Posted by Tami Riggs
Mar 14, 2023 11:00:00 AM
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:
Topics: graduates and alumni, credentials, career, featured
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?
Topics: career, paralegal skills, featured
Posted by Tami Riggs
Jun 15, 2022 10:00:00 AM
If you have a criminal past, you have likely encountered difficulties re-entering the workforce or obtaining a professional position. A career change or job search with a conviction can be challenging. However, many find success! They can and do enter the legal field, despite the limitations a criminal record presents.
Any part of a candidate’s background that violates accepted social standards or involves dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or violence may impact interviewing and hiring decisions. Law firms typically refrain from reviewing or selecting candidates with a misdemeanor or felony conviction for drugs, assault, theft, burglary, trespass, and any offenses involving weapons. These are considered crimes of “moral turpitude.” Moral turpitude crimes disqualify a person from obtaining a Notary Commission in many states, and notary licensing laws disallow felons. Associations and organizations (including those that are not legal) may also deny testing, membership, and affiliation for applicants with a criminal background. However, there are opportunities in the legal field that do not require a designation or organizational membership. It will be important to explore possible restrictions in licensure and certification as you move forward in your professional career and educational pursuits. If you have a crime on your record, research the laws and regulations in your state so that you fully understand any job, designation, or membership restrictions.
FAB is an acronym for Features, Advantages, and Benefits. FAB is a common 3-Step strategy employed in sales and marketing to generate interest in products. However, the technique can also be utilized during an interview to SELL yourself and fit any expertise acquired through experience, education, and training to specific job requirements. Consider the following when organizing your FAB responses:
Feature – What key factors, attributes, and skills do you have as required by the position?
Advantage – What strengths do your accomplishments, abilities, or past performance indicate relative to the competition?
Benefit – What is the result or value an employer can anticipate from hiring you?
A paralegal job description will typically require the ability to prepare legal documents and correspondence as well as the ability to organize and maintain files. The examples below illustrate how you can use the FAB method to focus your responses, so they are more impactful.
Example 1
Feature: You earned a Paralegal Credential
Advantage: You understand the legal process and terminology better than someone without a credential
Benefit: You are qualified through education and training to perform substantive legal work that requires knowledge of legal concepts, and as a result, can complete the work more quickly and effectively.
Topics: graduates and alumni, credentials, career, paralegal skills, education and training, featured