A paralegal certificate or degree is often required to qualify for paralegal job opportunities. Earning an academic credential significantly enhances employment opportunities for anyone seeking to diversify their career portfolio and showcase their qualifications for a legal position. Paralegals can obtain formal education through a training program like those available at Center for Advanced Legal Studies to earn a paralegal certificate or degree. Once paralegals have achieved a requisite level of education and experience, they may choose to seek a paralegal designation and become certified. Several national associations offer certification opportunities. However, paralegals who do not pursue certification through one of these associations are just as likely to enjoy long-term, career success. Paralegals are qualified to perform their responsibilities by completing an educational program, receiving training on the job, or through actual work experience.¹ A distinct advantage exists for paralegals who begin their career by earning an academic credential. As they progress, certification can add value to the expertise previously acquired through education, training, and experience.

Many employers have candidates present their qualifications in a video call before inviting them for an onsite interview. This was precipitated in large part by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, remote interviews during early rounds have become standard practice in the recruiting and hiring process. They are a strategic tool used by employers to screen a wider pool of candidates with more scheduling flexibility and fewer delays and cancellations. Not only do they save hiring managers time and overhead, but they also assess an applicant’s IT savviness and credible technical skills with platforms like Zoom, Skype, and Teams. This can be particularly important for hybrid and remote positions. Video calls are equally beneficial to those who interview because they eliminate commute concerns, parking difficulties, and waiting in queues. Virtual meetings hold as much value as in-person meetings before final interviews, yet there can be downsides.

Landing An Interview Without Exact Experience

There is no place for inaccuracy on a resume or application, whether by fabrication, embellishment, or omission. Don’t make stuff up, twist information, or distort details to gain an advantage. This constitutes professional fraud. While a company is unlikely to pursue legal action in response to a bad-faith misrepresentation, it can be at risk of legal liabilities related to negligent hiring practices in some instances. Purposeful inaccuracies discovered on a resume will almost always result in a candidate being removed from the hiring pool. Any deception discovered post-hire, even many years into tenure, may also result in termination.

Below are 10 ways job seekers commonly adulterate their resumes and applications:

1. Misrepresent prior employment or duration
2. Omit jobs or the reasons for leaving them
3. Falsify job titles or responsibilities
4. Overstate involvement in or contributions to a project
5. Exaggerate the level of education attained
6. Claim to hold a degree, certification, or licensure not earned
7. Inflate mastery of skills and abilities
8. Assert conversational knowledge of a second language as fluency
9. Overinflate salary history
10. Give fake references

Becoming a successful paralegal takes hard work and determination. Here are 20 ways to achieve success as a paralegal. Do you have suggestions for more?

1. Develop a Plan – Explore a range of non-lawyer legal positions. Identify specific, short term and long-term goals that will lead you to success. Enroll in school, expand your skills, talk to your college, work with career advisors and recruiters, volunteer, intern, and build relationships with others in the field.
2. Pursue Credentials – Take steps to obtain a certificate, diploma, or degree. Convenient options are available, both online and in person. Many firms require a credential as a pre-requisite for interviewing and hiring. Higher education will add value throughout your career.
3. Continue Learning – Successful people are students for life. Cultivate a growth mindset. Increase your knowledge. Law is always evolving. Stay current and informed by attending seminars and completing practical, skills-based training and courses created specifically for paralegals yearly.