"How To Land Your First
Paralegal Job", written by Andrea Wagner.
order from Amazon.com

RE: From resume writing to interview.

According to Wagner, these 'hot tips' will help.

Resume: Appearance counts

Purchase a ream of high-quality paper with matching envelopes. By buying a large quantity, you can use the same paper for your cover letters, list of references, writing samples, and follow-up thank you notes. Paper and envelopes that match better and show the employer that you have a sense of style.

Typographical errors have a way of breeding when you are not ing. Do not assume that you will find them yourself. Ask a few objective colleagues to review your resume for typographical and grammatical errors. It should be proof read at least three or four times before the final printing.

Remember, the job you are seeking is detail oriented. A law firm will predict your work product by the quality of your resume. If your resume is not perfect, it reflects poorly on you, and will usually prevent your getting an interview.

Provide your references with a copy of your resume to refresh their memory regarding your dates of employment and job duties. On all your writing samples, make sure to include your name, address, and phone number(s). Also, copy your writing samples on the same paper as your resume and references. This will add a touch of class to your presentation.

Prepare several different resumes which you can use for various paralegal positions. Formulating both chronological and functional resumes to emphasize different strengths in your background.

List institutions from which you received a degree or certificate. By including schools attended but not completed, you open up a "can of worms" for employers. They will wonder why you did not complete your degree and if you are unreliable because of an inability to follow through with that degree.

You do not want to have to explain all the circumstances of your dropping out. This could lead to your providing information about yourself that employers do not have the right to know, such as taking time off to have children, to care for an ilness in the family, or because of your own medical history.

Do not list the date of graduation from college if it has been over fifteen years. Even though employers are not allowed to discriminate because of age, why give them any ammunition to eliminate you even before they meet you? Once you have gotten the interview, you can prove your worth despite or because of your age.

The exception to the "education first" rule applies only to those career changers who are seeking a paralegal position in a specialty directly related to their work history. For example, a pharmacist seeking a position as a medical malpractice paralegal, or a savings and loan director seeking a position in banking litigation, should definately list experience first.

Call the law firm or corporation and ask the receptionist to whom paralegal resumes should be directed. Be sure to ask for the correct spelling and job title. Be extremely friendly to the receptionist and all other support staff. They may become invaluble sources of information and help you get through the door!

for attorneys in Martindale-Hubbel (available at your local library) who are alumni of your college or the law school division of your paralegal school. In the opening sentence of your cover letter, state "As a graduate of ______________, I wanted to contact you about the possibilities of employment as a paralegal." You resume should receive special attention.

Many hiring authorities will judge your writing skills by your cover and thank-you letters. Work hard on whatever written communications you send out. Read them aloud to yourself and others. You need to sound strong and impressive; the quality of your writing provides a test of your abilities without your relizing it.

In the first paragraph of your letter, mention the fact that you are familiar with the firm or company (if you are) and add something nice about it. "Your firm has a stellar reputation," or " I would enjoy working with a firm such as yours that has such a stellar reputation" are two examples. Praising the firm can only increase the impact of the cover letter. Always carry extra copies of your resume with you. You never know when a social chat could develope into an important networking relationship or even evolve into an informal job interview. You should always carry printed business cards with your name, address, phone number, and "paralegal" or "legal assistant" as your job title.

While studying local law journals and legal news papers, for firms hiring associates. Check out the "attorneys wanted" classified advertisements. If the organazation appears to be expanding, it is more than likely that they will also need paralegals. Suggest this in your cover letter.

Interview: Presentation Counts.

Always be friendly to the secretary. If the secretary becomes your ally, you will have easier access to the boss. If you have trouble getting past the secretary, try calling early in the morning or after office hours. Frequently, the hiring authorities and attorneys are in the office before and after the support staff. You may get right through to the proper person if you call at these times.

By stating that you only want 15 to 20 minutes for the interview you will get his or her attention. During the interview try not to take more that the time you set, unless the person with whom you are speaking wants to extend the conversation. Avoid using the phrase, " I was wondering if....." This is too tentative and sounds as though you did not have anything better to do that day. Use a more positive approach, such as: " I am seeking a position with your firm and would like to set up an interview." Your answering machine or voice mail may be the very first impression the potential employer has of you, after your resume. Create a message that sounds as if the potential employer has called your home office.

Never ask the firm if they will pay for parking. Take along extra money, just in case they do not! To get an annual report or brochure from a law firm or corporation, inform the receptionist of your interest in investing or becoming a client, and that information is needed to make an informed choice. You should get the brochure within a couple days. Employers are "put on alert" when they receive the following responses to questions:

* I am willing to take a pay cut.
* I left for personal reasons.
* I am ing for a greater challenge.
* I did not see eye to eye with my employer.
* There was a personality conflict with my co-workers and/or
supervisor.
* I was fired.
* I left because of a personality conflict.

Dress as though you are applying for the interviewers position.

Choose a straight-backed chair to sit in while waiting. If sitting on a cushiony, low couch or chair, chances are that you will be forced to extracateyourself awkwardly just as the interviewer walks up to greet you. Bad impression! Some firms actually note how long it takes to fill out an application, as an indication of how quickly you might complete your work. Try to take no more than ten minutes to fill in the blanks. It would be a good idea to have a sample application already prepared to take with you.

During the interview, you should ask some of the following questions tactfully and at the appropriate time. Remember that the firm is not only interviewing you; you are also interviewing the firm. Interviewers are wary of candidates who have no questions.

Job Duties

* Will I be expected to travel?
* Will I have an expense account?
* Will I be required to do any clerical or secretarial duties?
* Will I be expected to travel locally on court runs or other errands? If so, will I use my own car? Will I be reimbursed for gas and/or mileage?
* Will I be required to do any kind of investigative work?
* Will I be expected to relocate?
* Would you describe the job duties for me?
* What do you consider the ideal experience for this job?
* On what type's of cases will I be working?
* To whom will I be reporting? Who is in charge of giving me work?

DO NOT take out your list of questions during the interview; memorize them instead.

Be sure to get the names and titles of the people with whom you interviewed, ask for their business cards before leaving the office.

Finally, after an interview, write a thank-you letter. This letter reminds the employer who you are and can serve as another writing sample.

 *summary provided by one of our excellent paralegals (CF) - thanks for the great work. Prof. J.