Many people come to the law later in life, having pursued a different career or degree. Dave Rowntree, the drummer from the band Blur (and also a certified computer programmer) surprised us all when he decided to train as a City lawyer, aged 40. Law firms welcome mature applicants and career changers from a variety of backgrounds. Transferable skills, sector knowledge, a fresh perspective and enthusiasm for the law is attractive.
If you are changing careers, it is helpful to revisit your CV from a strategic perspective. This means extracting and highlighting the transferable skills from your career to date to demonstrate that you have what it takes. You may need to tone down technical skills from your previous career if you are from a specialist field. Think about the qualities that make a good lawyer: strong attention to detail, a sharp analytical mind, commercially aware, excellent communication skills including negotiation, problem-solving capability and also some common sense! Then think about which responsibilities, tasks and achievements in your previous role(s) showcase these transferable skills.
It is also helpful to express your reason for pursuing a new career in law so that the reader / recruiter knows it is genuine, informed and committed. For Dave Rowntree, his interest sparked when reviewing contracts his band entered into in the music industry, and spending time with entertainment lawyers. He then organised shadowing / work experience which confirmed his interest. You do not need to go into too much detail (that can be explored further at interview!) but a brief summary explaining your career move will be useful for readers to understand your objective.
In my career so far, I have helped numerous clients from a range of backgrounds rework their CV to prepare for entry into the legal profession. My clients have included marketing specialists, telecommunication specialists, business analysts, business owners, to name a few. With my technical and practical understanding of the legal sector, I can identify, extract and highlight key transferable skills and experiences that resonate with legal recruiters.
If you are a career changer and need help with your new legal CV, please do get in touch with me.