In October 2019 I joined top-flight legal recruitment boutique, KC Partners, it was a big change from my previous employer, albeit still working with Associates at leading City, US, and International law firms from NQ to Counsel level. Over the last few months I’ve noticed a number of differences from working at a larger agency compared to a boutique recruitment firm. Below, I outline how this career move has benefitted my career and some of the changes it has brought.
The legal sector is a massive market, it’s also an incredibly specialised market with different niches and specialisms that make it highly complex and hard to understand from a layperson’s perspective. Prior to joining KC the idea of only focusing on a sub-group of practice areas was something I would have been wary of, my initial thoughts were that it would close me off to the rest of the market and I would be at risk if my practice area wasn’t busy. These were considerable worries, however, in my experience to date, becoming a sector-specialist has had the opposite effect. By joining a boutique recruitment firm, I am now able to speak with both candidates and clients from a well-informed position given that I now focus solely on practice areas relating to Finance. This allows me to have a better understanding of the work these Associates deal with and become more entrenched in this specific market.
At KC I am involved in high-level discussions involving values, initiatives, internal recruitment and much more. The fact that I truly have a voice in my company’s important strategic decisions is something that I can’t feel strongly enough about. The benefit of having a flat structure is if I have an opinion or idea, it is no less valuable than anyone else’s. By being consulted by my Directors and seniors I know that they care about my opinions and therefore about my development as well. Having a voice in the organisation has given me greater autonomy and trust from my Directors who see that I have the drive and passion to succeed, although I still need guidance.
The nature of being in a smaller team means that exposure to my seniors and therefore mentors are more accessible. It has also meant that I have taken much of my learning into my own hands through ‘upward managing’. I must identify areas where I feel I need training and development then ask for a session focusing on this area, putting me in the driving seat of my learning. Mentoring is proven to be one of the most important factors of a successful career. Since joining KC, I have gained two mentors who are able to give me advice from different perspectives and help to guide and up-skill me throughout my career. With over 20 years of experience between them working in different industries, my mentors are able to add valuable insights to almost every situation.
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