Your Application

Interested in applying for one of our current vacancies?  Please go to our current vacancies and apply directly by clicking on the vacancy.

Here are some hints and tips to always remember when applying for any job:

Your CV

This should include all the following information:

• Contact Details – Name, Email, Telephone Number, Address
• Previous Work Experience: 
  • Where have you previously worked? 
  • What did you do there? 
  • Do you have any achievements you are particularly proud of?
• Qualifications – Both formal and informal (should they be relevant to the role)

Further tips:

• Your CV should have enough information to give a full idea of what you have done and what you are capable of, but be concise and to the point.
• Watch language- it should be formal and not slang
• Spelling and Grammar – Triple check your document, get someone else to proof read it – check there are no spelling or grammar errors.

Your Cover Letter

We really want to understand why you think you would be good for the role, why your experience is relevant, and most importantly, why you think Brethertons would be the right firm for you to build or continue your career in.  The best way you can show this is by including a cover letter with your application.  Again, check language, and your spelling and grammar in advance of submitting your application.

Your Interview

Brethertons aim to review CV’s in a timely manner, and aim to get back to you as soon as possible – whether you have been successful in gaining an interview or not.

The aim of an interview at Brethertons is to get an understanding of who you are, what you have been doing, and what you want to be doing.  We want to know what interests you and drives you to be successful.  And we especially want to know why you want to work at Brethertons.

Here are some hints and tips if you feel uneasy about the prospect of an interview:

• Relax.
• Do your research – prepare yourself before your interview – know why you want the role, and why you want to be at Brethertons
• At Brethertons, we use a lot of competency based questions- asking for examples, to assess your suitability for a role.  A good technique to remember when answering these is the S-T-A-R technique:
  • Situation – what was the situation you were in?
  • Task – what was the task you were doing – was there a specific aim?
  • Action – What did you do?
  • Results – What was the final result of your actions?

(The Open University provides further information: http://www2.open.ac.uk/students/careers/applying-for-jobs/pdp-star-technique)

Depending on the vacancy you apply for, you will be invited to either a one or two stage interview process.  If a two stage interview process is required, the first stage is an informal coffee chat with the relevant Head of Practice Area, before progressing to a formal interview with the Head of Practice Area and Director of Legal Services. 

Your Assessments

At Brethertons we quite often ask candidates to complete assessments.  These generally fall into one or more of the following categories:

• Case Studies – requiring you to use your own knowledge and initiative to deal with a specific situation at hand in a time bound environment
• Typing Assessments (for Legal Secretaries)
• Presentations – on topics identified as relevant to the role.

Should you have any concerns about these, or think you may require any adjustments to be made, please advise Helen Reed in HR at helenreed@brethertons.co.uk prior to your interview.