Facing redundancy as a lawyer can be a challenging and stressful experience, particularly in today's economic climate. However, it also presents an opportunity to reassess and realign your career goals, skills, and personal objectives. In this article, Louise Catton, Resourcing Manager for Peerpoint in the UK, shares valuable advice for lawyers navigating the job market when facing redundancy.
In my role as resourcing manager for Peerpoint in the UK, I have been having an increasing number of conversations with lawyers who are facing the prospect of, or have recently been through, a redundancy process. Whether or not this was foreseen, many of these lawyers are coming into the recruitment market for the first time, or certainly for the first time in a long time, and are unsure of what their next step should be.
Being made redundant as a lawyer can be a daunting and stressful experience, especially in the current economic climate. However, redundancy can also be an opportunity to reassess and review your career goals, skills, interests and personal objectives, in order to carve out a career path which aligns best with your priorities for the future.
Whilst acknowledging that everyone’s situation is unique and personal, I wanted to share some advice to help lawyers who may be in this situation.
Seek support and guidance
Redundancy can affect your mental health, self-esteem and confidence, so it is important to seek support from your family, friends, colleagues and professional networks. You may also benefit from counselling, coaching or mentoring services that can help you deal with the emotional impact of redundancy and plan your next steps. Legal careers advice and resources are available from a number of external organisations, such as The Law Society, The LawCare Charity and The Solicitors’ Charity, which also has a partnership with the Renovo Career Coaching Programme.
Review your finances and entitlements
Redundancy can have a significant impact on your income and expenses, so it is essential to review your financial situation and budget accordingly. You should also check your contract terms, redundancy package and entitlements, and check your eligibility for any government support schemes.
Take a breath
If your personal circumstances allow, try to pause and take some time out for reflection and to decompress. Often, the lawyers I speak to have been in busy roles for many years and this is the first opportunity they have had for a true break. It can be easy to feel like you need to rush into the next role, but sometimes taking the time for self-care, to learn a new skill, pursue a qualification or go on the trip you have been dreaming of can be the perfect way to re-set and come back to the job market feeling refreshed and with clarity over what you want to do next.
Research the legal job market and be open-minded
The career options available to lawyers have expanded drastically over the last decade. For example, when Peerpoint was launched in 2013, legal consultancy was a relatively new concept in the legal market but is now a widely recognised career path for lawyers. It has opened up a whole new way of working for lawyers who are looking for more control, variety or flexibility in their legal career. For many of the lawyers I speak to, the market looks very different to the last time they were job hunting, and taking the time to research the pros and cons of different ways of working can help you decide what might suit you best at this stage in your career. In addition to legal consulting, you may also wish to explore options such as pivoting into a different area of law, gaining experience in a new sector, relocating to a new jurisdiction, or even looking into non-legal careers that utilise your transferable skills, such as management, consultancy, policy, education or entrepreneurship. Many of the lawyers I speak to express an interest in non-executive director positions for example.
Update your CV and online profile
Now is the perfect time to refresh your CV and any online professional profiles, highlighting your achievements, skills and qualifications. You can utilise platforms such as LinkedIn to showcase your expertise and recommendations and to network with potential employers, recruiters and market contacts. Recruiters are increasingly using tools such as LinkedIn Recruiter to identify and reach out to candidates for the roles they are looking to fill, so I would highly recommend marking yourself as ‘open to work’, adding details of the types of opportunities you are interested in and ensuring your profile is fully completed, including tagging your key skills, so that they can more easily find you in their searches.
Speak to your network
In addition to updating your online profile, be sure to connect with your network in the legal market, letting them know of the kinds of opportunities you are interested in so that they can share any suitable vacancies they hear of. I would also recommend investigating whether any of your previous employers have an alumni network that you can join. This can be a great way to re-connect with former colleagues and sometimes these networks will also advertise relevant job opportunities, whether internally or with their clients. There may also be industry networks aimed at your preferred sectors or practice areas, often offering an opportunity to attend networking or training events to further grow your network.
Whilst recognising that facing redundancy as a lawyer can be a difficult and unsettling experience, it can also be an opportunity to pause, reflect and explore new and exciting career paths. By seeking support and guidance, connecting with your network, reflecting on your skillset and priorities, and fully exploring the legal job market, you can move forward and find a fulfilling and rewarding career that also aligns with your personal and professional objectives.