Legal Secretary

​In the competitive job market, staying informed about salary trends and market conditions is crucial for legal support professionals looking to make informed career decisions. Salary guides and market reports provide valuable insights into compensation benchmarks and industry trends. Our Salary and Market Report can be a powerful resource for legal support professionals, fi...

“First dates are like job interviews with cocktails”Have you ever thought about the similarities between a job search and dating?  I’m certainly not the first to draw that conclusion.  I recall an episode of Sex and the City where Carrie states that “First dates are like job interviews with cocktails”.  This perhaps explains why myself and other recruiters I know have always...

Sitting is the new smoking! And the bad news is that even if you went to the gym this morning but then went and sat all day at work, the benefits of the hour of exercise this morning are negated by sitting all day.According to a review by the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute of over 40 research studies on sitting and health risks researchers reached that consensus conclusion...

Overcoming Obstacles to Balancing Work and LifeEveryone’s talking about work-life balance, wellbeing, and staying healthy, but how to achieve this when you have no time or energy?Let’s start with something simple. This ideal ‘work-life balance’ that everyone’s talking about? It doesn’t exist. It’s nice to think that once we perfect our schedules, activities, and mindset, we ...

Any business owner will tell you that time equals money, and this is certainly the case in law firms!  When the COVID-19 pandemic began to result in lockdowns throughout the world, it became imperative for businesses to quickly and effectively enable their staff to work remotely. It will be interesting to see how the pandemic will change the shape of remote working – and the...

2020 was a year of many challenges, one of which was adapting to a new 'normal' of how we conduct our daily lives.  The corporate landscape has changed, with many employees working remotely and regularly attending Zoom and other video platform meetings.  We therefore have seen an increase in video interviews which is a new challenge for many job seekers.  Here are some tips ...

Australia currently has strict border measures in place to protect the health and wellbeing of its citizens due to the ongoing threat of Covid-19.  Most Australians will not have departed the country since early 2020.  However, if circumstances arise that require you to leave the country, you must apply for an exemption to leave Australia.  We have set out below a guide on h...

After hours and hours spent applying to jobs online, you finally get a response!  You're excited, elated... but then you realise now you have to interview.  If you're one who dreads the interview process, I can assure you that you're not alone.One of my favourite things about being a recruiter is working closely with my candidates to help prepare them to feel confident befor...

A strong LinkedIn profile can help you acheive a wider network and maintain your professional presence.  Often, in job searching, its not what you know, but who you know.   Today Laura shares 5 areas to be mindful of when updating and maintaining your LinkedIn profile.  Enjoy!Barratt Galvin is an Australian based legal recruitment business providing law firm resourcing solut...

In our 'How Can We Help You' video series, Laura is providing general recruitment advice for job-seekers and companies alike.  Job-seekers, this week's video is for you, as Laura shares 4 quick tips to keep in mind when preparing your CV.Enjoy!Barratt Galvin is an Australian based legal recruitment business providing law firm resourcing solutions.  Collectively, our consulta...

During these challenging times, Laura explores the question that has been on our minds:  How can we help you?We'll discuss the answer to this question in this and future videos, so stay tuned.Barratt Galvin is an Australian based legal recruitment business providing law firm resourcing solutions.  Collectively, our consultants have over twenty year’s experience placing legal...

Although we are working in a very different market at the moment compared to years gone by, we are still committed to preparing our annual Salary Report for Legal Support Staff. The report will be adapted this year due to the effects of Covid19. We are currently in the data collecting phase. If you have not been a part of this before and would like to receive your copy of th...

Any business owner will tell you that time equals money, and this is certainly the case in law firms!  More and more businesses are looking for ways to encourage their staff to work smarter, not harder. For many, this can mean the opportunity to work remotely either for a portion of their role, or in some cases, their enture role.  According to a 2017 Gallup poll, from 2012 ...

What to wear to your job interview is a crucial question that may leave you feeling confused and a little stressed. Whilst we are not suggesting that a person will be assessed purely on the clothes they wear, self-presentation is an important part of the assessment process during interview and during my career as a recruiter I have seen individuals get it wrong on many occas...

Don’t you hate the tight grip of stress around your whole entire being before you have to do a presentation in front of a group of peers? Or clear up conflict with a colleague? Or be incredible in that job interview that you so desperately want? We all do, and I’m about to explain how Wonder Woman can help you in any situation.Firstly, I am in a very fortunate position (fina...

  Staying cool, calm and collected under pressure at work is often in the top 3 spoken and unspoken desirable requirements for any position. This is particularly true if you are client facing and your role is really a defining part of the brand and professional services experience for clients.   Being poised means not going into survival mode when you feel you are u...

21 is too many to work for. That I know from experience. I’ve been a legal secretary for around 17 years – give or take a year as it’s all a bit of a blur now. When I started, the 2 lawyers to 1 secretary ratio was completely normal. After a few years it grew to 4:1, and then somewhere around 2010 it became “normal” to have a 7:1 ratio.If you have 1 Partner, 1 or 2 Senior As...

How do we manage to have a work-life balance when we are expected to be always available?Work-life balance is a funny thing. The term was first used in the UK to describe the equilibrium between an employee’s work and their out of work (personal) life. The United States started using the term in the mid ‘80’s when many industries experienced prosperity, others never gaining ...

Last year, there was talk in the media about a new app released by Google called “Just Not Sorry”. The Gmail plugin warns you when you are using words that undermine your message. I am the first to put up my hand to say that I am definitely guilty of this and am keen to change a habit that was obviously formed many years ago. How does it work?Just Not Sorry works by providin...

I love being a team player. It’s how I socialise, how I learn and how I support people inside and outside of my team. I can’t help but feel so good after I’ve helped someone. However, the only thing that makes me feel uncomfortable, in this regard, is being around a secretary who isn’t a team player. I’ve met my fair share of them.   Have you overheard a secr...