Six Figure Success Coach

Should I mention past medical issues in an interview?

2012-05-16T15:38:46Z

One thing I have noticed that a lot of job seekers are unclear on is whether or not they should mention that they were out on disability or had to take time off for a medical issue. My recommendation is that you stay away from any conversations about medical leave, medical procedures or disability. You are better off to say you had a personal matter to attend to or something similar as the term "personal matter" does not typically have the same negative connotation as medical matter or issue.

The reason you would want to stay clear of these topics in an interview is that an employer could potentially use that information to discriminate against you. Legally, they are not supposed to discriminate, but that doesn't mean that they won't.

An employer is not allowed to legally ask you any questions about your medical history so there is no reason you should go out of your way to disclose that information unnecessarily.

So how should you handle it if you have taken some time off for a medical leave or medical procedure?

I would recommend saying something to the effect of "I really enjoyed working for my last employer (start with what you liked about your last position), however, I had some personal matters that I had to attend to that required me to take time off for an extended period."

Most employers will be OK with this type of an answer. Some might push you further asking "what personal issues?," but most will not because of the legalities around pushing for more information.

How do you avoid getting a job offer rescinded?

2012-05-04T03:48:49Z

1) Always advise your recruiter or potential employer if you may have any misdemeanors or other potential issues with your background check in ADVANCE

2) Always cross check your employment dates and only list months if required on your resume. If your months are off even slightly this can have your offer rescinded

3) If you started a job "temp" but it went perm, you would want to be sure to clarify what dates were temp and what dates were perm

4) Make sure any education listed on your resume is verifiable and/or that you can provide an authentic copy of your Degree or certificate that you have listed

5) DON'T LIE. This is a good catch all to avoid getting your offer rescinded and covers all of the above topics.

If you lie about anything, no matter how insignificant or small it may seem, an employer has every right to rescind your job offer.

To list your degree or not list your degree...

2012-04-30T17:24:12Z

In today's market, it is more important than ever to be careful what you put on your resume and how you word what you are putting your resume. One of the biggest errors I see on resumes time and time again is when people list a college degree on their resume or a certificate, but they have not completed the classes necessary to possess that degree or certificate. Additionally, I see people who call themselves 'certified,' but do not understand what that term means as it relates to the paralegal profession. Neither of these is acceptable and can be grounds for a rescinded job offer and/or termination. This is not always done intentionally, however, sometimes it is done as a way to defraud a potential employer.

Below are a few rules to follow when it comes to listing/not listing degrees and/or certificates and/or college units on your resume.

1) Unless you have completed all of the courses necessary for a particular degree or certificate, do not list it on your resume. Listing units that you have completed on your resume can just complicate things and can lead to confusion. Example: "Attended XYZ University"This is not clear if you received a degree or not and can complicate things.

2) Do not list a degree or certificate on your resume if it is NOT required for that job. For the most part, when you add a degree or certificate to your resume that is not a requirement for the position, you are making the employer's life harder by giving them one more thing to verify and/or giving them one more reason not to hire you if everything does not check out perfectly.*

3) It is critical that you NEVER list a degree or certificate on your resume unless you can provide an authentic copy of that degree or certificate.

4) Do not call yourself a "certified" paralegal unless you have passed the CLA (Certified Legal Assistant) exam. The term "certified paralegal" is actually trademarked by NALA (National Association of Legal Assistants) and can only be used once you have successfully passed your CLA exam. If you do possess an ABA approved paralegal certificate from an accredited school or University, please DO list that on your resume if you intend to be a paralegal as that does qualify you under the CA Paralegal law BP 6450 to practice as a paralegal in the state of CA, however, make sure you do not call yourself a"certified paralegal."

5) Do not list dates of your degree or certificate on your resume as this can cause people to guess your age and discriminate against you, and/or if you are off by a month or a year and the degree or certificate gets verified for a different time period then what you have listed, it can also cause an offer to be rescinded.

*The only time you should list a degree, even if it is not required for the job, is if you have a JD. You have to be careful about not listing a JD on your resume as there can be certain legalities a company has to comply with if you have passed the bar or possess a JD and are employed with that company.

Top 5 Do's & Don'ts on your Resume

2012-04-20T14:36:15Z

DO:

Add your Linkedin URL to your resume if you have a well put together Linkedin profile and recommendations on your profile
Have a summary of what makes you qualified (objectives are obsolete for the most part in today's market) listed at the top of your resume
Have a well formatted resume with: Position Title and Company listed on the left, dates aligned on the right and experience bulleted out
List strong adverbs, such as facilitated, managed, organized etc... followed by your accomplishments, including where you have increased PEP (Productivity, Efficiency & Performance) of your past organizations
Spell check your resume and have someone else look it over for grammatical, punctuation and/or formatting errors

DO NOT:

List your reference contact information on your resume
Include a picture or any bizarre graphics (unless you are in graphic design or related field)
Use ALL CAPS or all italics to write your resume
Lie about ANYTHING on your resume because it can all be verified
Use different fonts and/or different sizes in the same sections. For example, if your sections titles such as "Experience" or "Skills" are in size 18 Ariel and bold, then that should be the same for every section head. The same goes for the font and size used for your bullet points.

Social Media and your Job Search

2012-03-21T17:13:39Z

Be careful what you post! Whether or not you know it, employers are Googling you. You need to be aware of who you are connected with on various social media sites and what others can or cannot see on your profile.

Whether you are employed or unemployed, it is important to be cognizant of what your social media profiles can say about you. If you are employed, you have to be careful about what you say about your work place, colleagues or business related to the company or it's clients. If you are complaining about your business or posting that you are looking for a job or out partying, an employer can have cause to fire you.

The same goes for if you are unemployed and looking for a job. Employers take into consideration your pictures, your wall posts and much more when evaluating whether or not they should want to hire you or even interview you. The best course of action is to make your profile confidential on Facebook while you are looking for a job so that something you said or posted doesn't come back to haunt you.

On the flip side, it helps to have a COMPLETED Linkedin profile while job hunting. If you have a well thought out, well written profile on Linkedin, that might give an employer the extra push they need to consider interviewing you or hiring you for a job. This is especially true if you have good recommendations on your profile. Be careful though, because if you misspell things on your profile, have an incomplete profile, have inaccurate information on your profile or grammatical errors, that can hinder an employer from hiring you.

Bottom line, think before you post and if you do post, ask yourself if that post is something that would make a potential employer want to hire you.

Breaking down your salary

2012-03-14T15:43:37Z

A lot of job seekers do not realize the importance of knowing their salary and how to break it down to a potential employer in an interview. Whether you are working with a recruiter or applying directly with a company, it is your responsibility to clearly communicate your current salary. If this is not clearly communicated to the employer or recruiter during the interview process and/or on the application, you can easily have your offer rescinded if the numbers don't match up.

Example: If you tell a potential employer that you make $65,000 a year, when in reality, you have a base of $60,000, a bonus of $3,000, and $2,000 worth of overtime, you can have your offer rescinded when the employer or recruiter goes to verify this information.

The way to avoid this is to clearly breakdown your salary on the application into: Base + Bonus + OT + any additional benefits that might be monetary in nature such as 401k or profit sharing contribution.

Not every application gives room to break this all down, so in a worse case scenario, only list your base salary and then clearly explain if/when asked the breakdown of your salary in more detail, but DO NOT just lump everything together on an application without a clear breakdown.

By doing this you will avoid any confusion regarding your compensation and will ensure your offer is secure once it is made to you.

10 ways to make yourself indispensable in the Workplace

2012-03-07T17:37:24Z

1) Whoever you work for, make their life easier

2) Conduct yourself with impeccable integrity which includes to do what is asked of you, but more importantly, do all of the things you know you should do, but were not asked to do additionally

3) Listen to what is being asked of you/Answer the question that is being asked of you

4) ALWAYS be reliable and on time

5) Be the type of person who your boss could trust to run things while they are out of the office

6) ALWAYS be the one that others go to for help and be helpful at all times

7) Anticipate the needs of your boss/Take initiative

8) Know your product, know your client, and know your services better then everyone else in your office

9) Always be learning-this includes taking continuing education classes and keeping up with the latest trends by reading articles, journals and books in your industry

10) ALWAYS display a pleasant attitude and be the type of person that others want to be around

Should I be using indeed.com?

2012-02-28T23:55:10Z

Yes! If you are looking for a job, http://www.indeed.com is an excellent tool for passively hunting for a job. There is a feature that allows you to post your resume on indeed.com, however, be cautious because as of right now, anyone can find your resume on indeed.com. You don't want your potential employer to see you on there if you are still working. If you are unemployed, though it could be beneficial to post your resume there.

How does indeed work? Indeed is powered by Google and searches every website listed anywhere on the web (though I find it does NOT search Craigslist.org) just like a search engine would. Therefor, if you type in "legal secretary" and "Los Angeles," all of the open positions posted on ANY website become visible to you*.

The other great thing about indeed is that you can set yourself up with job search lists, which will cause indeed to email you a list of EVERY open job that meets your search criteria each morning. I recommend doing several versions of your job title. For example, if you were a legal secretary you might want to search "legal secretary," "legal assistant," "legal administrative professional" etc... so that you do not miss the perfect opportunity.

*Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com may no longer get picked up by indeed because they feel threatened that indeed may be there new competition with the resume search tool they now offer. I have yet to officially verify this information.

The Key is Confidence

2012-02-09T16:56:40Z

There is a fine line that you must walk in an interview between being cocky and confident. No one wants to hire someone who is so full of themselves that they are self-absorbed. At the same time, the employer needs to know what skills you bring to the table that will make you an asset to their company. So what can you do to exude confidence in your next interview? Below are five easy tricks that will help you come across as more confident in your next interview.

1) A firm handshake-this simple trick is the oldest in the book, but often times a handshake is your first chance to exude confidence.

2) Good eye contact-this can be the trickiest one for a lot of people. Most people look away when answering a question. This is why preparation is key. Always practice answering interview questions in advance by looking at yourself in the mirror while answering or working with a partner to help you keep your eye contact focused while answering tricky questions.

3) Speak slowly and clearly-being articulate does not have to be hard. You can come across as articulate and confident by taking time to think through your answer and speaking slowly and intentionally so that the other person will get the impact of what you are saying.

4) Good posture-body language can often convey more then words. From the moment you walk into an interview you want to make sure that you are standing up straight, and when seated, always sit up straight and lean in towards the interviewer rather then sitting back casually.

5) Prepare-nothing with give you more confidence in an interview then proper preparation. Always research a firm and come up with a MINIMUM of 5 reasons why they should want to hire you, 5 reasons why you want to work for them and 5 questions regarding the position.

The better prepared you are the more confident you will come across and the more likely you will be to ACE your next interview!

Helping recent graduates get hired...

2012-01-27T01:27:23Z

If you are a recent college graduate, chances are that you might be struggling finding a job in this market. Even though we have seen an increase over the last two years of recent college graduates being hired, the numbers are still drastically lower then they were five years ago. So how can you can put everything you learned to use and find yourself a position in this market?

Social Media. Social Media is the answer to many things in today's market. It can be a wonderful tool that can give you access to employers and jobs that you might not otherwise attain. Of the top three social media sites, Facebook, Twitter & Linkedin, I find Linkedin to be the most valuable resource in helping recent graduates get hired (or anyone for that matter).

What steps can you take using Linkedin to get yourself hired?

Research potential companies you would like to work at using Linkedin and see if you have any connections or contacts there. If so, reach out to those contacts to ask for an introduction. If you do not have any connections at a particular company, you can use Linkedin to research the names of hiring managers or people in the department you want to get in to. From there you can reach out to those individuals directly to ask for a job.
Another possible way to utilize Linkedin contacts is to call those individuals at companies who are in the industry you want to get into and request to interview them for an e-book or blog you could write about the industry. This can be a very innovative way to get your foot in the door and make connections with key people in your industry. By working on a blog or book it will open doors for you to find people to speak with in your industry. This will also help to automatically set you up as an expert in your field of choice and will help you to learn more about your chosen industry.
Research your competition on Linkedin and look up the job you want. Research a person's background who has the job you want and take note of their skills and background for ideas of other companies you may want to look at applying at. Additionally, notice the skills they list and be sure to incorporate any of those skills that you posses already into your resume or if you don't already have those skills, ask yourself how you can go about getting those skills to make yourself more credible and employable.

These few ideas can greatly increase your effectiveness in finding your next position whether you a recent graduate or looking to jump start your career in a new field.

How does your first impression shape your interview?

2012-01-19T17:11:44Z

In an interview, an employer comes up with an assessment about you within the first 10 seconds of when they meet you. This assessment then shapes HOW that employer interviews you. If the employer assesses you to be someone who is professional and trustworthy, then they are going to ask you questions and listen to you through the lens of someone who is trustworthy and professional.

If the employer assesses you to be someone who is unreliable and lacking composure, then the employer's questions they ask you and how they listen to you will be colored by that judgement. So how do you make the first 10 seconds you have with an employer count?

Smile + a positive attitude (leave your problems/concerns at home!). An authentic smile is the universal signal that puts people at ease and makes them comfortable with you. In addition, a positive attitude makes others want to be around you and get to know you better.
A firm, but friendly handshake. Stay away from the dead-fish handshake or even worse, the bone-cruncher hand-shake. Instead, go with a firm, but warm handshake while looking the person in the eyes
Use open body language. Do not cross your arms or your legs, as this puts a barrier between you and the person you are meeting with. Also be careful of fidgeting
Make sure you are dressed to impress. A few rules to follow: simple jewelry, if any or a nice watch if you are a man (NO visible body piercings [except possibly earrings] or tattoos); a conservative, pressed suit in black, grey or navy (pant or skirt suit is acceptable for women so long as you do NOT show cleavage and you DO wear a bra); very little if any cologne/perfume (too heavy of a scent can turn an employer off); a tie if you are a man; an understated purse/bag or briefcase (be careful you do not have too much in your hands as this can make you appear cluttered and disorganized)
A clean, sharp hair cut or style with natural looking make-up if you are a woman. It is important that your hair is gelled, blow-dryed, or pulled back. Frizzy, unstyled or unwashed hair can leave a bad first impression by making you appear unkempt

If you follow the above 5 rules, you will be on your way to making a positive first impression.

Skills vs. Attitude

2012-01-13T23:14:58Z

What is more important in this market: skills or attitude?

The interesting thing I have noticed as a recruiter is that the better someone's attitude is, the more likely they are to be hired. Noticing this fact, I surveyed numerous human resources professionals who hire job seekers through me (both temporary and permanent) about whether they would prefer someone with stronger skills or a better attitude and they unanimously answered that attitude trumped skills.

What does attitude mean? What my clients mean by having a good attitude are the following:

Always be willing to pitch in and help out your peers or your bosses
NEVER complain or gossip
Have a pleasant demeanor, including smiling and being upbeat about things, especially when there is a problem or challenge
Nothing is too big or too small a task for you to handle
Never leave someone hanging on a project or assignment (ie. not following through)

If you focus on following the five areas listed above, your attitude will automatically improve and both employers and others will gravitate towards you and want to hire you.

Skill do still play an important role in some positions, but it is your Skills multiplied by your Attitude that gets you the job.

(Good Skills) X (Good Attitude) = Employment

*This also holds true for keeping a job and preventing yourself from being disposable.

Help Recruiters Help You!

2012-01-04T02:25:50Z

In order for recruiters to be effective at placing you, we need your help. There are a few things you can do to help us get you a job:

If you are looking for a job, the following things can help recruiters help you in your search:

-Clearly communicate with your recruiter about what you want so that your recruiter doesn't waste your time by sending you on positions that are not the right fit for you

-Clearly communicate any and all feedback, both good and bad, following any interview so that we can help negotiate and get you the job if you want it or gracefully decline if you are not interested

-Let your recruiter know well in advance if there is a potential issue with your background check such as bad credit or a DUI. It is better for a recruiter to let the client company know about an issue up front if an offer is to be made and typically if the company is alerted early enough, the issue is not a big deal as long as you are honest about it

-NEVER lie to your recruiter

-Let your recruiter know about any pre-exisiting vacations so that we can alert an employer if necessary

-Be sure you can provide a minimum of at least one reference and ideally 3-5 references that can be called. Reference letters are useless in today's day and age. If you cannot provide a reference, you might not be able to be hired.

-Be clear with your recruiter about what your preferred hours are and if there might be any schedule conflicts with a potential job or special circumstances that you require

-Be clear with your recruiter about what your ideal salary is and what your bottom line salary is. It is a recruiter's job to negotiate you top dollar

-Always be on time and research the company you are interviewing with in advance.

Additional things you can do to help a recruiter help you if you are unemployed. These additional things can help us place you in a temporary to hire or temporary situation:

-Let your recruiter know if and when you are available for temporary or temporary to hire assignments. Often the people who check in with us once a week are the ones who get called first for a job. Email is always preferable.

-Be extremely flexible and accommodating on the first day of any temporary or temporary to hire assignment. This includes offering to help others, asking questions, and NOT complaining about anything unless you are doing so directly with your recruiter and not the employer. Keep in mind, you are not hired until an offer is made

-Do not ever bring up benefits or salary on a temporary assignment. If an employer brings these things up with you, that is acceptable, but it is inappropriate for you to broach the subject directly with the employer

-Do not push the employer to hire you directly. This typically turns the employer off. Always communicate directly with your recruiter regarding the status of your employment

-If you are ever going to be late or out, always call your recruiter to let them know

What are employers looking for?

2011-12-30T01:04:55Z

Can you do the job?

Do you have the right skills for the job?

Do you fit into the environment/culture of the company?

If you can effectively communicate that you can do the job and that you have the right skills and that you can fit in, then the job is yours. So why do most people not get hired?

What people often do in the interview is GIVE employers reasons not to hire them. The average person has the right skills and could do the job, but they share inappropriate information during the interview. Below are some examples of inappropriate things to discuss in an interview that will cause the employer to not want to hire you:

1) Sharing medical information, such as the fact that you were on a recent medical leave

2) Sharing information that is personal, such as the fact that your are divorced and going through a hard time

3) Sharing information that is covered under the federal discrimination laws (EEOC), such as information related to your age, race, sexual orientation etc...

4) Complaining about past employers and exhibiting a negative attitude about anything in general

5) Sharing confidential information about your past employer that is not meant for public knowledge

These are just a few examples of things you could discuss that would give employers a reason to NOT want to hire you.

Keep this in mind in your next interview and remember to use discretion!

Delivery makes the Difference

2011-12-22T19:27:34Z

It is not what you say, as much as how you say it. This is very true, especially in interviews. Below are some examples of what people say in and interview versus, what they are trying to say:

What was said Example 1:

Interviewer: "Why did you leave your last job?"

Job Seeker: "The company closed."

What could have been said to make more of an impact/what was meant:

Job Seeker: "I was at my last job over five years and loved everyone there, which is why I stayed as long as I did. Unfortunately, due to things slowing down, they had to restructure, but I am grateful for everything I learned there and look forward to applying it in my next position."

What was said Example 2:

Interviewer: "Why should we want to hire you?"

Job Seeker: "I am hard working, detail oriented and organized."

What could have been said to make more of an impact/what was meant:

Job Seeker: "I have spent over 10 years in the field and I love what I do. A few things that make me stand out are probably the fact that I am very detail oriented and organized. An example of where that proved useful in my most recent position was when we were working on a large project that didn't have any structure. I took the lead on the project and implemented a new organizational system that help cut the time of the project in half."

Above are just two examples of where job seekers can increase their ability to sell themselves in an interview through better delivery and communication. Almost everyone I have ever interviewed has at least one example of where they have been effective, but often they are not clear on how to deliver that information in an interview.

It is not just what you say, it is how you say it!

Tell me about yourself formula

2011-12-06T19:48:58Z

Employer asks you in an interview "Tell me about yourself...." The average person would just start rambling on about any personal or business things that come to mind.

The most effective formula I have found for answering this question is as follows:

"I started in the field X years ago and got into the field because of Y and Z. What I really like about the field I am in is A and B. What most of my prior employers would tell you makes me stand out from others in my field is C & D."

Block & Bridge your way into your next job

2011-12-05T23:45:56Z

Do you know the trick that every politician and TV personality uses in their interview? It is simple task of blocking and bridging. The next time you are watching a politician being interviewed about their campaign or a movie star about their next big blockbuster, watch the way they block and bridge to make a point.

Blocking and bridging simply means addressing the question that was asked such as "Why is the sky blue?," then blocking that question and then bridging over to an answer that relates to a point you want to get across. Example: A politician is asked "Why is the sky blue?," but actually wants to discuss healthcare reform. He would then answer something like this "I was just admiring the blue sky today on my drive to this speech. As I was admiring the blue sky, I began considering the implications of the current state of health care in this country and realized that I had to do something about it..." This is a very simple example, but you can see where I am going with this.

Politicians and celebrities do this because they have an agenda or a point they want to convey and often times are not asked direct questions that allow them to relay this point.

You, as a job seeker, can use this same tactic during an interview. When asked ANY question in an interview, your goal should always be to look at where you can emphasize a point about why they should want to hire you. You should always have a list of 10 or more talking points that you want to cover during your interview. These talking points should highlight examples of what makes you stand out from others in your position and where you have increased the PEP (Productivity-Efficient-Performance) of your company, your clients, your peers etc... You may touch on one or two points during the interview, or you may hit all 10 depending on how effectively you block & bridge.

During the interview, by using the blocking and bridging technique, you can address these talking points at appropriate times in the interview.

Example: You were at your last job 10 years and you were recently laid off. Point you want to get across is how stable and loyal you are. Question the Employer asks you "Why did you leave your last position?" The average person would answer by saying "I was laid off." One way you could answer if you were blocking and bridging is "I am glad you brought up why I left my last job. That was really an amazing experience. I loved the company, which is why I stayed there 10+ years, and would have stayed there long term since I loved the people and the work. Unfortunately, like many firms, they had to restructure, but I am grateful for the 10 great years I had there and the experience I gained."

In this case, you are addressing the question still, but you are also bridging to a point about how stable and loyal you are.

I want to be clear. I am not saying to NOT answer the questions you are being asked. I am suggesting that you answer the questions you are asked intentionally to get a point across that you are the right candidate for the job.

Top 5 Social Media tips for job hunters

2011-11-28T02:38:29Z

1) Put together a Linkedin profile that includes Linkedin recommendations and include your Linkedin URL on your resume

2) Join a minimum of 20 groups on Linkedin and start discussions in your speciality area to set yourself up as an expert in your field with a group of your peers

3) Follow your favorite recruiters and companies on Linkedin/Twitter and/or Facebook to stay aware of the latest job postings

4) Use Twitter to start conversations with people in your field who you wouldn't normally have access to

5) Maximize your connections on Facebook, Twitter and/or Linkedin by asking your friends and business associates for job leads (always use the 30/30/30 rule when doing this: 30% personal, 30% offering resources such as interesting articles and 30% about your job search such as requests for introductions)

The TOP 15 things NOT to wear on an interview

2011-11-02T17:18:15Z

There are many job seekers who still do not know what is appropriate and what is not appropriate to wear in an interview. Often times, something as simple as what you wear can get you passed on for a position.

Here is my list of the TOP 15 things NOT to wear in an interview:

1) Denim! It is never, ever appropriate to wear denim to an interview

2) A short skirt

3) A t-shirt

4) A dress or blouse that shows any sort of cleavage

5) Dangly jewelry (this can distract the person you are interviewing with)

6) Carrying a back-pack or big bulky bag

7) Headphones or sunglasses or a cell phone earpiece

8) Facial or body piercings or visible tattoos, including earrings on men (small earrings are OK for women) or heavy make-up

9) Brightly colored or overly patterned clothing (this includes "Hawaiian Shirts")

10) Long acrylic nails

11) Overly baggy or ill-fitting clothes (it makes you look frumpy)

12) Stained clothes or wrinkled clothes

13) Scuffed shoes or too high of heels if you are a woman or flip flops

14) YOU MUST WEAR SOCKS if you are a man and they MUST match

15) A heavy fragrance or perfume-this can lose you the position

Getting an entry-level paralegal job

2011-10-22T21:42:59Z

I just came from the annual fall Los Angeles Paralegal Association (LAPA) Conference. This year there were quite a few students at the conference and also some individuals who were looking to change careers and get into the paralegal field. The question I always get asked at these conferences is: "How do I get an entry-level or junior paralegal position?" As promised, I am going to address that question here.

Situation #1-If you are a recent college graduate who graduated with a Bachelors Degree from a top school AND your GPA is 3.5 or higher, you are probably in one of the best positions to get a junior paralegal position. Having your Bachelors Degree and an ABA approved paralegal certificate is probably the best position to be in.

A lot of the larger law firms look for recent college graduates from top schools to train as paralegals. This does not apply for those people who only have an ABA paralegal certificate. If you are one of these people with a recent Bachelors Degree and ABA certificate, I highly encourage you to apply directly to some of the top firms such as Latham & Watkins, O'Melveny & Meyers etc... These types of paralegal candidates are the type that recruiters can probably be the best resource for.

Situation #2-If you are a recent graduate of an ABA approved paralegal program, but DO NOT have prior legal experience, a recruiter is probably not the best resource for you until you get a minimum of one to two years of experience. What you can do to find a job after graduating from paralegal school is to get to as many networking events as possible and try to get any law firm experience even if it is working for a small firm or doing pro-bono work. You may even want to go through and find attorneys and small law firms through Linkedin.com or Martindale Hubbell. You can then call these attorneys directly and offer your services to these attorneys or firms at a reduced rate in order to get on the job experience.

Situation #3-If you are a recent graduate of an ABA approved paralegal program AND you do have recent law firm experience, you can often leverage that experience to find a "hybrid" paralegal position where you can do paralegal AND secretarial work or paralegal AND records etc... Sometimes you might even be able to land a paralegal position directly out of paralegal school depending on how substantive your prior legal experience was. Having recent law firm experience can make it a lot easier for you to find a paralegal position once you graduate.

Situation #4-If you are a recent graduate of an ABA approved paralegal program and you are changing careers, you can sometimes parlay your prior experience into a new position. For example, if you are coming from a real estate company and looking to become a paralegal, that can often be one of the easiest transitions for a career change. A lot of law firms will look at recent paralegal program graduates if they have prior commercial real estate experience and/or title and survey review experience. This can also be true of other areas of law such as corporate law and intellectual property law. If you do have experience in another field, outside of legal, you may want to add a "Summary of Qualifications" to the top of your resume and bullet point your relevant paralegal related experience at the top such as research, writing etc... Also, you want to make sure and leverage your other corporate connections and use the people in your network to help you get a position.

I hope this information is helpful for you and wish you the best of luck in your job hunt!