With such an extended period of change this year you may have found yourself working without the usual breaks. Now more than ever it is important to take time away from work, whatever that looks like now for you. With travel limited and changing daily, leaving the country is increasingly hard and staycations or UK holidays are popular options. It can be tempting to push through and think it is not worth taking a break but in times of change and stress we all need to actually down tools even if that only means not switching on the laptop for a week!

Don’t forget to take time out and make the most of the options available to relax and enjoy the summer. We are talking to more firms who are finding themselves settled and keen to start recruiting so there are options in the market and I think that come the Autumn we will see more roles coming on and more movement. So we will be taking a break whilst we can!

You might have been working flat out all the way through this pandemic. Perhaps you have been put on furlough as soon as lock down occurred. You may have been told that redundancy might be an option. You may be going back to work already following a period of furlough whilst your firm sorted out the logistics.

Hopefully somewhere along the line you have taken the time to enjoy the sunshine a little too.

We are still here to support you

What we are finding is that most people are feeling the uncertainty that surrounds us in our working lives, in fact across our whole lives. We know that during these next few months the extent of redundancies will come to light. But it is not all doom and gloom!

We are still here to support you in your legal career. I have been talking to lots of people who are thinking about their future, or who are just taking stock of how they plan to move forward in their career. I’m very happy to put a time in the diary to have a conversation with you about your career concerns or thoughts at this time. It is a good time to look forward and ensure your career is working for you.

Along with our online events, where we team up with Skylark Coaching, we are also offering our client firms the opportunity to host a “lunch and learn” in house for your firm based around similar themes to the individual sessions. Have a look and if you think your firm might benefit from one of these then please do put me in touch with the appropriate contact.

We are seeing some jobs too which is great news! Some firms are realising that their long term goals are still important and that the work is still there, so they are getting back to looking at their growth and development. Details of these are below so there is definitely some light at the end of the tunnel!

Keep in touch and keep going, whatever your situation!

Have you found yourself relying on online communication more and more?
It seems we may continue to do so for some time to come.

You might work for a firm or organisation that utilised the power of online connection before lockdown started, or you may have been with an IT reluctant firm, either way things have certainly changed in terms of the acceptance of online communication.

How many grandparents have used facetime, zoom, whatsapp, skype or similar for the first time and realised that it is better than not seeing people at all?
We have all had to adapt.

This month: New ways of working in lockdown

Here, we are promoting hosted zoom sessions which allow us to introduce individuals to a hiring partner or HR contact online before they select for interview. Allowing both parties to ask all important pre-interview questions.
Don’t worry, we would fully brief you before any zoom introduction!

By offering this online service we can give you a real platform to promote yourself and we are hoping to reduce the time it takes for firms to make the decision to interview. The additional benefit would be that we can take some of the stress of waiting out of the process. Something which can only be a positive, whether or not we are in lockdown!

Online networking is also starting to take shape and personally I have attended a few events which have all moved to online platforms to great effect. It is not quite the same but in the absence of the ability to meet face to face it is nice to have these opportunities to meet people still.

1. If you are nervous about professional online communications here are few tips.
2. Dress smart/ casual, not full office attire. Suit and tie in your home office is overkill!
3. Be aware that people are looking only at your face so body language cues are reduced. Make sure you show when you are listening and that you are actively paying attention.
4. Have a camera that you look directly at. Second screens are great for working, but you want to be looking at the people you are talking too not off into the distance.
5. Have good lighting. With a window behind you, you will appear in spooky silhouette, others will struggle to see your features and facial expressions.
6. Speak clearly but naturally, when you do commit to speaking follow through. There can be a delay and there is nothing worse than lots of people apologising over the top of each other for interrupting each other.
7. Make a contribution, but don’t monopolise. A bit like in normal conversation, but even more obvious online!

I hope that this is helpful. Let me know your own top tips, or your horror stories; they do happen with technology!

When lockdown came upon us unexpectedly firms initially focused on the operational side of things.

Getting everyone working from home was the priority challenge!

This month: How is the legal market coping with lockdown?

Now that firms are over this operational hurdle we’re hearing lots of different reports. Certainly many people have been furloughed, both support as well as fee earners/ qualified solicitors. However, we have also spoken to firms who are releasing their recruitment and pushing forward still despite the backdrop of COVID-19.

Overall wills and probate departments as well as employment, litigation and family practitioners are keeping busy. Quieter areas are residential conveyancing. Except for existing work, commercial property and company commercial are very variable depending on the firm in question.

We are talking to lots of people who are reassessing their options and the thinking about their futures moving forward after the lockdown. Many people are enjoying the new slower pace of life!

Our free online events have been well received and we have dates in the diary moving forward.

Forthcoming online events:

LAWYERS: BE MORE AWESOME
ONLINE WEBINAR – Tuesday 5th May 2020
Via Video Link: 6:00pm – Book Now

HOMEWORKING FOR LAWYERS
ONLINE WEBINAR – Monday 11th May 2020
Via Video Link: 5:00pm – Book Now

WELLBEING & RESILIENCE DURING UNCERTAIN TIMES FOR LAWYERS
ONLINE WEBINAR – Wednesday 13th May 2020
Via Video Link: 1:00pm – Book Now

PLANNING YOUR LEGAL CAREER IN AN EVER CHANGING WORLD
ONLINE WEBINAR – Tuesday 19th May 2020
Via Video Link: 5:00pm –Book Now

CRAFTING YOUR BEST LEGAL CV
ONLINE WEBINAR – Tuesday June 9th 2020
Via Video LInk: 5:00pm –Book Now

We can also plan all these events as an in house option for your firm – contact us to find out if your firm is eligible for a
free lunch and learn session for members of your firm only.
Some firms have valued these sessions to help with team bonding, supporting mental fitness and keeping people on board whilst working remotely.

How is homeworking going for you? 
How can we continue to support you during these challenging times?

This month: Helping you move forward during lockdown

If you have never worked from home that can presents its own challenges, perhaps staying away from the kids (or taking turns with the child care); perhaps struggling to keep focus on your own.  Whatever your situation, maintaining a positive outlook when talking to clients and ensuring that you don’t feel isolated are all key issues that need addressing.

We are hoping to help towards those objectives by continuing to talk to the legal profession at large.  We are holding all our existing “Lawyers; Be More Awesome!” events online.  These cover maintaining your performance whilst minimising stress, and I don’t think could be more relevant than today in this current climate.

We know the world has changed for everyone.  Hopefully you are set up for home working now, it was a sudden change for everyone and luckily with our cloud based systems we were able to instantly relocate to home. Some firms are not set up to so easily support that switch.  For everyone it is massive change and one that will alter the working world for the foreseeable but more likely forever.

HOMEWORKING FOR LAWYERS
ONLINE WEBINAR – Wednesday 8th April 2020
Via Video Link: 4:00pm – Book Now

PLANNING YOUR LEGAL CAREER IN AN EVER CHANGING WORLD
ONLINE WEBINAR – Thursday 16th April 2020
Via Video Link: 5:00pm – Book Now

CRAFTING YOUR BEST LEGAL CV
ONLINE WEBINAR – Thursday 28th April 2020
Via Video Link: 5:00pm – Book Now

WELLBEING & RESILIENCE DURING UNCERTAIN TIMES FOR LAWYERS
ONLINE WEBINAR – Wednesday 13th May 2020
Via Video Link: 1:00pm – Book Now

Vikki (through her Skylark work) and I will be hosting these online via zoom, it would be great to have you join in with these allowing you to reconnect with legal professionals outside your firm and gain some guidance and support.  It is proven that talking to people outside of your locked down circle will enhance your mental welfare. Book via the links on eventbrite.