Entry Level Paralegal Jobs

Entry Level Paralegal Jobs: What to Expect

Any time you're entering a new career field, it's normal to wonder about your first job. Same goes for the paralegal field - what are entry level paralegal jobs really like? And what are some tips to actually find your first paralegal job?

Types of Entry Level Paralegal Jobs

Obviously, landing a paralegal position is the ideal situation. However, given today's tight labor market, it might take longer than average to get an entry level position.  Other options that can get you in the door and working often include:

• Receptionist
• File clerk
• Secretarial positions
• Runner (deliver filings to/from the courthouse or documents to other firms)

Spending some time working in any of these positions can get you some much needed experience which will strengthen your resume and make you more attractive for true entry level paralegal jobs. In addition, some paralegals report that they were able to start in such positions and their roles eventually morphed into true paralegal jobs.

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Finding Entry Level Paralegal Jobs

Here are just 10 the many places you might look for an entry level paralegal job:

1. Your paralegal school's career placement office
2. Networking with alumni from your paralegal school
3. Networking through local and national paralegal associations
4. Staffing agencies specializing in the legal field
5. Local bar association placement services
6. Classified ads in your local newspaper
7. Internet job postings (check out entry level paralegal jobs now!)
8. Word of mouth from relatives, friends, etc.
9. Proactively contacting firms you'd like to work for
10. Networking via social media like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook

Have the Right Mindset

No matter where you start, it's important to have the right mindset as you can learn a LOT just by observing how things are done around you.  Even if you're just filing paperwork, you can get a feel for the different types of documents and can learn a lot of legal terminology.

Even if you're starting with the most mundane tasks, do your work thoroughly and diligently.  Take advantage of any opportunities to learn about the different legal areas, or learn how work is divvied up at the firm.  Get to know the paralegals there and ask them how they landed their first paralegal job, advice they wish they knew when just starting out, and so on.  All of this adds to your knowledge and gets you set up to excel as a paralegal.

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What will you earn in an entry level paralegal job?  Find out here!

Find a paralegal association and start networking