Why you should consider moving interstate to kick start your legal career

Starting your legal career will be one of the biggest struggles of your life. In your penultimate year of law school, dozens of applications may or may not lead you to a clerkship. If you miss out, you might do another hundred applications to get a graduate job. Once you have secured a job, you will likely experience long working hours, new areas of law, and colleagues who may edge towards the “so functional they are dysfunctional” edge of the spectrum. Just surviving at work feels like a massive accomplishment. Why on earth would you add an extra level of complication like moving interstate away from your friends and family? In this blog post I explain how moving interstate could be the best way to kick start your legal career. It is time to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Why should I consider moving interstate for a legal job?

1.       You live in a state with a slow economy

This is the number one reason you may have to move interstate. There are significantly more legal jobs in Sydney and Melbourne, and in the graduate market where it is often a case of getting in enough applications, you may find moving interstate is your only option. If you manage to get a job locally, you may have to move interstate after a year or two to progress your legal career. I am from Adelaide but moved interstate to study at the University of Sydney. Most of my friends who stayed in Adelaide and went to law school at the University of Adelaide either moved interstate immediately on graduation or had to move interstate for career progression two or three years into their careers.

The states with the highest unemployment rates are South Australia (6.9%), Tasmania (6.5%), and Queensland (6.4%). The ACT and NT have the best employment rates at 3.8% and 4.1% respectively. These are general employment figures and are not specific to the legal sector, but give you an idea of the relatively poor employment prospects in SA, Tasmania and Queensland.

2.       The area of law you would like to practice in requires you to move interstate

If you are set on a career as a lawyer in the Commonwealth government, you will likely have to move to Canberra. You might as well move there immediately post-graduation so you can to build your networks and reputation. In Australia, legal jobs in mergers and acquisitions are practically non-existent outside of Sydney and Melbourne. Lawyers specialising the mining sector may have to move to WA or commute every single week. If you are interested in working in the community legal sector, you are more likely to get a job in Melbourne than Sydney. Identify the area you would like to work in and go for it, regardless of where it is located.  

3.       Your firm has offered to place you on an interstate project

If you are working at a national or global firm, you may be placed interstate for six to twelve months to assist busy teams on larger projects. You may be “asked” whether you would like to relocate, but in reality if you do not take this opportunity you need to consider whether you are serious about your career. Working on large projects is fantastic for your resume, and can help you justify pay rises and promotions. You will also have the opportunity to network with lawyers and clients interstate and learn about the law in new jurisdictions.

4.       You practice across jurisdictions and need to develop your legal knowledge

It is not uncommon for practitioners to operate across jurisdictions, and if you work in state based employment law or property you may want to work in a different jurisdiction for a while to enhance the services you can provide to clients who operate across jurisdictions.

5.       You are in your mid-20s and still live at home

A typical scenario is as follows: You were born in Sydney, went to school in Sydney, went to university in Sydney, got a graduate job in Sydney, have never moved out of home and still live with your parents despite being in your mid 20s. Living at home is a nice cushy experience when you are working long hours. It is pretty convenient to come home to dinner every night, have your bills paid for and never run out of clean socks. You are best friends with your parents and are secretly scared your Mum will never let you move out. If you fall into this category it can be difficult to move out and your life can begin to feel stagnant. Moving interstate is a fantastic excuse to move out of home without causing offence or fuss. Even if it is just for 12 months, your family will get used to the new state of existence and you can move back to your home city (if you want to after experiencing the intoxicating pleasures of interstate life) without being pressured to move back home.

6.       You want to get outside your comfort zone

Moving interstate to a city where you know no one to start a new job where you know no one is intimidating for most people. This is a good thing – see next paragraph.

The flow on effect of getting outside your comfort zone

Conventional wisdom is that making easy incremental adjustments is best for long term change. Moving interstate is the complete opposite of this approach. You will be making many massive life changes at once. Starting a new job, moving house, and having to make new friends are some of the most stressful situations a person can live through. You have to put the effort in or you just are not going to be a success. For me, the “shock” of dealing with all of these new situations at once had an amazing flow on effect on other aspects of my life. The extra effort I had to put in at work and into starting a friendship group from scratch when I moved to Melbourne meant I also put extra effort into other aspects of my life. It helped me think more clearly about where I want to go as a lawyer, make a long term career strategy and be a hyper organised individual. Getting outside your comfort zone will not only make you a better lawyer, but have a positive flow on effect to other areas of life. After you conquer moving interstate, your confidence will gradually develop and other obstacles in your life will seem easy to overcome.

Is it difficult to get a legal job interstate?

The difficulty of getting a job interstate will depend on the recruitment market in your target city (Adelaide, Hobart and Brisbane have average economies and relatively stagnant recruitment markets) and the type of law you would like to practice. Prior to moving to Melbourne I applied for jobs in four different states. There does appear to be local favouritism to some extent as I received many more interviews in Sydney where I was living than in Melbourne. The smaller the city, the more there appears to be bias towards recruiting locals. However, where you are passionate about moving because the job is your dream job, you will likely be one of the best candidates. The fact you are willing to move interstate for this job speaks volumes about your commitment.  

Don’t hold back

Moving interstate to a new city is not a life-long sentence. If it does not work out you can move back to your old life and get a job in your home city. But if you never take the opportunity and never try to get that dream job, you might miss the opportunity to kickstart your legal career.    

Scared? Good. Now back yourself and make the move. No one else can do that for you.