When recruting a Legal Secretary for your firm, some of the best skills a candidate can offer often come from their previous experience away from the law.
We have made a list if some of the best transferable skills a Legal Secretary can have and how these skills will make them an even more valued additional to your team.
Customer service and interpersonal skills
Legal Secretaries are often the first point of contact when approaching a firm. As a result, they need to have excellent communication and customer service skills. It is obviously important that a Legal Secretary has the knowledge to answer queries that are directed to them, but it is equally important that they be able to deal with queries in a professional and confident manner. People from a customer service or retail background excel at this aspect of the role, having had experience working with the public.
Organisation
A wide variety of roles require meticulous organisation, many of them not the classic office roles that you would expect. If a candidate has ever been self-employed, worked with children, been part of a large team or had to travel a lot with work, they will have needed a certain level of organisation to make their day run smoothly. An organised Legal Secretary is an efficient Legal Secretary, so make sure to look out for this skill within a CV.
Administration
Administration involves a great deal of multi-tasking and is required in a multitude of roles. Organisation and efficiency are key in this skill. If a candidate has ever dealt with the management of a certain area within a workplace, answered telephone calls, scheduled meetings, sorted post or maintained office equipment, then they will have acquired a collection of worthy abilities that will help them in their new career.
Problem solving
Part of the role of a Legal Secretary could include working with a difficult colleague or client, or coming across a problem that needs their input to be resolved. Problem-solving skills allow them to use powers of logic, rationality and analysis in a calm way to find a solution to any problem that may occur within the workplace. If they’ve ever worked in a school, within healthcare or in a management role, they will have used their problem-solving skills regularly and can apply these to a Legal Secretary position.
Word processing and IT skills
Having top-notch IT skills is paramount in the life of the Legal Secretary, as the bulk of the role involves efficient document production. Teachers, receptionists, typists or even writers all use word processing.
Teamwork
Many jobs will require the individual to work within a team, from Human Resources to roles within the arts to being a part of a café structure. Teamwork within a Legal Secretary role involves working towards a common goal as part of a unit, discussing clients’ needs and handling the overflow from fellow colleagues. Another important element is to boost morale in the workplace, learning skills from other people, strengthening bonds and having performance and ideas reaffirmed by others.
Attention to detail
Legal Secretaries have to produce legal documents to a faultless standard. This requires an exemplary level of attention to detail. Accountants, architects, proof-readers and pharmacists, among others, will have developed the excellent observational skills required for the role.
If you are recruiting for a Legal Secretary why not take a look at ILSPA's Legal Secretary Jobs Board. The board is free to use and the only niche job board of its kind in the UK.