www.ParalegalToday.com Q4 - 2017 17
looking to make a career move, meeting
industry leaders and colleagues also helps
you to generate “buzz” about yourself.
The more contacts you cultivate, the more
likely you are to get a referral for a job.
Not sure where to start in identifying
potential contacts? Here are a few ideas to get
you started:
association. This is one of the best ways to
meet other paralegals and leaders within your
professional community. As an added bonus,
most leaders in local professional associations
are volunteers who have a genuine interest in
helping to further the profession and careers
of like-minded paralegals.
firms and attorneys by practice area, firm
size, and geographic location. This will help
you identify potential law firms to target in
your job search.
for paralegals working in the practice areas
or geographic locations you are targeting.
Rather than reaching out to the individuals
via a LinkedIn message, use LinkedIn to
identify contacts, then search for a phone
number or email for the organization or the
individual and contact them directly. Many
professionals do not regularly check their
LinkedIn messages, and those who do don’t
always respond.
When to do this: Once you narrow down
your target areas from step two, you should
send five to seven outreach emails a week and
aim to meet with a professional colleague at
least once a week.
Step 6. Stay current on industry
developments and re-evaluate
as needed
This may be as simple as reading at least
one online article a week related to your
areas of interest. HG.org is a good place
to find practice area-specific periodicals
and resources for legal news. The site
offers articles by practice area under the
“Publications” section of the website. Being
up-to-date on industry trends and areas of
developing law will allow you to speak with
confidence at informational interviews and
job interviews. Making the investment to
stay current on hot topics will also help you
convey your sincerity of interest in the subject
matter or practice areas that you are targeting
to potential employers. Finally, staying
current on legal news will help you recognize
which practice areas are experiencing growth
versus those that are in a downturn, so you
can adjust your job search as needed.
When to do this: Read an industry-related
article at least once a week.
Step 7. Be prepared for setbacks –
persistence is key
One of the hardest parts of job searching
is rejection or lack of responsiveness from
potential employers. It is a normal part of the
process. The roller coaster of excitement and
setbacks can be tiresome and discouraging.
While there may be some hard days, there will
also be inspiring days. A benefit of following
a job search action plan is in setting weekly
goals, so that minor setbacks don’t become
an excuse for discontinuing your efforts.
Following a weekly to-do list will keep you
on track and moving the ball forward by
submitting job applications, meeting with
professional contacts, and staying current on
industry trends. Remember that that It can
take six to nine months or more to land a job,
so patience and persistence are essential in
any job search.
Step 8. Make a great first impression
An interview! Congratulations! Getting an
invitation to interview is exciting and one of
the most rewarding aspects of job searching.
It’s important that you prepare for interviews
so that your hard work leading up to the
interview pays off. While everyone has their
own interview style, here are key pointers for
all interviewees:
wait for the interviewer to ask questions and
answer questions without any pre-planning.
While the interviewer will take the lead in
directing the conversation, you should select
three to five skills or attributes to convey to
the interviewer and use examples of projects
or accomplishments to evidence these skills.
Plan to weave these examples into your
responses to the interview questions.
value of a smile and enthusiasm for the
work. Almost all employers are screening
candidates not only for their skills and
interest in the work, but also for employees
who will be a good fit with the organization’s
culture. Show that you take your work
seriously, but also let your personality come
through so both you and the employer can
get a sense of whether you are a good fit.
sending a simple thank you note. If the
employer gave you a timeline for hiring and
you haven’t heard back, follow up by phone or
email. Do not automatically presume that you
weren’t selected because you haven’t heard
from the employer. There may be a delay in
decision making, and it’s in your interest to
remind the employer of your enthusiasm and
continuing availability for the position by
following up.
Job searching can be exciting and grueling.
Breaking the tasks down into a concrete list
of action items is one way to ensure that you
continue to move forward on the path to your
career development.
Ethel Hong Badawi is a professor of
paralegal studies at The George Washington
University, and a principal and co-founder of
Pollack Badawi Group, LLC, a legal recruiting
firm based in Washington, D.C. Badawi
develops customized professional training for
paralegals, and her clients include law firms
and government agencies, including the U.S.
Department of Justice and U.S. Department of
Labor. Badawi earned her B.A. in Economics
and Spanish from Wellesley College, and her
J.D. from
The George
Washington
University
Law School.
For more
information
about
Badawi, visit
her website
at http://
ethelbadawi.
com.
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