Further education. Most appealing is the College of Law Graduate Diploma of In-house Legal Practice. Another is CSA's Certificate in Governance and Risk Management. A Masters of Law has always been beneficial, however choose your specialisation carefully.

Secondment experience. Exposure to in-house will help you understand the requirements and the environment. It also allows the hiring general counsel to determine how prepared you are for the sea change.

Background/Rotations. A mixture of experience across departments such as corporate, employment, litigation and commercial demonstrates a well-rounded experience base. For experienced lawyers areas such as corporate or commercial are the most desirable backgrounds.

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Academics. Strong academics and/or honours are viewed favourably.

Transaction list. Have a comprehensive CV outlining all major transactions. General counsels want to see the work and to what level you were involved. With this in mind does your CV say, "Here I am" or does it scream "Hire me"?