If good wages, sponsorship and great long-term career prospects sound good to you, then working for a law firm could be for you…
So you’ve travelled the big brown land and now you’re back in the city looking for permanent work where you can earn some serious coin. You’re even hoping that this work could get you on the way to sponsorship.
If this is the case then you’d probably struggle to do better than working in the legal sector – especially if you’ve already got some relevant experience or qualifications.
There is a surprisingly wide variety of jobs on offer, from lawyers, legal secretaries and paralegals all the way down to mail room clerks, receptionists and even catering staff, so there’s plenty of opportunities to go around.
“Legal secretaries mostly need some work experience within the legal industry, but this is not always the case,” explains Sally Higham from Legal Personnel.
“Paralegals generally need some academic qualifications, but not necessarily the experience.”
Most firms offer in-house training so not being an expert on the ins and outs of Aussie law is by no means essential – as long as you have a general understanding of the different areas of law. “The rest is easy to pick up,” says Higham. She adds that what is important is a willingness to work.
“We look for someone who has a keen desire to work, being enthusiastic and willing to work is more important than the qualifications and experience.”
And once you’ve got your foot in the door, you should be away, getting a decent amount of cash in your pocket and the possibility of that all-important visa extension if you can’t yet bear the thought of heading home.
Higham explains “legal secretaries and paralegals can earn anything from $24 to $32 per hour depending on experience. It’s more for solicitor roles.”
So start brushing up that CV and get yourself to court.
