The professional arena for skilled paralegals has become even more competitive. Getting wind of the in-demand nature of this profession, more and more people have become aspirants in the field. With this in mind, you need a competitive edge to separate yourself from the rest. A good job application and an exceedingly impressive interview should be your best tools.
Now, in drafting your job application as well as coursing through your training, it is very important to keep in mind that paralegals are not limited to litigation and court processes. Their job includes an array of responsibilities. Hence, offering mastery in only these responsibilities will not make the cut.
Uniform Trainings
Paralegals are expected to go through a long process of learning. They have required educational attainments as well as stringent trainings. A person cannot be a paralegal without these requirements and hence, it is important to be reminded that you are in the same footing as everybody else in this regard. Your competitive edge would be enrolling and graduating from a school that offers competitive trainings and courses that are beyond what is average or what is expected.
Certifications
Being ABA-certified will also help your case. It is not only a membership in an organization of aspirants, but it will also give you a network. This is extremely important even for established firms because they know that you have the resources that will contribute greatly to the cause of the firm.
Finding a Niche
One way to seal an edge against your competition is to offer a niche or a specialization. For instance, there is a reason that immigration paralegal training is very popular. It is a complex discipline in law but is also very in demand. In immigration law, it is very important that each detail of the law is well-interpreted. Showing that you have engaged in a full immigration paralegal training will impress your interviewers and will definitely help you land the job.
Remember that paralegals are not just glorified legal secretaries. Your training is nearly as important as the innate skills you can bring to the job.