Elias Recruitment celebrates their 20 year Anniversary!

Celebrating 20 years in recruitment! Check out this interview that covers Jason’s early years, what he has learned and what he continues to enjoy about his long and enjoyable career in recruitment.

Common Questions you may be asked during legal job interviews

There are many questions you may be asked during a legal interview.  Here are some common ones to help you prepare. Questions about your experience What were your accountabilities/responsibilities in your prior positions? What did you particularly enjoy/dislike about that role? Why did you leave your prior employment? During law studies, what extracurricular activities did you participate in? Do you think your University grades scores are a good indicator of your academic ability? Do you think they are an appropriate indication of your ability to do well in this job? Questions about your personality Tell me a little about yourself, particularly something that won’t be on your resume. How would certainly your friends and/or past colleagues describe you? Exactly how would you describe yourself as a person? What are your outside interests /hobbies? Why did you choose to practise law/ why did you go to law school? Questions about your strengths and weaknesses Tell me about your greatest success at any of the firm’s you have worked for? What are your strengths/weaknesses? Are you a team player or do you prefer to work alone? For additional career advice contact Jason Elias on [email protected]

Five wауѕ to асе уоur next ZOOM/ѕkуре interview

Advаnсеѕ іn communications tесhnоlоgу have mаdе the video іntеrvіеw аn іnсrеаѕіnglу соmmоn раrt of thе hіrіng process. Tоdау’ѕ guest expert will оffеr tірѕ to bе ѕuссеѕѕful at уоur nеxt video interview.For саndіdаtеѕ аnd rесruіtеrѕ alike, video interviews саn bе incredibly bеnеfісіаl; саndіdаtеѕ are nо longer bound by geography, rесruіtеrѕ саn lоwеr thеіr hіrіng соѕtѕ аnd bоth parties gеt tо engage оnе аnоthеr іn a muсh mоrе personal experience thаn the trаdіtіоnаl phone іntеrvіеw. It’ѕ vіtаl that prospective еmрlоуееѕ trеаt vіdео jоb interviews with thе ѕаmе саrе and рrераrаtіоn thеу wоuld fоr a fасе-tо-fасе jоb іntеrvіеw. However, there are also ѕоmе unіԛuе соnѕіdеrаtіоnѕ whеn being іntеrvіеwеd оvеr a wеb оr vіdео соnfеrеnсіng tооl. Uѕе thеѕе five tірѕ to асе your next vіdео interview: 1- Knоw Yоur Aрреаrаnсе Prеѕеntіng a professional appearance іѕ Intеrvіеwіng 101, but video interviews present some unіԛuе challenges tо looking your bеѕt. Fоr ѕtаrtеrѕ, уоu ѕhоuld familiarize уоurѕеlf аhеаd оf tіmе with where exactly your webcam іѕ gоіng to bе hіttіng уоu: knоwіng whісh раrtѕ оf you wіll bе vіѕіblе wіll help уоu рlаn аn outfit thаt іѕ рrоfеѕѕіоnаl wіthоut bеіng dіѕtrасtіng. Aѕ tempting аѕ it mіght bе, rеѕіѕt thе urgе tо rock pajamas (or lеѕѕ) bеlоw the view of the wеbсаm — during a vіdео іntеrvіеw of mу own, there was a moment whеrе I hаd tо get up frоm my kіtсhеn tаblе mid-interview аnd I wаѕ ԛuіtе hарру thаt I’d gone to the trouble tо рut оn pants. 2-Knоw Yоur Surrоundіngѕ If you’re bеіng interviewed rеmоtеlу, оddѕ are уоu’rе doing thе іntеrvіеw from your house оr apartment. Bеfоrе your interview bеgіnѕ (рrеfеrаblу long bеfоrе), ѕtаkе оut thе perfect ѕроt tо ѕеt up your laptop or tablet fоr thе interview, bеіng conscious of whаt the recruiter wіll see іn the background. Depending оn the сulturе of the соmраnу уоu’rе іntеrvіеwіng fоr, уоu might uѕе thіѕ орроrtunіtу tо dеmоnѕtrаtе a little personality: a carefully рlасеd mеmеntо frоm уоur unіvеrѕіtу оr рісturе of your реt саn add a lіttlе color wіthоut bеіng distracting. Othеrwіѕе, keep things clean аnd safe — уоu should be thе star of thе show оn vіdео, not a dirty wall оr mеѕѕу араrtmеnt. 3-Know thе Video Cоnfеrеnсе Tооl Onе оf thе bіggеѕt mіѕtаkеѕ I соnѕіѕtеntlу see remote іntеrvіеwееѕ mаkе іѕ to wаіt untіl thе lаѕt mіnutе tо trу the vіdео conferencing tool fоr thе fіrѕt tіmе. Aѕ intuitive аnd simple аѕ vіrtuаl meetings have become, thеу still might be unfаmіlіаr ріесеѕ оf tесhnоlоgу to you! Sign up for a free trіаl, watch tutоrіаl videos оr do whаtеvеr уоu hаvе to dо tо familiarize yourself with thе tооl. It’ll іmрrеѕѕ your rесruіtеr аnd mаkе for аn оvеrаll ѕmооthеr еxреrіеnсе. Learn it. Know іt. Love it. 4-Know Yоur Audience Juѕt like a traditional interview, уоur hоmеwоrk begins lоng before the video interview іtѕеlf. You ѕhоuld thоrоughlу research thе соmраnу, іtѕ іnduѕtrу, іtѕ products аnd іtѕ achievements so you’re рrераrеd tо dіѕсuѕѕ thеm during уоur іntеrvіеw. Addіtіоnаllу, the іntеrnеt has mаdе it іnсrеdіblу ѕіmрlе tо fаmіlіаrіzе уоurѕеlf wіth уоur іntеrvіеwеr bеfоrе you mееt them vіrtuаllу — HR рrоfеѕѕіоnаlѕ are gеnеrаllу vеrу active оn LinkedIn and a ԛuісk Gооglе ѕеаrсh wіll ѕhеd ѕоmе light on whо you’re meeting. A video соnfеrеnсіng ѕоlutіоn lіkе iMeet® wіll even lеt уоu іnvеѕtіgаtе уоur interviewer durіng уоur meeting wіth buіlt-іn іntеgrаtіоn with Fасеbооk, Twitter, LіnkеdIn аnd mоrе.  5-Know How tо Make a Lasting Impression Thе рrеvіоuѕ fоur tірѕ аrе rеаllу аll аbоut one thіng: рuttіng уоur best fооt fоrwаrd. It саn bе easy when interviewing vіrtuаllу to fоrgеt аbоut the personal tоuсhеѕ thаt саn rеаllу make you ѕtаnd out. Keeping that іn mind, dоn’t forget thе lіttlе thіngѕ! Shоw uр early, еvеn tо a vіrtuаl interview — rесruіtеrѕ wіll rеmеmbеr whether уоu wеrе waiting for them оr they had to wаіt for уоu. Don’t оvеrlооk how powerful a ѕhоrt, рrоfеѕѕіоnаl “Thank Yоu” email can bе аftеr уоur іntеrvіеw (bоnuѕ роіntѕ іf you саn nаturаllу work іn a specific nоtе оr twо frоm the interview іtѕеlf). And rеаllу, juѕt be yourself: сlоud-bаѕеd, HD vіdео соnfеrеnсіng іѕ still technology, but tесhnоlоgу wіth a personal tоuсh that truly allows you tо ѕhоw уоurѕеlf оff.

Four easy mistakes candidates make – and how to avoid them

As recruiters, we hear, see and are sometimes surprised by some of the easily avoided yet common mistakes we see in the recruitment process. Here are some tips to help you along the recruitment process. Overdoing a cover letter There are circumstances that do require cover letters. Cover letters are not the place to rewrite your CV or attempt to write an award-winning novel. The cover letter needs to be concise and to the point (1-2 pages); address the selection criteria and make sure to double check your spelling. Most will receive less than 30 seconds attention so make sure the important information is upfront so the decision maker keeps reading. Dropping the name of well-regarded firms or partners you have worked for is a great way. Not properly explaining job changes The best way to raise red flags to a decision-maker is by having lots of moves in a short period. The inference is that you won’t stay terribly long in this role if they hire you. We understand sometimes there are reasons beyond your control why you move jobs. Sometimes it is a good idea to have reasons for leaving at the end of role eg followed partner to a new firm, firm merged with another firm, offered inhouse role with a client. If it is a fixed term contract or project then be sure to say so. The follow up protocol A phone call can be a good idea but it’s not something that should be done directly after you push the send button on your application email. Recruiters and Human Resource Managers are often busy and may have a large number of applications to process. Normally when a job is first opened they are knee deep in the search and screening process. Generally online applications reduce substantially after 5-6 days so rather than calling on day 1, we suggest leaving the follow up phone call to 7-10 days after the applications were sent or opened. Repeat applications The ‘serial applier’ is not a good look when trying to establish a foot in the door with a prospective employer. Most organisations have advanced applicant tracking software that keeps an eye on applications and even stores CVs, including previous versions and also the number of applications made. While there are many candidates with multi skills we suggest it is not a good look to have made applications for the family law, M&A and personal injury law roles with the one firm. For additional career advice contact Jason Elias on [email protected]

Research potential employers before applying for a job.

Extensively Research the Company. Your biggest advantage is information, and almost everything you need to know about a company can be found online. Here are the questions to answer about the company you’re applying for: • What does the firm/company do? • What is their culture like? • What kind of people do they typically hire? • Do I know anyone who works there? • Do I have any connections there? Use the following resources to get your answers: • The company website • LinkedIn • Google news • Youtube • Google Finance • Glassdoor.com • Twitter.com • Facebook.com • Instagram.com Be armed with as much data as possible. For additional career advice contact Jason Elias on [email protected]

Are you looking for a recruiter?

Just speak to Elias Recruitment. Seriously though, with almost 20 years of being dedicated legal recruitment specialists and helping legal professionals move both within practice and into in-house legal roles, we are a safe pair of hands with your next career transition. We can offer expert advice and insight into which opportunities will best suit your career ambitions. Also, Elias Recruitment is a longstanding member of the NPAworldwide global network, the largest recruitment network that partners cooperatively to service clients around the globe. As the only legal recruiting firm in Sydney to be a member, our candidates have access to positions from over 1,500 recruiters worldwide. Given that we do have some bias, here are the key questions that you should be asking yourself before you choose a recruitment agency to partner with on finding your next role: Are they a dedicated legal recruitment agency that understand the profession? Am I dealing with an experienced recruitment consultant within that agency? Do they have their 10,000 hours of experience working in the legal world or in recruitment? Has the agency been running for long enough to establish deep and true partnerships within the legal industry? Is the agency able to offer opportunities across a broad spread of industries, geographies that suit my needs? Are they a member of the RCSA that subscribe to an industry code of ethics? It’s also worth remembering that you are better off partnering with a single, high quality recruiter that is able to represent you to multiple different firms. For additional career advice contact Jason Elias on [email protected]

How to position yourself for approaches (headhunting)

A few touches to your mobile phone and your groceries, an Uber or a pizza come to you. So why not a job? Many of the best jobs are never advertised so how do you hear about them? Good employers know that the best lawyers are so busy running their practices that they don’t have time to trawl through job ads. They also like keeping strategic hires out of the public eye so the marketplace doesn’t catch on to what they’re doing and where they’re headed. That’s why, when it comes to bringing in the big guns, they’ll use third party headhunters to track down, sound out and snare the best talent for themselves. Headhunters don’t use a scattergun approach. Once they’ve been briefed, they usually put feelers out via networks, compile a longlist, then research those candidates to see who’s likely to be a good fit. By the time they approach someone, they pretty much know who they are, what they do and what their reputation is like. So, if you want to be in their sights, there are six things you should be doing: 1. Social networks – make LinkedIn work for you Review your LinkedIn profile, make sure it clearly articulates your skills, experience and area of practice. Highlight projects you’ve worked on and the value you contributed (without of course breaching client confidentiality). Headhunters want to have a good understanding that you’ve worked on similar kinds of matters to those their client has briefed them about. Don’t be shy about blowing your own horn. See Getting your social media profiles ready (Above). 2. Be known as an industry expert You’ll never be headhunted if no one has ever heard of you. So, if you’re not already building a profile for yourself, start now.Put yourself forward to present on your areas of expertise wherever possible, especially for industry events or CPD. As an example, check out Bulletpoints for content. Write about important issues and hot topics affecting your work and share these – not just via your firm’s newsletters but directly with contacts by publishing LinkedIn and other social media channels. To ramp things up, join LinkedIn groups of like-minded people such as Australian Legal Community and start contributing to the conversations. Consider publishing in industry journals – or better still, form relationships with journalists to expand opportunities of being quoted in business or mainstream press as an expert in your field. 3. Releasing subtle signalsIf you are considering making a move, it’s a good idea to start putting your feelers out there. You can even change your LinkedIn settings to discreetly show that you are open to new opportunities (not viewable to your employer). Also check that your Inmail settings allow you to notify users that you are open to ‘career opportunities’. 4. Make contacting you easy, not a mystery While gatekeeping receptionists can be great at shielding you from telemarketing calls, they can act as a block for headhunters who want to sound you out. So make yourself easy to contact by including your mobile number and personal email address on your LinkedIn profile. If a headhunter struggles to reach you, they may bypass you and run the opportunity by the next person on their list. And, if a headhunter calls and you can’t speak freely, set a time to chat when you’re out of the office. This also gives you a chance to check out their LinkedIn profile to see whether you want to deal with them. 5. Remain professional, don’t breach etiquette Don’t tell anyone in your firm – and that means anyone – about your plans to move, even once you’ve been approached. If the headhunting process isn’t handled discreetly, you’re likely to jeopardise your current position as well as any new opportunities. If a headhunter alerts you to an opportunity never approach the employer directly. Not only will your overtures be met with blank stares, you’ll be seen as disloyal. They’re using a headhunter for a reason and it may be a confidential search. 6. But don’t be afraid If you are approached by a headhunter, you can benefit from their expertise. It never hurts to know the state of the market and have a trusted source of intelligence, especially around salary review time. Besides, even if the specific opportunity they wanted to talk about isn’t right for you at the time, something may hit their desk in the near future. Finally, if you’ve noticed that they’ve looked at your LinkedIn profile, drop them a line to find out why. Headhunting can be a slow dance of missed calls, profile views and unnoticed messages sitting in your personal email account. So, if you’re open to a move, make sure you stay alert and responsive to any headhunter approach. For additional career advice contact Jason Elias on [email protected]

Getting your CV ready

A study by The Ladders found that professional recruiters give most resumes an initial 6 second review to look at key details before deciding whether to contact you for an interview. During that 6 second window recruiters are quickly scanning: Name Current title and employer Current position start date – and if you are still employed Previous employers’, title, company and employment dates Admission date (years of Post qualification experience (PQE) Education ( and awards eg Dean’s List or Average marks- esp in earlier years) Clearly lay out your CV so that visually you are giving the recruiter exactly what they are looking for as quickly as possible to increase your chance of scoring an interview. Avoid fancy fonts, boxes and unnecessary distractions. Here is how to spruce up your resume in four easy steps: Highlight your accomplishments, recent projects, & publications –Lead with your accomplishments, especially if you have recent project experience relevant to the role for which you are applying. Include any awards, commendations or industry publications – highlight your expertise in an area relevant to that role and you will stand out from other applicants. Don’t forget the selection criteria –Selection criterias are listed for a reason, so include them in your application. Wherever possible, tailor your CV to reflect the specified criteria. Note relevant skills or experience, and focus on demonstrating achievements in your recent position that match the role requirements. Leave any material which may be the basis of discrimination (unconscious or otherwise ) – for example, date of birth, race, marital status, sexuality or religion. Make it an easy read –The worst resumes are a nightmare to read. Poor formatting, too much text, an absence of headings, or lack of clarity around what you did in each role make for a quick trip to the bin. As a rough guide, ask yourself, can your CV be read in 2 minutes or less? Would a total stranger understand what value you brought to each role, your strengths and your achievements? If you’re unsure, run your resume by friends or family who are less familiar with your career or industry, and ask them to describe what you do based on your resume. In terms of length, aim for 2 pages for a junior lawyer and up to 4 for a more senior lawyer. Provide more detail on more recent roles, If you have 10 years PQE we don’t need much about your pre-legal work at McDonalds. Mention it of course (McDonalds gives great training) but prioritise the more relevant positions. Also even if you look like George Clooney or Scarlett Johansson- a photo on your CV is never appropriate. Explain any absences or short stints – and don’t embellish –Red flags pop up for unexplained leaves of absence and unusually short placements in a series of roles. While innocuous, these resume gaps may suggest underlying issues with colleagues or managers or an inability to focus and settle into a role. If you took extended time off, be up front about the reason – whether it was a career break to assist with an ill family member or a business venture or even further study, it’s best to tackle the issue rather than allow employers to come to their own conclusions and prematurely rule you out. Whatever you do, don’t lie. Not only does it damage your credibility with your prospective employer, it may affect your overall reputation with future employers. For additional career advice contact Jason Elias on [email protected]

Get your credentials and qualifications up to date

You need to ensure that you have been keeping up with all your CPD requirements, and also there are many additional courses and qualifications. We’d recommend our sister site, Bulletpoints (www.bulletpoints.com.au) as a marketplace that allows you to find, book and track all of your CPD requirements. Bulletpoints aggregates courses from over 25 different legal industry education providers and you are able to choose from hundreds of live events, videos, online courses or onsite training options to obtain your CPD points. Once you have completed all of the relevant courses and qualifications, be sure to update both your resume and your LinkedIn profile with completed certifications as this can help you stand out. Relevant qualifications that you might include are AICD certifications, might include College of Law Masters (including the new Master of Legal Business), professional industry bodies, etc. You may also want to build your profile by presenting at CPD courses either through Bulletpoints or a range of providers such as Law Societies, College of Law, and universities who are often looking for speakers. For additional career advice contact Jason Elias on [email protected]

What lawyers should ask before making the switch

As quoted in Lawyers Weekly 1 August 2019 With competition for talent at a record high, lawyers are presented abundance of choice in terms of their employer, however, an expert in the space says there are six things to consider before shaking up their career. Director at Elias Recruitment Jason Elias said before taking the leap and changing jobs, one must consider several factors. “Before you take the leap, take a moment to ask yourself the following questions: One – Am I being challenged in my current role? Two – Am I still learning? Three – Do I feel respected and appreciated? [Read more…]