over foreigners who need to come up to speed with the relevant laws. There are obvious exceptions – for example, when I practised in a large firm, there were several UK qualified lawyers who were able to work on significantly large-scale M& A transactions, as their skill sets were highly transferrable and in demand. In comparison, areas such as litigation with complex procedures may not be as easy. In certain circumstances, coming from overseas and having a particular understanding of language and culture of an ethnic or linguistic group can help differentiate your skill-set and give you an advantage in finding a job servicing those particular client’s demographics. As a recruiter, I once experienced a particular scenario, where I was approached by a Canadian partner, who was considering the relocation to Sydney after marrying an Australian. She was from a highly respected law firm and practised in the area of Employment law. With the change of government in Australia the employment laws radically changed so she was able to come up to speed with the new laws just like all the other local lawyers. All of her great BD, communication skills etc. were transferrable and whilst she took a pay cut initially she was soon recognised as a standout and promoted to partner. Sometimes securing quasi legal roles such as Contracts Managers are a good first step. Conclusion Whilst there are a few minor hurdles to overcome, there are a number of success stories where overseas lawyers have taken the plunge to requalify in Australia and have created highly rewarding careers. It is certainly achievable once you are aware of the relevant rules and regulations and place an emphasis on the transferability of your skills. Highlighting your unique strengths and describing how your particular skills can transfer seamlessly into the position will ultimately boost your credibility and increase your chances of becoming employed. At Elias Recruitment, we can provide in depth insight into the law firm or company of your choice and help you boost your chances of becoming successfully employed.

8 ways to build your personal brand with LinkedIn

Law is increasingly competitive with the rise of technological advances and changes in society. Gone are the days people just go to your company website. These days, many will check out your LinkedIn first. Whether you’re job hunting, gathering leads or networking with clients, having a professional eye-catching LinkedIn profile will build your professional brand and ultimately help you be found by the right people. Here are some quick LinkedIn profile tips to help you: 1. Your profile photo Always begin with a professional, bright headshot. Make sure you are professionally dressed and presented. Try not to use a cropped photo with someone’s arm draped around your shoulder from a wedding. LinkedIn prioritises profiles that have a profile shot. And of course, make sure you are smiling! 2. It’s all about the story of you Your profile should clearly articulate what it is you do, and the organisation you work for- maybe even include a reason as to why you love working for that particular organisation. At Elias, we recommend you outline 5-6 of your greatest achievements. Remember to think of your target audience. Great and effective marketing is about identifying the needs of your target audience (in this case that sought after legal firm or company) and positioning your brand to meet with their demands. It’s exactly the same for a job candidate – you must offer the ideal solution; how you can bring value to their team. If you’re not sure where to start – view bios and profiles of other LinkedIn members who stand out from the crowd. 3. Detail is good That includes and is not limited to: skills, volunteer associations, etc. This is the platform to put all the quirky, interesting stuff that differentiates you from the rest that doesn’t fit on your resume. Also, you should try to make your headline stand out. By default, LinkedIn populates your job title and current company, but you don’t have to leave it that way. Quick tip: Add relevant links to your company website or other websites that will boost your profile. 4. Join groups (strategically) The Groups function on LinkedIn is one of the most underrated features. You are allowed to join up to 100 groups, and we recommend utilising that full quota. A percentage of those groups should include industry groups. Aim to join groups where your clients or employers will be. If you’re a lawyer, join the Australian Legal Community with over 6,000 members. If there is no relevant group – we suggest making one. 5. Aim to increase relevant connections This may appear obvious to many, but you should aim to increase your connections on LinkedIn. When a potential employer or prospective client engages with you on your profile – you will appear to have more credibility with the more common connections you have. We recommend connecting with all of your email contacts and Linked In makes this really easy. Also, whenever you meet someone – connect with him or her. Met someone at a function or a CPD? Connect with them. 6. Be an expert- post original articles If you have written a blog or legal article, make sure you share it with the groups, your status updates and of course publish on LinkedInwith Pulse. 7. Share great content Use status updates to share industry relevant content to become the expert in your field – or at least appear to be. Posting high quality, relevant and interesting content (even if is not your own) increases your credibility as someone who is connected and in the know. Share your content with your connections and groups and encourage them to forward to their connections and hope it goes viral. We recommend continuously staying up to date with industry insights and publications in your field and sharing whatever you believe appeals to your audience. 8. Have your connections endorse your skills and give recommendations Recommendations are the currency of LinkedIn. Reach out to past colleagues, managers and associates and ask them to write a recommendation. Endorsements are less credible but if you have the maximum number 99 for any skill set this increases your reputation and image as an expert. For more tips on enhancing your personal brand within the legal industry or information on how to get that coveted legal position, contact us today.

How to handle a bad performance review

Getting a bad performance review – or even a less-than-great review – can be a career nightmare. But before you start drafting an angry resignation letter, remember there are ways you can turn the situation around without moving on. In fact, the way you deal with a bad performance review could be a great opportunity to prove them all wrong and show just how professional you really are. So here’s how to handle those first few weeks after the review in five steps. 1. Stay calm. No matter how you’re feeling on the inside, the worst way to handle a bad review is to show anger or defensiveness. Now is the time to be completely businesslike in everything from emails to your manner during meetings. Out of office hours, take the time you need to talk to friends, hit the gym or do whatever it takes to stay cool,calm and collected at work. 2. Re-read and evaluate your feedback. Take at least 24 hours to clear your head. Then, sit down to read through the feedback on your own. Pay close attention to specific complaints (eg ‘Regularly arrives late to meetings.’) and even closerattention to anything that isn’t specific enough (eg ‘Appears disengaged at times’). Speaking of which… 3. Ask for specific ways to improve. Make a time to talk to your boss about any part of your performance review that isn’t totally clear. Remember to approach this meeting as openly as you can. This isn’t the time to make your case against the review, but to find out exactly what the people above you most want to see changed. Remember perception is key here. 4. Set concrete goals. Once you know what’s expected, turn your feedback into concrete actions. Take each section and turn it into something you can actually do. For example,‘Appears disengaged in meetings’ becomes ‘Note at least one action from each meeting’ and ‘Does not collaborate with team’ becomes ‘Regularly ask colleagues for input in person and/or by email’. 5. Follow up. Give it at least a month before asking for more feedback – you want people to have enough time to notice the effort you’re making (and to see these aren’t temporary changes). Then set a time to meet with the people who gave you the original feedback to ask whether things are moving in the right direction. What if none of that works? It’s unlikely, but in a worst case scenario, none of the above steps will have an effect, and you’ll end up back at square one. If you think the situation isn’t being handled well and things aren’t getting better, it could be time to seek another opinion or start looking for a new opportunity. ____________________________________________________ Jason Elias runs Elias Recruitment, a boutique legal recruitment consultancy specialising in finding lawyers for law firms, NFP’s and corporate in-house teams. Jason is also co-founder of Bulletpoints.com.au – a one-stop shop that simplifies CPD for lawyers. Get in touch at [email protected] . Source: Blog

6 reasons to use a recruiter when hiring

I am obviously a recruiter and of course I would be telling you to use a recruitment agency – but here’re good reasons why…… 1. Don’t waste your advertising time & dollar Advertising is not as easy as it seems. There is an art to writing up the right advertisement and to target the right talent. A lot of mistakes are made by employers who simply throw up a never ending job description as a way of attracting top talent. With most candidates applying for multiple jobs in a day, your ad has to stand out to make them want to press the “Apply Now” button – majority of candidates either go straight to the section on what is in it for them, don’t read past the job title/salary or have no idea they applied as they have set up multiple accounts on various job boards and activated “auto apply”. Even if you have the job ad right, it doesn’t automatically mean that the best candidates are going to see it. There are hundreds of job boards and industry-specific publications, websites and blogs, each with multiple categories and sub categories making it difficult to successfully navigate these online advertising black holes! The good recruiters understand these pitfalls and can have your job placed in the right way and in the right place. Without their expertise, you could be wasting your advertising and marketing dollar on ads that might never be seen, as well as sitting back and waiting for that perfect candidate that never applies. 2. Increasing the candidate pool Recruiters are known to place approximately 80% of their placements with a candidate from their existing talent pool. Good recruiters don’t simply “wack up an ad” – Employers with little or no Recruitment experience can do this, albeit a lot of the time not very well. But even with a good advertising search, there is a large part of the talent pool not actively looking at job boards. Recruiters are constantly busy making connections and networking their talent who are in the “passive” market. They are those candidates who are currently employed not having the time to look themselves, and would like their recruiter to let them know “if there is ever a job like that one that ever becomes available”. Make sure the search for your new employee is coming from a broad-based search utilising your recruiter’s database and network and not just the best of the small group that happen to find an advert by luck. 3. Clearly defined position/hiring outcomes and expectations The positions vacant are pre-qualified before going to market. It is not just a one-way street and every good recruiter will know their employer and the employer will trust the advice of their recruiter. Most new vacancies start with an interrogation of the job role as it is a good opportunity to possibly redesign the position. It might also be an opportunity to discuss why perhaps the role has not worked out with several different candidates, a continual problem within the job responsibilities itself. This is also where the recruiter will advise you of what has worked in the past, what is popular in the market, and other useful information that you wouldn’t have access to when trying to hire on your own. Successful recruiters will walk away with realistic expectations of the employer and a clear defined job description for potential applicants. 4. Expert hiring advice Recruiters will always interview and gain a good understanding of what a candidate is really looking for in a new job and employer… well the good ones will! Recruiters usually get to know their candidates and gain a better understanding of their drivers, strengths, weaknesses, their work history and reasons for changes over their career. It can sometimes just be down to a recruiter “gut feel” about the candidate – instincts that are developed over time with extensive experience. Salary expectations is another issue a good recruiter will manage with a prospective employee. This conversation is sometimes difficult to have between and employee/employer – an employer trying to cut costs for the firm while an employee trying to beat up their salary. There is an element of trust with the recruiter that makes this conversation more realistic. 5. Speed and adaptability Sometimes a new hire is required immediately which is something recruiters are good at – they have a broad range of candidates already in their database and have the ability to act quickly. They normally have an active list of candidates who are able to move at a moment’s notice. They also have a pool of temporary candidates who may be able to step into the role and offer cover while the permanent talent search is being conducted. 6. Getting it right the first time One of the best reasons for using a recruiter is that their work is guaranteed. Guarantees can range from the standard industry three-month period out to six months which lines up more and more with the standard probationary period. Recruiters hate doing a refill and let’s face it, no one likes working for free, so they are making a concerted effort to ensure they get it right the first time with the best candidate possible. Using a recruiter will save you time and money by not having to run the process yourself and also safeguards against making a wrong hire. Making a wrong hiring decision costs an organisation precious time and therefore money as well. If you are looking to fill a role within your organisation, consider using a recruitment agency that specialises in your industry and hire the correct candidate for your company. ____________________________________________________ Jason Elias runs Elias Recruitment, a boutique legal recruitment consultancy specialising in finding lawyers for law firms, NFPs and corporate in house teams. Jason is also co-founder of Bulletpoints.com.au – a one-stop shop that simplifies CPD for lawyers. Get in touch at [email protected]. Source: Blog

Legal Job Index – Legal Vacancies Report for 1st Quarter FY2016

Strong legal jobs market shows Sydney and Melbourne booming Sydney and Melbourne’s law firms are creating new jobs in areas usually associated with a growing economy, the Elias Legal Job Index reveals. The Index tracks trends in the commercial legal jobs market by measuring the number of jobs posted directly on major firm’s websites in Sydney, Melbourne and Newcastle. The first Index, which tracks job posting between July 2015 and September 2015, shows 229 were jobs advertised in the three cities’ major commercial law firms. And the biggest hirers were M&A, corporate, property, banking and finance and litigation practices. “The hiring intention of major commercial law firms is often an early gauge of how the economy will fare over the next little while. When firms are ‘lawyered up’ they usually have a good reason to suspect there will be a significant amount of activity in the area,” Elias says. “So when they’re looking for fee earners in practices such as M&A and corporate, it’s usually a pretty good sign that they expect to be busy.” “It’s not exactly the same story of ‘doom and gloom’ we’re being sold by many sections of the media.” “That said, some of the roles are replacement roles rather than growth roles and we should probably keep that in mind before we get too carried away by just how bullish law firms have become.” Here are some of the trends the Index reported in the period between July and September. Big numbers in Corporate/Mergers and Acquisitions Corporate/M&A and Property practices recorded the highest number of vacancies: Corporate/M&A was responsible for 17% of advertised jobs, followed by Property with 15%. Meanwhile, Banking/Finance and Litigation were equal third registering 13% of advertised vacancies in each area. “No one who knows anything about the property market will be surprised about these numbers,” Elias says. “Firms have been looking for good property lawyers for some time now and they’ve found it close to impossible to keep up with demand from clients. But most of the headlines have focused on the residential housing market whereas these firms deal with much larger-scale constructions.” “The buoyant jobs market in M&A, corporate and banking and finance also shows that there should be a lot of deals getting done at the big end of town over 2016.” Lower numbers in Insolvency, Regulatory/Competition and Employment These three areas experienced the lowest rate of hiring growth for the quarter, each accounting for just 3% of jobs. The two areas with the fewest advertised vacancies were Family Law and Energy, both with 2%. “This wasn’t unexpected because our data focuses on larger firms in markets away from the major energy industry centres of Brisbane and Perth as well as the small number of firms in this category who practise family law” Elias says. “That said, anecdotally the number of jobs in those cities is nothing like in the major two capitals – which suggests that the economy may be again be two- speed but with finance and construction leading the way this time rather than mining.” Times still tough for recent grads Most of Q3 vacancies were for jobs at the mid-senior level, which isn’t great news for the vast number of recently graduate lawyers struggling to get a job. In fact, 60% of available jobs were at Associate level, 30% at Senior Associate level, and only 5% graduate or Junior Associate roles. “Firms are looking for lawyers who are already experienced and often come with their own client base. That’s especially true for roles where they’re looking to replace lawyers who have left,” Elias says. “However, firms often tell me that clients are wary of the idea of junior lawyer ‘practising’ on their accounts. Who knows where this is heading because lawyers do have to learn their profession somehow? But It’s going to be tough for recent graduates for some time to come.” The pace of hiring slowed slightly over the quarter In July, 92 roles advertised, followed by 81 in August and 72 in September. “Firms often wait to the new financial year before hiring,” Elias says. “So it’s natural that there’s a bit of a peak in July. As people slow down in the move to the holidays, we’ll probably see the pace of jobs growth slow down too before getting back to the same levels in February 2016.” Sydney racing ahead In a two-horse race between Sydney and Melbourne, it’s the harbour city showing the vast majority of advertised roles with 68% of all vacancies for the quarter, while Melbourne accounted for 28%. “Sydney is the centre of the current property boom, as well as Australia’s main city for finance and M&A activity,” Elias says. “So it’s little wonder that the vast majority of jobs are being created there.” The other major area covered by the data was Newcastle, which accounted for 3% of jobs advertised. Top firms by advertised vacancy The top firms in terms of number of vacancies advertised for Q3 are: 1. King and Wood Mallesons (13 jobs advertised) 2. Minter Ellison (12) 3. Sparke Helmore Lawyers (12) 4. Clayton Utz (10) 5. Gilbert and Tobin (9) 6. Allens (9) “It’s interesting to note Sparke Helmore ranking third on this list, with jobs advertised across a range of practice areas, despite their comparatively small size,” Elias says. “And outside these firms, a number of choice in-house roles going at places like Suncorp caught my eye.” The Elias Job Index for Q4 will be released in January 2016. For further information or interviews, call Jason Elias on (02) 9362 1859. _______________________________________________________________________________ Jason runs Elias Recruitment, a boutique legal recruitment consultancy that specialises in finding lawyers for law firms, NFPs and corporate inhouse teams. Get in touch at [email protected] Source: Blog

Six Ideas for painless CPD points

Building up your CPD points doesn’t have to feel like a chore. There are ways to meet your requirements while actually enjoying yourself. Today we’ve done the legwork and found six of the best options coming up soon: Six Thinking Hats with Rebecca Stewart, Managing Director, Chalmers International Dr Edward de Bono’s system is still one of the most effective ways to help you (and the people around you) generate high quality solutions to everyday challenges. It’s particularly useful if you need to bring together team members who have different attitudes to problem solving, or if you regularly deal with circular, unproductive meetings. Superstar Lawyer with Shelley Dunstone, Principal, Legal Circles We all know how important our personal brand is, but what are the concrete things that you need to do to make sure you stand out? In this course Shelley Dunstone shares her expertise from over 30 years in the legal profession, along with her passion for helping lawyers build careers they truly enjoy. Mindfulness Bootcamp with Dr Paul Phillips, Psychologist Over the past ten years the word ‘mindfulness’ has shed its new-age undertones and is now seen as a key tool for stress reduction in the workplace. In this course, Dr Paul Phillips shares how easy it is to learn mindfulness techniques and how quickly they can start to make a big difference to your daily work routine. Meditation in a Mad Minute with Nigel Myers, Solicitor It’s easy to write off meditation as something a busy legal professional couldn’t possibly have time for. But what most people don’t realise is that mediation is not only simple to learn and practice, but it can also have hugely positive effects on your mood and your productivity. Business Development for Law Firms with Sue-Ella Prodonovich, Director, Prodonovich Advisory, ALPMA Speaker of the Year With experience of the inner-workings of successful law firms in Australia and the USA, Sue-Ella Prodonovich knows a thing or two about winning work. In this practical course, she brings together ideas from both sides of the Pacific, showing how you can put your ideas for winning new business into action, without interrupting the flow of work for your current clients. Triple Your Memory and Confidence, and Halve Your Stress with Jonathan Robinson, Senior Associate, Frank Sanitate Associates Who would turn down a chance to remember more and stress less? If you feel like you’re running on fumes, this course will give you practical ways to get back in the game, covering everything from remembering names and faces to staying motivated and maintaining work-life balance. Ready to sign up? Register for these courses and find many more at bulletpoints.com.au You can also keep track of your CPD points via our CPD tracker, find local events, and sign up for online learning options. ____________________________________________________ Jason Elias runs Elias Recruitment, a boutique legal recruitment consultancy specialising in finding lawyers for law firms, NFPs and corporate in house teams. Jason is also co-founder of Bulletpoints.com.au – a one-stop shop that simplifies CPD for lawyers. Get in touch at [email protected]

Hottest Legal Jobs – Latest Elias Legal Jobs Index

The end of 2015 saw continued growth in corporate and M&A recruitment but property law roles started to dry up, according to the Elias Legal Jobs Index for Q2 FY2016. A change in Canberra bringing confidence? Over Q2 FY2016m the total number of legal vacancies in the Sydney and Melbourne markets dropped from 229 to 183, which reflects the usual dip in hiring activity over the Christmas/New Year break. That said, corporate/M&A vacancies saw an uptick of 2% to a total of 41. To me, this shows a feeling of confidence in the Sydney and Melbourne corporate sectors, which could partly be explained by the change of leadership in Canberra. Buzz in Sydney, but not for property roles Around half of the corporate and commercial law roles this quarter were advertised in Sydney, which suggests Sydney firms are ramping up their hiring activity to prepare for deals in 2016. Family law vacancies also slightly increased over the quarter, but openings for property roles saw a dramatic 10% dip to just 10 vacancies. This is likely due to the slowdown in the domestic properly market – a result of China’s poor economic outlook. Vacancies in banking and finance also dropped 3% from 31 to 27 openings. And, if you were looking for a role in the tech/media field, this probably wasn’t the quarter to be job hunting – we saw a drop from 15 openings in Q1 to just 1 in Q2. The full picture See the table below for a complete breakdown of where each vacancy was across both Q1 and Q2 FY2016: Area Q2 FY2016 Q1 FY2016 % of total: Q2 2015 % of total: Q1 2015 Corporate/M&A 41 38 18.6 16.6 Property 10 34 4 14.8 Banking/Finance 27 31 10.4 13.5 Litigation/Disputes 31 30 14 13.1 Insurance 19 20 8.6 8.7 Commercial 14 17 6 7.4 Tech/Media 1 15 0.4 6.6 Personal injury 5 9 2.2 3.9 Tax 8 8 3.6 3.6 Employment 5 7 2.2 3.1 Regulatory 5 7 2.2 3.1 Insolvency 0 6 – 2.6 Energy 2 5 0.9 2.2 Family 4 2 1.8 0.9 Construction 6 – 2.7 – IP/IT 5 – 2.2 – TOTAL 220 229 ____________________________________________________ Jason Elias runs Elias Recruitment, a boutique legal recruitment consultancy specialising in finding lawyers for law firms, NFPs and corporate in house teams. Jason is also co-founder of Bulletpoints.com.au – a one-stop shop that simplifies CPD for lawyers. Get in touch at [email protected] Source: Blog Posts

It’s time you really spoke your mind!

Australian Legal Community Curated content for lawyers. We’ve just launched a new website for the Australian legal community. australianlegal.community gives Australia’s lawyers access to the best unfiltered content about what it’s like to practice law in Australia today. And we want you to be a part of it! A one-stop shop We’re hoping australianlegal.community becomes a one-stop shop for Australian lawyers that will keep you connected to the latest trends, issues and career opportunities. For that reason, the site brings together news from the best sources across the web—including Lawyers Weekly and Australasian Lawyer—to cover legal news in what’s happening in the law, the jobs market, and look at developments around the globe. Real-world, unfiltered perspectives on life as a lawyer But most importantly, we’ll be publishing real, unfiltered perspectives from people working in the Australian legal industry today. So this is your chance to hear their perspectives, understand their challenges and get the jump on any changes that are happening in our industry before they hit. Along with keeping you up-to-date with the latest news and trends,australianlegal.community will also keep you connected to legal job opportunities and provide information about how you can take the next steps in your career through CPD. Want to be part of the something If you’ve got something to say about working as an Australian lawyer today, we’re looking for real, honest contributions about life in a law firm, or what it’s like to be an in-house, community or government lawyer. We’re particularly interested in your take on what it’s like to be building a career and honing your legal practice. We also want to hear about your experiences as part of a firm. What are the biggest challenges? Which approaches have made things easier for you? And what are some of the things the industry needs to change? How to contribute Don’t be shy—we want your thoughts and we know other lawyers are keen to hear what you have to say. Check out the site at australianlegal.community, then email your contribution to us at [email protected]. We would love to hear from YOU!

Quick tips to get your resume read by decision makers

The average time spent reading a resume by an HR manager or recruiter is 6.25 seconds, so you have to make sure your resume is easy to read and stands out (and not in an “bright pink font, fancy border and cheesy headshot” kind of way). First impressions are crucial and your resume is your first point of contact with whoever is hiring, so make sure its not also your last point of contact by following these outlines. DO: Use formal language Use the first person Check your spelling (get a friend to double-check) Make sure the skills, etc. that you have written are described well BUT succinctly – more words = more likely it is to be skimmed over. Explain gaps in your employment e.g. parental leave, travel to Europe, LLM Be truthful and accurate – don’t embellish or eliminate roles. What to avoid when filling out your resume, DON’T: Include photos – even if they are professional headshots, it is not appropriate. include potentially discriminatory material e.g. DOB, marital status, children, religion. If you write your CV so that it is easy to read and highlights your relevant experience for the role you are applying for, then you will have a much better chance of getting the desired outcome – an interview. A great simple CV format to follow is as follows: Name Contact details – (mobile number and professional email – not “crazyrob87”) Education/ qualifications Graduation year and University Admission dates and jurisdictions Employment history Firm, title, period of employment (month and year) Duties and responsibilities Achievements (repeat for each role) Skills (list) Memberships (as relevant to your professional experience) Hobbies and interests Referees ____________________________________________________ Jason Elias runs Elias Recruitment, a boutique legal recruitment consultancy specialising in finding lawyers for law firms, NFPs and corporate in house teams. Jason is also co-founder of Bulletpoints.com.au – a one-stop shop that simplifies CPD for lawyers. Get in touch at [email protected] [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

How do the 10 National Employment Standards (NES) apply to you?

The National Employment Standards (NES) are apart of the Fair Work Act 2009 and contain 10 minimum standards for employment. What are the 10 National Employment Standards? Maximum weekly hours of work – 38 hours per week (plus reasonable additional hours*). Requests for flexible working arrangements – employees in certain circumstances can request a change in their working arrangements. Parental leave – up to 12 months unpaid leave per employee, (plus a right to request an additional 12 months unpaid leave*). Annual leave – 4 weeks paid leave per year. Personal/carer’s leave and compassionate leave – full-time employees are entitled to 10 days paid personal/carer’s leave, two days unpaid carer’s leave as required, and two days compassionate leave (unpaid for casuals) if required. Community service leave – entitled to unpaid leave for voluntary emergency activities and leave for jury service (plus an entitlement to be paid for up to 10 days for jury service*). Long service leave – a transitional entitlement for employees as outlined in an applicable pre modernised award.* Public holidays – a paid day off on a public holiday (except where reasonably* requested to work). Notice of termination and redundancy pay – up to 5 weeks notice of termination of employment and up to 16 weeks severance pay on being made redundant (determined on length of service within organisation*). Provision of a Fair Work Information Statement – All employers must provide and present a Fair Work Information Statement to all new employees and outlines employment rights, conditions, and entitlements. *in correlation to the Fair Work Act 2009. So what does this mean for Employees? The NES covers all employees under the national workplace relations system, however there are certain entitlements that differ slightly depending on employment status (i.e. full-time, casual, part-time, etc.)more information here. What does the NES mean for Employers? For Employers, the terms in awards, agreements, and employment contracts cannot exclude or provide any entitlement less than the National Employment Standards. However, employers can and are entitled to specify terms that affect the awards and agreements in the NES in certain areas. For example, employers may specify terms in relation to: Employee working hours (averaging an employee’s ordinary hours of work) Paid leave (cashing out and taking of paid annual leave) Carer’s leave (cashing out of paid personal/carer’s leave) Public Holidays (the substitution of public holidays) Redundancy Pay (situations in which redundancy pay entitlements do not apply). Employers may also supplement the NES by providing entitlements that are more favourable for employees. Employment contracts can only have effect on employees provided that the entitlements are similar, equal to, or more favourable than the NES towards their employees. Any employer found to be in violation the NES can be found or reported, resulting heavy penalties. A breach of a provision of the NES can lead to penalties of up to $10,800 for an individual and $54,000 for a corporation. For more information about the NES and how they apply to you or your employer visit the FairWork Website. ______________________________________________________ Jason runs Elias Recruitment, a boutique legal recruitment consultancy that specialises in finding lawyers for law firms, NFPs and corporate inhouse teams. Get in touch at [email protected] [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]