Whether you have just finished school or are a veteran paralegal in need of a change, applying to jobs is a daunting task. The pursuit of a best-fit employer and job is one that takes a lot of talent, and equally enough confidence and courage. As I’ve mentioned before in previous blog posts, the paralegal profession has completely changed course – and in the totally right direction. A large majority of today’s paralegals have bachelor’s degrees and additional certifications, including the ability to become senior legal assistants with supervising duties. In proportion to the increasing education and competition within employed and job-searching paralegals, employers have also increased requirements and responsibilities, as reflected in the job listings.
With this blog post, I want to provide a concise guide that will aid in your job search and application endeavors by including strategies that are achievable, accessible, and relevant.
Get Involved
Sometimes we’re not all so lucky to have an uncle that is a managing partner of a billion-dollar law firm, that offered us a job at the firm before we even decided to become paralegals. More often than not, it is up to us to put ourselves “out there” to professionally network and get involved. In a recent post by Paralegal411, several veteran legal professionals stated that the best advice for getting hired as a paralegal is to join a local paralegal association. By joining an organization, you’re put in a position to make great connections, garner more experience, and discover “insider” tips. Additionally, by joining an organization and getting involved, your dedication and diligence to the profession will be reflected in your résumé, cover letter, and wherever else you choose to highlight your member experience.
Know Where to Look
Sites like Indeed.com do not have all of the job listings of the world. Instead, try LinkedIn, Career OneStop (by the Bureau of Labor Statistics), or do a general web search. Paid for sites like Career Shift are equally helpful for job hunting. This PDF file “Job Bank Links” was created by the University of Texas at San Antonio, and provides links organized by profession.
Do Your Homework
It’s easy to become overwhelmed with the quantity of jobs that you want or need to apply to. It’s important to not succumb to the pressure of submitting up to 10 job applications a day. Instead, do your homework for the jobs that you really/actually want. In order to really understand the job description, research the firm or company that originally posted the job listing. Read the professional biographies of the employees, observe the website and content, firm branding, and legal specializations. After you have a working knowledge of the firm, it’s specialties, and client base, you’re able to effectively adjust your résumé, cover letter, and portfolio.
Assess Your Skills
When applying to jobs as a paralegal, it is essential that the submitted documents and your portfolio reflect your adaptability, competency, and professionalism. This is especially crucial to those applicants who do not practice in a specific field, but instead are willing to learn about other specialties. Second, do not neglect to highlight your technology skills. Ann Pearson, a writer for Paralegal Boot Camp, wrote this bold statement in her blog post titled Paralegal Technology Skills are Not Just “Optional”:
Technology is not going to take paralegal jobs away. A paralegal’s lack of technology skills is what will take paralegal jobs away.
Proofread
Proofread, proofread, and then proofread some more. The skill of attention to detail is one of the most encompassing requirements of professional paralegals. The lack of a necessary apostrophe or misuse of a comma may jeopardize your entire application. Paralegals handle extremely confidential client information on a daily basis, and employers can not risk their paralegals mistakenly emailing information to the wrong person or misplacing documents. In addition, paralegals also draft an abundance of written documents. You want to make the impression that you are capable of producing high-quality and satisfactory work that will need minimal revision, thus making your attorney’s job that much easier.
