Qualities a Manager Looks for in a Paralegal

Over the years, I have spoken with dozens of paralegal coordinators and paralegal managers and written several articles about their thoughts, wants, hopes, and needs. I have asked them to specify what they look for in a candidate. Their responses to these questions will add some insight into the interviewing process as well as how one should perform on the job. At a minimum, the responses will help you to be better prepared for some of the more commonly asked questions and techniques used by paralegal managers when evaluating a candidate.

What Paralegal Managers Look For

When interviewing for a paralegal position, it is important to have an understanding of what characteristics and qualities are most meaningful to a potential employer. The interview process is difficult enough without having to be in the dark regarding what the interviewer is looking for in a successful candidate. Interviewing is an art form, and being aware of the interviewer’s potential mind-set will make the experience all the more palatable. Whether one is an entry-level applicant or an experienced one, employers have a set of criteria that they consider when judging a candidate. These criteria will aid the employer in assessing the candidate’s potential success with the organization.

See Also: How to Answer the “Tell Me about Yourself” Interview Question

When I, as a paralegal manager, review a candidate’s resume, there are certain important factors that will either entice me to interview the candidate or cause me to pass on the candidate. Job stability is the first thing I look for on a resume. If a candidate has moved around frequently from job to job, the impression the manager gets is that the candidate, for whatever reason, will not last very long in the new position. Many managers feel that past behavior is indicative of future behavior. On the other hand, if a candidate has remained with the same firm or corporation for many years, the manager feels as though the candidate has a strong commitment to the work and the employer.

Many paralegal managers express an interest in candidates with a solid academic background. At a meeting for paralegal managers, when several were asked if they only wanted to interview and hire individuals from Ivy League schools, the answer was no. Paralegal managers were most interested in people who put forth a considerable effort in attaining a degree. These managers wanted to discuss with the candidate his or her under-graduate education to get a sense for the individual’s thought process. A small firm paralegal manager once said, “I want to find out in the interview how articulate a person is. In many instances, asking candidates about their class work is a good barometer.” This particular paralegal manager felt that if a person spent four years at an institution, that person should be able to speak adequately about his or her studies.

Once a candidate has gotten beyond the resume stage and secured an interview, the first thing a paralegal manager notices in a candidate is his or her attire. The paralegal manager wants to know how the candidate will fit into the organization. An applicant’s dress is the first indication of compatibility with the firm. If the firm is an old, white-shoe firm (very conservative), and your dress is casual rather than formal with a conservative accent, the interviewer may immediately have reservations about how you would fit into the firm’s environment. I have had interviews stop with the candidate’s dress. Although one may find this to be rather shallow and unimportant, the nature of law firms and corporations is toward harmony. Employers may not be looking for someone who will stand out, because compatibility with the firm environment requires someone who will fit in. Another factor is that law firms, especially older, larger ones, are very much concerned with “appearances.” Their clients tend to be conservative, well-heeled people who expect their attorneys to have a certain image. That image is portrayed in many ways: in the firm’s decor, in its stationery, and, most importantly, in the dress and manner of its employees.

The newest trend, however, with intellectual property firms and particularly with entertainment firms is a more dressed-down, informal look. Find out from your network about the firm’s culture and image.

Paralegal managers will, in many cases, focus on accoutrements other than whether you are wearing a suit (male or female). Interest in the candidate’s dress also shows how the candidate feels about himself or herself. A neatly and appropriately dressed interviewee could very well be someone who takes pride in his or her work. Unshined shoes, wrinkled clothing, ripped pantyhose, and unmatched socks all give the impression to the paralegal manager that the candidate is sloppy. Sloppy dress may give the impression of sloppy work.

Many managers use an interviewing technique that allows them to ascertain how a candidate will handle everyday paralegal responsibilities. These managers ask questions of the candidate that will demonstrate the candidate’s aplomb at dealing with certain situations. For example, instead of asking a hypothetical question such as, “How would you handle this problem?” these managers ask, “How have you handled this problem in the past?” The answers to this type of question help the manager determine, with greater likelihood, the overall abilities, common sense, and experience level of the candidate.

Paralegal managers notice whether a paralegal pays attention to detail. One of the overriding tasks of any paralegal is to be responsible for a multitude of documents. Whether you are in litigation, corporate, bankruptcy, intellectual property, or even estate planning, it is the paralegal’s goal to organize every document he or she handles. If you are successful in devising systems allowing you to be organized, you will most likely impress your paralegal manager. Another detail-oriented issue is preparation of a finished product having as few mistakes as possible. Your ability to proofread your own work and present a quality product will have a positive effect on your superiors.

Several paralegal managers have pointed to the type of law practiced by the firm as the reason for their particular interest in a candidate’s academic record. In firms specializing in corporate law, securities transactions, and the like, several managers felt a strong academic background allows better understanding of documents the paralegal works with on a daily basis and, therefore, supports the individual’s ability to succeed. A few managers conceded this is not necessarily the case. Given the limited amount of time a firm has to choose a candidate, demonstrating a strong academic background makes the decision easier, all other factors being equal.

Not all entry-level paralegals are people who come directly out of college or paralegal school. Many paralegals are people who have worked, in many cases for a long time, at another career and have transitioned into the legal field. When hiring an entry-level paralegal from another field, paralegal managers look for candidates who have shown some success in their previous field. While these individuals may have never worked in a law firm before, there is a perception that success breeds success.

It is important to give potential employers a sense that the candidate is hungry for the position. Lack of enthusiasm is one of the first turnoffs for any paralegal manager. Just as a lack of awareness about the firm can be perceived as a negative, a lack of pep or zeal during the interview or on the job gives a bad impression.

Over and over again, managers have expressed their concern about candidates who slumped in the interview chair. Or worse, sometimes the questions asked of the candidate were met with a perceived lack of interest in the entire process.

“Whenever I interview a prospective employee, I want to get the feeling that the candidate is ready to start work immediately.” In many law firms, the hours paralegals keep are extensive, and employers want to feel as though the long hours will not be a burden to their staff. An individual who is dragging through a one-hour interview does not have much of a chance of convincing the paralegal manager that long hours would not be a burden.

Interviewers like candidates who ask questions. This is how impressions are formed about one’s hunger for a job. Asking questions of your interviewer about the position, the firm’s benefits, or the typical paralegal day (if there is such a thing!) gives potential employers a feeling you are someone who is attentive and thinks things through, particularly when confronted with an unknown situation. One of the important characteristics of a successful paralegal is the ability to ensure that assignments are completed as assigned. A candidate who asks questions will be viewed as someone who makes sure the assignment is understood before attempting to complete it.

It always intrigues me when a candidate interviews without knowing anything about our firm. Not having done any homework about the firm prior to the interview gives the impression that the opportunity to work for the firm or corporation is of little importance to the candidate. Questions about the size of the firm, what kind of law the firm practiced, even where the firm had its main office. These types of questions convey a message that the candidate was not overly concerned with making a good impression.

Paralegal managers are similarly impressed when a candidate arrives for an interview and knows the types of practice the firm has or, if a corporation, what sort of businesses or products the corporation is involved in. It is always a good habit to do some research about a firm or corporation prior to your interview. You want to show the interviewer that this firm or corporation is truly of interest to you. The impression you want to relate to the firm or company is that this interview is special to you.

The interview is possibly the most important opportunity an applicant has to convince the paralegal manager of his or her chances of succeeding. It is important to convey to the paralegal manager that you are capable, hungry, and attentive. Conveying these qualities enhances your chances of success as a paralegal. Take the opportunity you are given now—second chances at first impressions are rare.

• See Top 10 Reasons Most Law Firms Have No Idea How to Hire and Evaluate Patent Attorneys for more information.