Paralegal Job Search Plan: Objectives, Resources, Networking & Record Keeping There are number of books, articles and even blogs has been published with reference to interview techniques like what you have to offer an employer and how to do the paper work, including your skills assessment, resume, and cover letter-all in preparation for the interview. But unless you have a strategy for finding job opportunities, all that work will not help you. Your... (100 views)
Polishing Up Your Legal Networking Skills In recent years, the concept of networking has become increasingly popular as it relates to job finding, career counseling, and support systems. To understand how networking operates, visualize a series of linkages or connections that leads to other connections. That's what networking is all about: developing connections or contacts that might be able to open some doors... (10 views)
Guidelines for a Paralegal Resume Cover Letter Whether you are applying for a job that is listed in the want ads or any other place, including blind ads, your best chance for recognition will be the result of a clear, direct cover letter attached to your resume. A good cover letter is well focused and specifically tailored to the job for which you are applying. While you probably have a standard resume that you will... (194 views)
Know the Correct Content and Form for Your Paralegal Cover Letter The order of your remarks in your cover letter should be straight forward. The following format may be a helpful guide. (710 views)
On the Paralegal Job: The First Thirty Days The purpose of this section is to walk you through the first thirty days of your new job as a paralegal. It describes what happens once you are hired and walk through the door, based on actual accounts of people who have been there. (290 views)
Answering Difficult Questions about Paralegal Job It is very natural to prepare yourself for handling difficult questions that are being shot on you at the time of interview. Below are some specific ways in which you can protect yourself without alienating the interviewer who poses questions that are illegal or border on illegality. (130 views)
Getting Attention with Your Paralegal Resume Opening a lecture with a question like this has an arresting quality. I waited for a response as classmates looked around at each other. Finally, wanting to end the silence, a few volunteered some responses. (62 views)
Planning the follow-up strategy while confronting an interview! You will probably have some clues as to when the interview is over. The interviewer will either stand or ask if you have any questions about the job. (529 views)
Guidelines for Preparing an Effective Paralegal Resume Certainly there is room for individual style; distinctive resumes that have a special flare are highly desirable within limits of acceptability. However, there is a quick-moving, to-the-point quality about all effective resumes, which is forced upon us by the One-Page Rule. The One-Page Rule, which grows logically from the 30-Second Rule, is simply, "Keep the resume from... (69 views)
The FAB Paralegal Resume Filter The term is borrowed from sales and marketing. If you were marketing a commodity or service, you would describe its characteristics, talk about the natural advantages that would come from its use, and describe the subsequent impact that it would have on someone's life-how it would improve another's life. This filter through which all potential resume material passes should... (96 views)
Get to know the parts of the Resume In this section we will explore the various parts of a resume: Education, Professional or Work Experience, Skill Assessment Sections (Profiles and Objectives), Special/Technical sections. While these do not cover all possible titles you might assign to parts of your resume, they do cover the territory in terms of topics. (12 views)
Drawing attention towards Gaps and Other Problems occurring while drafting a resume If you have potential problems in your background, such as gaps or jobs that you do not wish to draw attention to, then grapple with these issues in the "hard chronology." Each should be dealt with independently so that different approaches can be utilized. Some choose to avoid explanation. This approach lets the interviewer "discover" the gap or other problem. Some choose... (26 views)
Beyond Beginner: Freelancing as a Paralegal Many paralegals, once they gain experience and establish a reputation for reliability and professional work, consider freelancing, which involves working as an independent contractor or with other paralegals as part of a group. Before examining ways in which you can follow this path, it is extremely important to understand what a paralegal can and cannot do. For that... (264 views)
How to Get Hired: The Art of Being Interviewed The word ‘interview’ stems from the French word entre-voir, which means to ''see each other." If we take that meaning one step further, we see in a current English dictionary that the word interview literally means "to see each other mutually." In other words, the scope and purpose of the interview is to find out if the job candidate and potential employer are "right"... (695 views)
Preparing You for the Interview In preparing yourself for the interview, try to put yourself in the place of the person who will be interviewing you. He or she is interested in finding an employee who can make a contribution to the company, get along with other employees, and promote the image that the company wants to project. In other words, your professional appearance and behavior may single you out... (97 views)
Points To Consider For Opting as Paralegal Freelancer Remember that your first clients are the ones who will help you to establish your reputation. You cannot afford to be anything less than punctual and completely accurate in the work you do. While these traits are important in any job, as an independent paralegal, you will never hold clients or gain new ones if your reputation is not built on these factors. (39 views)
Important Tips to be Considered for Paralegal Without opening your mouth, you convey messages and attitudes by how you sit, stand, use your hands. Be sure the message is a positive one and works for you. Here are some tips for doing this: (28 views)
Things to Avoid while Giving an Interview Below mentioned are some points that should be taken avoided by the applicants giving interview! (35 views)
Plan Your Career as a Freelance Paralegal There are certain important issues to consider when planning your career as a freelance paralegal. (351 views)
Choosing A Generalist/Specialist Program As A Paralegal The first step in selecting the course of study best for you is to decide where you want to work (both location and type of law office) and the field that best fits your background and career goals. (279 views)
Do You Need to Enroll for a Paralegal Training Program? Paralegal programs are growing at a rapid rate. There are paralegal programs offered in almost every community in the country, and there are many different types of programs, from generalist programs to special ones. As the growth in such programs indicate, they are meeting important training needs-both for people entering the field and for employers seeking skilled... (71 views)
Conducting Yourself Effectively at Law Job Interviews Appearance and attitude convey an instantaneous impression that can make or break the success of the entire meeting. Interviewers often make unconscious decisions about a candidate during the first minute of the interview. Make that minute count. (24 views)
One-site Interview: How to Deal with Non-lawyer Staff While attending the “one-site” interview, read carefully a few words about those associates on the Committee and the non-lawyer staff person who walks you around from interview to interview. It is very tempting in an "one-site" interview to save your best performances for the partners you are meeting, and "relax" a bit more when talking to the associates. I believe... (19 views)
Legal Job Interviews & Handling Negative Questions Once in a while, especially if your lawyer interviewer is a litigator or trial attorney, you may find yourself the focus of a "negative" or "adversary" interview. This is one in which all of the interviewer's questions appear to be designed to put you down or make you reveal unflattering or negative information about yourself, and it can be a truly terrifying experience.... (2809 views)
Simple Rules: End of Legal Job Interview Just as the most hazardous parts of an airline flight are the takeoff and the landing, so the most awkward parts of a legal job interview are the beginning (where you are greeting the interviewer and trying to establish a personal rapport with him) and the end (where you are taking your leave and trying to end the interview on a positive note). Here are some simple rules... (19 views)
Career Alternatives for Paralegals No matter where you are in your career or what field you're in, there are ways you can improve your career. There are many career alternatives available in almost every field. Look at your skills: languages, research ability, supervisory experience, knowledge of various industries. Where are they used? As a paralegal you might easily transfer to a company doing business... (1947 views)
Which Is The Right Paralegal School For You? Once you have decided to attend a paralegal program you now have to choose a paralegal program for yourself. How do you know which is right for you? There are a number of factors to consider, but a few are most important. (7 views)
Law Job Opportunities for Legal Professionals in Government Wherever there is government, there is law-in abundance. And wherever there is law, there will always be a need for employees with law-related skills and training. Perhaps that is why the federal government is the largest for opportunities in government, but you have to look beyond job titles. Check actual job descriptions for internship slots where paralegal training is... (56 views)
The Four Parts of a Legal Interview for Paralegals Those who leave the interview to fate seem to think that the interview is just one long series of questions and answers. The winning presentations are most often given by paralegals who understand the basic structure of an effective legal interview. (51 views)
Five Things You Should Know Before Your Paralegal Interview in a Law Firm Five particular characteristics bear on hiring practices. Once you have worked in the legal environment for a time, these characteristics will just seem like normal descriptions of the professional terrain; when you are new, they can befuddle and confuse you, cause apprehension, and perhaps keep you from getting hired for a job that you really wanted. (1246 views)