Crafting the Perfect Paralegal CV: Tips and Tricks from Industry Experts

Mar 04, 2024

Written By Lewis Ogg

Applying to be a paralegal can be a competitive and arduous process. Thus, crafting a properly tailored and structured CV is critical. This article will provide a comprehensive guide of tips and tricks to help you create a standout CV to win over recruiters and hiring managers.

Structuring your paralegal CV

The first step to a successful CV is picking a formatting structure which will best enable you to highlight your skills and experiences. Traditionally, chronological or functional CV formats are the most opted for. However, it is possible to deploy a combination of the two styles where appropriate. Chronological layouts (most recent first) are great for those who have a breadth of employment experience, as you can demonstrate skill development.

Alternatively, for those who have more limited or less directly relevant experiences, a functional CV may be more suitable. This is where you discuss your most relevant skills and experience first. Those applying for legal roles will often overlook the skills they have developed from non-legal or unpaid experiences. Remember that communication, research, writing, and client engagement can be developed in all manner of industries. For example, if you have retail experience, you can highlight the communication, client engagement and commercial awareness you developed.

Once you have decided on a structure or a combination of structures, there are a number of essential sections that need to be included. A typical order for these sections might be: contact information, professional summary, work experience, education, skills, and any other additional relevant sections such as certifications. There is some room to manoeuvre within this order, but starting with contact information and a snappy professional summary is highly recommended.

It’s important that information or experiences are ordered systematically to ensure clarity and relevance. For example, in the education section, the best structure is likely to be a reverse chronological order, with university degrees at the top and GCSEs (or equivalent) at the bottom. In contrast, a functional approach may be best for the skills section, with those most relevant to the position at the top and those less relevant further down.

It’s vital that you have a clear idea of both what is needed for the position and where your personal strengths are. Understanding these two elements will allow you to properly prioritise not only the order of each section but also the information within them.

Tailoring your CV to each role

Every role is different, even where the position appears to be the same as one you have previously applied for. Every firm will have a different conception of what they are looking for in a paralegal. Smaller practices with a handful or fewer paralegals may be looking for a well-rounded individual with experience in a host of legal areas. Alternatively, larger firms with hosts of trainees may be looking for someone with much more specific experience, as paralegals could be assigned on a practice-area basis.

One of the key aspects of making your application fit the role is understanding what recruiters will be looking for within your CV. The easiest starting point here is to address any educational or professional requirements for the role, such as a law degree or legal qualification. In terms of keywords or phrases to include, the job description should offer some insight into the type of work you will be doing, and you can traverse from there. As a starting point, communication, accuracy, collaboration, punctuality, and reliability are five useful descriptors commonly associated with successful paralegals.

Showcasing work experience

Recruiters appreciate that for the vast majority of candidates, their previous legal experience is likely to be limited and that this position would be their first long-term role in the legal profession. Therefore, it is important you consider what skills they are looking for and how you might use your previous experiences to demonstrate those.

Skills such as communication, collaboration, and accuracy can be developed from a huge range of experiences. For example, if you have worked in hospitality, consider how that experience helped you develop required skills, such as communicating with clients and collaborating effectively with coworkers.

In trying to maximise the value of your experiences, it is essential that you try to use action-oriented language and present quantifiable achievements. This helps to convey the impression that you were engaged in your role rather than passively going through the motions. Equally, where you have quantifiable achievements, such as promotions or targets (i.e increased sales by 20%), these are a great way to back up your claims.

Additionally, do not neglect to mention unpaid positions. Internships, volunteering, or work shadowing can be just as valuable in demonstrating you have the desired skills For example, if you volunteered with a student newspaper, consider how that experience fostered skills such as written communication, research, accuracy, and punctuality. Or, if you have shadowed a senior lawyer, think about how that provided insight into client communication, professionalism, and collaboration.

Highlight education and credentials

For early career positions, educational background will play a significant role in determining whether you have the knowledge and understanding required. Thus, it’s vital that you expand on your qualifications with appropriate detail. For example, list the modules you completed within your law degree and highlight coursework topics. It is also fantastic to mention any honours, awards, or academic achievements you may have received.

If you have completed any paralegal-specific training programmes, certifications, or courses, it is worth going into more detail than simply title and grade. Consider what skills you learnt from these experiences, how you can evidence those skills, and which will be most relevant to this position.

Showcasing key skills and abilities

When writing your whole CV, it is necessary to keep in mind the skills that firms are looking for and integrate references to them throughout. As a guide, firms are generally looking for individuals with legal research, writing, case management and client communication skills. This is in addition to transferable skills such as accuracy, punctuality, and reliability.

Due to the scope of skills that come under the umbrella of a successful paralegal, understanding the nature of the position you are applying for is unavoidable. Paralegal roles come in all shapes and sizes; one may be much more behind the scenes (i.e research intensive)whereas others may be ‘front of house’, requiring much more client engagement. Thus, be sure to read and reread the job description.

Applicants often find it difficult to demonstrate and evidence these required skills. However, nearly all applicants will have had relevant experience. For example, did you complete a group research and presentation project in university? Consider what written and verbal communication skills you developed, what research strategies you developed, and how you worked well in a team.

Formatting and design tips

When crafting your CV, you should aim to present a clear and professional style. This style should be easy to read and visually appealing. CVs achieve this through a simple black-and-white palette clearly divided by subheadings. While colour in moderation is increasingly on modern CVs, it is important to remember that going overboard with colour can quickly make the overall document look far less professional.

Maximising readability and professionalism is key, so try adopting a standard font style and size (e.g. Times New Roman, 11). Consistent formatting and spacing are also integral to maintaining the flow and readability of the document, as fluctuating between formats can lead to a disjointed feel.

Within your subsections, using bullet points can be an effective way to distinguish between different experiences. Additionally, bullet points allow information to be conveyed in a concise and powerful manner, preventing needlessly wordy descriptions. When describing your experiences, action verbs should be a priority. Focus on using descriptors like improved, developed and achieved to showcase active engagement.

Proofreading and finalising your CV

Your CV represents you, so make sure it’s free of errors. Whether it is typos, grammatical errors, or inconsistencies, repeatedly proofreading is the best way to ensure correctness. It can also be useful to ask peers or mentors to read through your CV as well. Having a fresh pair of eyes can be useful not only in spotting errors but also in making constructive suggestions for improvement.

Seeking constructive feedback, whether from mentors, peers, or university careers staff, is key to creating a successful CV. While it can appear daunting, feedback can be the difference between eventually getting a job or not, so take any criticism in your stride.

Conclusion

Crafting the perfect paralegal CV is a lengthy and detailed process of evolution. Still, if you follow the advice outlined in this article, you will have a robust foundation from which to maximise your experience and highlight your skills.

While it might feel tedious to invest so much time and energy into a single document, remember that your CV is your first impression on a recruiter. Thus, making the most of this exposure is essential for any successful applicant. Investing the time in crafting a strong CV now will save you time and stress in the future.

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