If good wages, sponsorship and long-term career prospects sound good to you, then working for a law firm could be just the ticket…
Okay, so you might be spending a while, a long while, cruising around Australia enjoying the good life. But that doesn’t mean your career has to suffer.
Indeed, as long as you have the right skills and some experience, there are plenty of opportunities to be had in the Aussie economy to help beef up your travel fund and your CV at the same time. The legal sector is one such area with opportunities.
The money on offer is good for funding your travels too. Legal secretaries can expect to earn $25-30/hour, while litigation support paralegals are looking at $24-$30/ hour plus superannuation.
But are there actually any jobs at the moment, we hear you ask? Well, we put that question to Rosemary Galic, Law Staff’s senior consultant in Sydney.
“We anticipate that opportunities for temporary staff and contractors will increase in February through to March,” she said. “Assignments that we are most likely to be briefed on are legal secretarial and paralegal opportunities.”
Law firms are looking for people who are flexible and free to move about, which is incidentally one of the best things about being a traveller. “Be flexible about the type of work you are prepared to do, the length of the assignments you are prepared to take on (whether long, very short or for an indefinite period) and the location in which you are prepared to work,” says Rosemary. “Also be ready to take on work at short notice as most temporary assignments come about with a very short lead time.”
And just say you want to move about as you travel? We asked Kelly Tangney, from the Melbourne office of Law Staff Australia, if the qualifications varied from state to state.
“Under the Mutual Recognition Act a person admitted to practise in one state of Australia will be able to practise in another,” she said. “The same applies to New Zealand admitted solicitors wishing to practise in Australia.”
So, legal work in Oz? Looks like there are no objections!
Interview with a lawyer
We spoke to Kiwi traveller Felicity Seagar, 31, about working in the legal sector in Australia…
Why Australia?
I have some family over here. The sun and the strong Aussie dollar were appealing too.
What job are you doing over here?
I’m working as an in-house lawyer for a bank in Sydney.
What job did you do back home in New Zealand?
I was a lawyer.
How does your job compare to back home?
It’s a larger company and therefore there is international exposure and more diversity.
How did you land your job?
Through the recruitment company Law Staff. I started on a four month contract until Christmas and it is currently ongoing.
What’s the pay like?
It is better than in both the UK and New Zealand and there is compulsory Super which is great.
What’s the best work advice you’ve been given?
Be open to broadening your work experience and adding to your field of expertise.
Do you have any tips for other travellers?
Consider temp work as it is a good way to get your foot in the door.
Register with Law Staff Australia now to start looking for work in your area. See http://www.lawstaff.com.au[lawstaff.com.au] for more details…
