We recently had a career coaching session with a solicitor looking to move overseas and we thought it might assist others to see a summary of our advice:
1. It is almost impossible to apply for work in some countries if you are not locally based. A quick example would be Gibraltar. If you are planning to work there you really need to be somewhere in the vicinity. The client we saw this week had been invited to an interview with a firm on the Rock, provided he was able to get there the following day. If you have a local address, use it when applying. Worry about the logistics of attending interviews later.
2. Make sure you know the law for the country. It is no good applying to a firm in Sydney and expecting them to be understanding when you say that you are not sure of the jurisdictional differences between the two countries. Buy a book, read it.
3. Be aware of local variances in recruitment – for example in Bermuda the local firms cannot recruit overseas lawyers unless they have advertised extensively on a local basis first, and not been successful.
4. Some overseas jurisdictions are saturated with lawyers, and you may simply have to cross qualify and set up yourself if possible and practice on your own to start with. Alternatively think about why you are making the move and whether there is something else you could do – run a bar?
For details of our Career Coaching service, please visit www.ten-percent.co.uk/career.htm