Advising a Senior Associate Seeking a Partner Role
The brief
We were approached by a Senior Associate at an international firm who was looking to explore their options for career progression.
The challenge
This individual was adept at business generation and had developed a strong network of contacts in a challenging practice area, but the charge rates at their firm were hampering their practice development.
The candidate asked us to present ideas which would represent a change from their current employer. They were keen to find a mid-tier platform which would provide more balance, both in terms of flexibility at work and charge out rates.
The results
We took the time to get to know the candidate, learning about their working methods, preferred management style, ambitions and goals. We also talked in detail about their clients and remuneration expectations in an effort to make the best match.
We then provided several suggestions to our candidate, including national practices, mid-town firms and ALSPs.
As we had matched carefully and ascertained the firm’s interest before divulging the candidate’s name (either because we were instructed on an active vacancy, or because we had made an initial approach on a no-names basis) the candidate was invited to interview with every firm that saw their CV.
We supported the candidate through a rigorous period of interviewing. Initially, this was largely to impart our knowledge of each firm so that they could best approach the interviews. As discussions progressed, we offered support during a busy and sometimes confusing process of exploring options, acting as an advisor and an empathetic sounding board.
Our candidate received multiple offers, and in the end selected a mid-tier firm with strength in the relevant practice area and a good role for a Junior Partner. We are delighted that they have had a successful initial period with the firm and are now instructing us as a client.
