How to apply

We do not have a recruitment season� or particular deadlines by which you need to apply for positions. We are always on the lookout for staff, whether it's to make an immediate appointment or simply to take note of an applicant for a position that might arise later. Equally, if you are just putting your toe in the water and want to think about a possible move in the future, then we are happy to talk to you and see whether we can consider a place for you later.

We do not require you to complete an application form. It only creates unnecessary work for you. Therefore please just apply to us with a full CV and a covering letter. The letter can be either typed or handwritten. We are also happy to receive it by email. Send it to pauline.spence@advancelegal.co.uk. Do not apply via any agency.

Most agencies charge firms a fee of 25% (plus VAT) of your first years salary, though they almost never reveal that to candidates. We don't wish to pay such fees when all that recruitment agencies do is pass on your CV, which you can do for yourself. It also gives you a major disadvantage because there is a fee to pay on recruiting you, which can be a big disincentive to choosing you.

Please try to make your CV detailed and also please don't leave off any grades for A Levels or GCSEs. People sometimes do that in the hope that we won't notice. It only creates delay. If you have had a mishap at some point and your grades are not what they should be, then just put them on the CV and explain the reasons. We will still consider you, provided you have got the character and attitude that we are looking for and can convince us that you have changed.

If you are invited to come for interview with us we like you to bring along your original exam certificates, just to prove that they are accurate. That keeps away those who lie on their CVs. We also like you to bring, if you can, examples of your past work, such as lengthy letters that you have drafted or statements, pleadings, essays, dissertations, etc. By all means cross out client names or addresses that could identify anyone. All we are interested in is looking at the quality of your drafting and written work. We place great importance on that.

Please also try to bring with you any evidence that you can that relates to your character and work record, such as past staff appraisals or even GCSE/sixth form school reports and your Record of Achievement folder from school. We will look at all of those carefully.

We recruit very carefully and diligently and we go through lengthy procedures. We will begin with sifting through CVs and narrowing down the numbers. Then we will invite certain candidates to have either a telephone interview or a face to face interview at our office. If that goes well, we get you to do a written exam at our office, either on that same day or later. It is not a difficult test. Its main purpose is to see whether you can write well, since writing ability is a major part of this job. It also tests how well you can think and how well you can express yourself

If that goes well, then we ask candidates to come and spend a day with us on a paid trial day. You would work alongside our staff and get to meet them and we would give you some small tasks to perform. This works both ways. It gives us a chance to see what you are like and how you can work. It also gives you the opportunity to weigh up our firm and our staff and to see whether you would like to come here.

Changing your job or joining a new firm is such a major decision that you would be wise to make sure that you are doing the right thing. It surprises us that most other firms do not offer this facility. Normally a job applicant only ever gets to meet one or two interviewers and does not meet any of his future colleagues until starting work. That's dangerous.

We like to give you the maximum chance to weigh us up and to make sure that you would feel happy here and are making the right decision by coming to us. That maximises the chance of us making a successful appointment, which benefits both you and us.