Energy Industry – Quarterly Update: Q1-2016

As boutique recruiters with a unique and specialized niche, in-house legal positions in the energy industry, we have insight from many perspectives. One of the things we track is hiring trends for legal roles in our industry. We diligently track postings by sector and level.

2015 Q4 analysis:

One thing that is unique to legal positions is the specific levelling based on years of experience. This is usually calculated from the candidate’s JD date, though in some instances when an attorney has switched practice areas, it may be recalculated depending on the needs of the position.

Minimum experience required for each position:
1-4 years experience required: 39%
5-10 years experience required: 55%
11+ years experience required: 6%

Practice Areas:
Regulatory: 30% (including state, FERC, and environmental)
Transactional: 58%
Commercial Litigation: 12%

Sector of the industry:
Power/Utility: 66%
Oil and Gas: 34%
*Note, the oil and gas space is not dead.

Comparison of Q4 2015 to Q1 2016:

We’ve seen a 30% increase in postings from Q4 to Q1.
January and February 2016 had approximately the same amount of postings as one another.
March was equal to January and February combined. That’s a 100% increase from February to March.

We’ll be back at the end of Q2 with an analysis of 2016 Q1 and a change comparison between Q1 and Q2.

Are there any other statistics you’d like to see? Let us know what you would find helpful.

Check back for more insight on the industry, hiring practices, resume and interview tips, and more!

Stephanie and Lynda