WHAT ARE YOU WORTH?
With the end of the financial year fast approaching, you no doubt will be wondering what your pay review should be. Are you getting what you are worth?
In Sydney, there has recently been an increase in demand for legal secretaries in the market after a protracted period of sluggish or negative growth. With the forecast for the financial markets being a little brighter, firms are now finding that recruitment is a priority and where, in the past two years, firms have been extremely conservative in their recruitment practices, the upswing has led to most firms looking at their headcount and realising they need to hire.
What this means for you!
We are seeing a demand for mid to senior level secretaries in the following areas for both permanent and contract roles (12 month contracts with a view to permanent being the most often sought):
- Litigation
- Float
- Corporate
- Banking & Finance
- Property
Below is a table which outlines salary information based on what firms are paying in the market. Salaries listed are in packages; that is base salary and superannuation included. These salaries are at offered at recruitment stage. Most firms will pay beyond the bandings in each category for continued service and high performance over a number of years:
| Level | Sydney |
| Senior Secretary | $70,000-$78,000 ($80,000 at a push) |
| Intermediate Secretary | $50,000-$65,000 |
| Junior Secretary | $40,000-$50,000 |
If you are seeking a new role, now is the time to do it. Just before the end of Financial Year, firms rush to fill roles that they have the budget for. They are keen to recruit and move on to recruitment plans for the new Financial Year. There are also less candidates looking as they tend to wait until after the pay review period to seek new roles, so less candidates, means less competition and a higher chance you will find your dream role.
After the end of the Financial Year, we traditionally see an upswing in recruitment activity as those not happy with their pay reviews, move quickly to seek new roles.
To discuss opportunities in the current market or explore positive changes you could make to your career call Laura Galvin for a confidential chat or email your CV in Microsoft Word to laura.galvin@barrattgalvin.com