After having completed paralegal training and received your Bachelor’s degree or paralegal certification, it’s time to start your job hunt. After having located a paralegal job opportunity, it’s time to submit your application to the prospective employer – the process of acquiring legal employment consists of three phases, the resume submission, the interview, and the post interview follow up – were you not a stand out for the position.
Submitting Your Paralegal Job Application
Submitting your resume is a prerequisite for acquiring a legal job, all employers will require this of their applicants to get a sense for your qualifications. Your professional resume should inched your educational background, professional background and experience, and a list of references. Don’t list “references available upon request” at the bottom, just include them on the resume, or in your cover letter. This will illustrate your professionalism and commitment to land the job.
Read the full article →
Whenever I’m browsing online paralegal forums and job boards I often see job seekers asking the question “what is it like being a paralegal?”. So in this post I like to explain the paralegal profession in general, and answer the question as thoroughly and detailed as possible. I’m not going to embellish the advantages being a paralegal and make it sound as if this career is the best thing since sliced bread – as with any profession there are pros and cons. It’s every job seeker’s responsibility to decide whether a given career suits their personality and natural skill sets.
Working as a paralegal requires long hours and is difficult work compared to many other jobs. Generally the bigger and more established the firm one works for, the more hours they will be required to work. However those who are income motivated will relish in this fact, because most firms offer time and a half for overtime. Likewise, the smaller the firm one works for the less they will get paid. This correlation obviously can be attributed to company revenues – the larger firms not only get paid more on a per case basis, but they typically have a much higher case load as well. So they can afford to pay staff more and offer bonuses and higher amounts for overtime hours.
Read the full article →
While you can certainly take advantage of legal internships offered by the various paralegal certification programs available today, finding one on your own has many advantages. Paralegal internships offer numerous benefits that simply can’t be obtained by seeking a job directly after passing your certification requirements.
Some of the obvious advantages include resume preparation, job specific skills development, expanding your job prospects, and building a professional network. However, there are some benefits that aren’t so obvious – for example, the personal growth and confidence developed that will improve your job interview and overall presence.
Read the full article →
Paralegals and legal assistants are the right hand of attorneys and the foundation of any law firm. Of course, the attorneys themselves, having completed law school and passed the Bar exam are ultimately responsible for the council provided to their clients, but paralegals are the backbone of the office and provide a significant amount of the legwork and expertise required to keep things moving forward.
Legal professionals such as these carry out many responsibilities and duties, and unfortunately, like many admin assistant positions are at times overworked. Some duties paralegals regularly undertake are: legal writing, drafting motions, legal research, litigation support, scheduling appointments, meeting clients, and much more.
Read the full article →
One common thread I see both online and offline is the apparent barrier to entry for those seeking entry level paralegal jobs. If you’re new to the legal industry, I’m sure you’ve encountered this in other professions as well. Unfortunately, there really is no easy way of transitioning to a lateral position in a new industry. To a certain extent you are “starting over”.
On the other hand, with the economic and job climate so volatile these days, it’s imperative to be as nimble as possible – in other words, have the ability to quickly adapt to a new professional environment and learn quickly once placed.
If you are attempting to get an entry level paralegal job without some sort of paralegal degree, you have a tough road ahead of you. But fear not! There are many accredited paralegal degree programs that only take a matter of months to complete. However, the more advanced paralegal degrees take up to 2 years of course.
Read the full article →
