Tips for Getting your First Paralegal Job

Mitch’s note:  I originally wrote this article for the Los Angeles Paralegal Association’s monthly newsletter.  While this is directed towards those professionals that are in school for their Paralegal certificate, or recently completed their ABA-approved Paralegal certificate, I think there is useful information in here that can be used in any industry.

Getting your first Paralegal job can be the most daunting, and sometimes most challenging job hunt you’ll ever do.  Here are a few tips that will help your candidacy as you start your career:

1. Develop your criteria for your first job.  How do I know what type of paralegal position I want, if I’ve never worked as a Paralegal? While this sounds counterintuitive, bear with me.  Your criteria needs to be PERSONAL criteria for your next job- the type of things do you need in your next job to be  successful in the next position.  How will work be interesting and rewarding for?  For example, my criteria for work is the following:
   1. I must feel a sense of ‘purpose’ with what I am doing.
   2. I must be in a position where I can collaborate with people.
   3. I must be able to control my income.

This criteria allowed me to walk into interviews with a tool to evaluate the potential employers, even if I didn’t exactly know what the work would be.  Hiring Managers are appreciative of this, and it allows you to have a detailed conversation about the position and compare it to your criteria.

1.  Informational interviews:  Use your time in school to begin meeting with experienced professionals in your field.  I’ve written extensively about how to conduct an informational interview, but here are some reasons to conduct these interviews:
   1. They allow you to start learning about the field you’re interested in joining. Learning people’s opinions on the pros and cons of their respective field is a great way to evaluate a potential career.
   2. You’ll be able to evaluate your own criteria for the next job.  Your criteria is something that should always be evolving as you gain more experience in the legal field.  Sharing it with people who you meet with will be a good way to learn if this criteria is reasonable and can be expected in this potential career.
   3. You’ll build networking connections.  While informational interviews aren’t a time to ask for a job from someone, if you present yourself as professional, prepared, and knowledgeable then there is a high probability that the connections you meet with will introduce you with others that could be potential companies you work with.
   4. You will be able to learn about industry trends and buzzwords that will allow you to lead more educated and informed discussions in future information sessions and interviews.

3. Job shadowing: Similar to informational interviews, this is a chance for you to actually see how the work is being performed.  You can spend anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours observing work at a firm- while it’s not in-depth training, you can begin to get a clear picture of what this future ‘work’ actually looks like, and then can speak more convincingly about it in a future interview.
4. Take a risk on a temporary assignment. There are many times when firms need smart, presentable, and professional people right away. For example, their regular employee calls in sick, or has a family emergency that will keep them away from the office- if you have an opportunity to jump at one of these opportunities, it could lead to something much bigger.  I’ve had a past Entry Level Paralegal that got called about coming in to be a front desk receptionist for an AmLaw 100 firm.  They needed someone that could start that day!  She dropped everything she was doing to take the assignment.  They saw her professionalism and work-ethic, and it turned out their full-time Receptionist couldn’t come back to work.  They asked her to stay on, and while she continued to work as a receptionist, they trained her on their Paralegal role.  Within a year, a Paralegal position opened up at the firm, and she successfully moved into that position.
5. Be open to other titles at firms/companies: Many firms don’t necessarily hire Entry Level Paralegals, or give them that title. Rather, they promote people from other positions into their paralegal positions.  Some titles to look at on your job search:  Case Assistant, Case Clerk, Legal Assistant, Conflicts Analyst.  (I’m sure there are others, so would love to hear from you if you can think of any!)

Getting hired at the first job of your new career is always one of the hardest job searches you’ll ever conduct.  Hopefully you can use some of these tips to you set yourself apart from other candidates, and start you in a profession that you’ll find exciting and always evolving.