In the first of a monthly series, Bruce Macmillan, Founder Director of The Centre for Legal Leadership, answers questions on the personal development of in-house lawyers.
What guidance would you give a junior in-house lawyer who is currently working within a large legal team at a multinational company but is now looking to move to another role in a different industry?
Assessing the suitability of potential new in-house roles against your skills and career goals is vital when contemplating a career change. Making a wrong career move can be costly and demoralising, with enduring effects on you, especially if you try to change too many things at once.
By developing a deeper awareness of your skills, goals and personal needs and looking at what you want over the longer term, and the “stepping stone” roles that could get you there, you’ll stand the best possible chance of making the right move. For further information, see Article, Assessing your own needs when considering the suitability of potential new in-house roles.
Recruiters struggle to deal effectively with people that have unrealistic or unfocused needs and a poorly structured CV, so if you have a specific role in mind for your next move, make sure you position yourself as the model professional with the skills, experience and personality your ideal job requires. Article, Job search: positioning yourself for a new in-house role provides some tips on how to achieve this.
