Who are employers looking for? How to use LC.N to find out

When you are searching for the right employers to apply to, it is of course important to know the differences between them. There are many factors to bear in mind - size, practice areas, clients and business strategy are all important. You need to make sure that you are a good fit for that particular organisation and be ready to explain to them why they are right for you - and you are right for them.

Which skills?

It is vitally important to understand what type of person the employer is looking for, so that you can demonstrate in your written applications why you are a natural choice as you have the qualities they value most in their recruits.

Law students find it notoriously difficult to identify how these qualities differ between broadly similar employers. This is hardly surprising, given that there are certain core skills and attributes which all lawyers must have, and which are sought after by all legal recruiters. These include:

• attention to detail;
• practical problem solving;
• team work;
• drive and initiative;
• commercial awareness; and
• integrity and honesty.

Once you start comparing individual employers, you will come across these same terms time and again. After a while, the buzz words may seem to merge together, so that telling one firm or chambers (or other organisation) from another gets increasingly difficult.

So, what is the way forward? You can, of course, check each firm's own recruitment publicity, but this may only reinforce the impression of endless smooth corporate copywriting.

When students come to me with this dilemma - which they often do - I suggest a resource which is right in front of you as you read this. Many employers' entries in LawCareers.Net's (LC.N's) directories of solicitors and barristers contain a short paragraph headed 'Who Should Apply'. This goldmine of concise information varies in what it contains, but in all cases it is greatly helpful - if you know how to interpret the information correctly and apply it to your own situation.

Let's look at some real examples from entries in the LC.N 2014 directory, all from similar-sized full service commercial firms of solicitors:

Example one

"We can honestly say that there is no typical trainee…our trainees come from varied backgrounds and bring a range of different experience...it's important to us that candidates can demonstrate commercial awareness."

For mature students and those who have taken a non-traditional route through university, this sends hugely positive signals. If you have previous work experience, the prominent reference to commercial awareness is also a good sign, as it suggests that business skills which you have picked up will also be valued.

Example two

"The firm welcomes applications from candidates who have achieved a high standard of academic success, with a minimum of a 2.1 degree, and who are bright, personable, have initiative and enjoy working as part of a team."

This firm clearly places a lot of emphasis on academic credentials, so if this isn't one of your strengths, it is worth looking elsewhere. Beyond this, look at the seemingly innocuous list of other qualities and think about how you might give evidence of them. For 'personable', even low-level work involving customer or client service would be worth citing. You can show 'initiative' from any time when you have made decisions or solved problems without others telling you to do so - this may be something from extra-curricular activities. Many different activities can be evidence of teamwork. If you are already thinking of relevant examples and have the 2.1, this could be one of the firms for you to seriously consider. If you are struggling to match up to this list, the chances are another employer will be a better bet for you.

The same exercise can be applied to the firm, similar to the above, which asks for "graduates who are confident, articulate and sociable, who are team players, self-aware and resourceful". As you can see, there is some overlap but also differences - 'articulate' is a quality which may reflect an emphasis on litigation at the firm; or it may just be that this is something the firm has observed in its most successful trainees.

Example three

"Trainees are expected to be highly motivated individuals with keen intellects and interesting and engaging personalities. Those applicants who appear to break the mould - as shown by their initiative for organisation, leadership, exploration or enterprise - are far more likely to get an interview than the erudite, but otherwise unimpressive student."

This is from a firm with a large private client practice - so a strong personality is important, to enable you to make the right kind of impression on individual clients. Another point worth noting is the reference to 'erudite, but otherwise unimpressive' students. Together with the reference to those who 'break the mould', this suggests that the firm has plenty of applications from students from traditional backgrounds who can't explain clearly why they are applying to this particular firm, and so are not seen as being a good prospect.

What now?

If the employer has not included a 'Who Should Apply' section, try looking at 'Firm Description' and 'Career Prospects', which often contain similar clues. One example: "We know that our ethos suits energetic and "can do" people who thrive on plenty of contact with clients", which shows their preference for people with initiative and good people skills.

Whatever type of lawyer you want to be, it is worth getting a detailed view of what different employers want, and thinking through in detail how you measure up. The entries in LC.N can be key to helping you do this.

Tim Bradshaw is a careers consultant at The University of Law's Bloomsbury centre.