Integrating career changers into the early talent strategy at Clifford Chance is helping tackle skills shortages.
When we think of early talent, we typically conjure images of fresh graduates looking for their first role, teenagers navigating CV templates or school leavers contemplating a collection of careers, all with the world at their feet.
You’d be forgiven for not thinking of those who may have already been there and done that.
At Clifford Chance, we’re paying close attention to career changers in our early talent hiring strategy as a richly skilled and diverse talent pool. Those that are looking for a fresh challenge by returning to higher education, often with a hunger to ensure the risk of jumping careers pays off.
Plugging a skills shortage
At a time when we hear of skills shortages in the workplace compounded with societal shifts where employees are more frequently looking to switch roles, career changers are not to be overlooked.
In fact, 13% of recent Clifford Chance training contract applicants identified as a career changer, up from 11% in 2023. This extends to our first-year programme, SPARK, where last year 8% of career changers applied to join a cohort of those typically in their late teens.
After following these career changers through the recruitment process, there’s nothing better than seeing these unlikely friendships form in real life.
As an employer recruiting for resilience, teamwork, and time management we’d be hard-pressed to find applicants more fitting than an ex-marine and firefighter who studied their law degree part time in the evenings whilst supporting a young family, or a future joiner bringing with them years of working as a forensic accountant for both the UK government and FCA.
Both real-life examples confirm that the talent and wealth of transferable skills is out there and ready to help us tackle the legal complexities presented by our clients.
How are we attracting career changers?
Clifford Chance is in the early stages of really understanding the experiences of career changes and how to best attract and support them.
We are currently hosting targeted hybrid attraction events scheduled outside of the working day and we are launching a new initiative this year.
If you are or know an impressive career changer, we’ve partnered with the Open University and the Career Transition Partnership to launch ‘The Career Changer of the Year‘ award, hosted by Target Jobs.
Experts in distance learners and adult education, and the resettlement of service leavers from the armed forces respectively, we aim to shine a spotlight on those who have decided to pursue a new challenge and to celebrate the journeys of those making a leap into the unknown.
An opportunity to educate employers
For some this might not be new information, but for others there’s lots to be learnt about this applicant pool.
Career changers can present unique and sometimes hidden challenges to early careers teams. For example, existing financial and family commitments can limit time and resources, and the ability to drop everything in pursuit of a new career.
At Clifford Chance through the ‘Career Changer of the Year’ award, we’re embracing the opportunity to better understand the diverse experiences of those switching careers and to uncover any barriers that might exist in our early talent offering.
If you’re not already, like Clifford Chance it might be time to start asking the question in your application process, and to track the numbers of career changers in your applicant pool and how they go on to perform and progress.
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