Career Help for the Legal Industry – Attorneys, Legal Secretaries, and Paralegals Listen Up!

Becoming a legal professional will be the greatest career move you ever made! The Legal Industry can be difficult and stressful, but if you were to speak with the majority of attorneys, paralegals, legal secretaries, and case managers, they wouldn’t change their decision to work in the law field for the world. To be successful in the legal industry you have to be strong-minded, dedicated, responsible, and organized – I cannot stress the importance of organization in the high-pressured, competitive legal world. Here are a few ideas and suggestions to assist you in developing and expanding your legal career:

1. DEVELOP A CAREER PATH: If you can dream it, you can do it! Whether this means becoming a top trial attorney, established corporate attorney, litigation paralegal, or legal secretary to a senior partner, it all starts with the BELIEF that you can do it. Do some research and ascertain what education you will need, whether or not the school requires an entrance exam (LSAT, GRE, GMAT), and what materials you will need to complete your application. Most schools will require transcripts, letters of recommendation, and usually 1 or more standardized test scores.

2. RESEARCH DIFFERENT JOB DESCRIPTIONS: I always tell my clients that there is a difference between the position you want and the position you dream about is KNOWING what the job does. I recommend searching Monster, CareerBuilder, or Ladders. Think of the different job titles you are interested in and review and research the job descriptions to see if it fits you. If your dream is to be a trial attorney, than working as an in-house corporate counsel if probably not for you -just as being a paralegal is probably not the ideal position for someone who wants to be out of the office to meet with clients and conduct site-visits.

3. BE PROACTIVE: There are only so many job positions available online. Unfortunately, many of the positions you find on the career websites are not current, stale, and no longer available. Networking with other peers in your industry is the time proven way to locate a new job. If you are new to a field, or seeing entrance into the field, take some time to research different various organizations you can join, and make your presence known. 95% of job positions are NOT advertised- they are secured through word of mouth.

4. MAKE SURE YOUR RESUME IS PERFECT: A complete, accurate and streamlined resume is essential for you when applying for your next legal job. If you are not experienced preparing a resume, then consider securing a certified professional attorney resume writer.

GOOD LUCK!