Paralegals are legal assistants. They assist lawyers in a variety of legal roles. Paralegal responsibilities are more important than clerical duties and involve various substantive legal tasks. The duties of paralegals include legal research, producing legal documents, assisting clients and managing cases. Paralegals usually require only two to four years of education and they work alongside an attorney to assist them with legal procedures. A strong cover letter is required if you want to work as a paralegal. Here's everything you need to know about paralegal cover letters.
A professional cover letter should complement your paralegal resume by explaining your career goals, skills and experience that match the job description the employer is looking for. In other words, your letter should match the recruiter's job requirements. Here are some cover letter tips to keep in mind.
You should begin with a hook and then highlight your best accomplishments and the fulfillment you’ve had. This is quite effective with recruiting managers. Note that the applicant starts with a short story about how he’s helped over 600 people get legal ownership of their intellectual property, which is the most fulfilling part of his job. This anecdote demonstrates a commitment to the job. Most recruiters want to hire someone who will be around for years to come so this immediately puts him ahead of many other job seekers.
Now that you’ve gained the recruiter’s attention, you can elaborate on why they should hire you over someone else. You should highlight your abilities and skills relevant to the firm’s needs. The technical abilities essential to your work, such as legal knowledge and computer literacy, should be emphasized in your cover letter.
Additionally, specific soft skills, such as interpersonal, communication, organization and time management skills are advantageous. In this example, the applicant emphasizes his research abilities, stating that he put them to good use in his previous position. He also mentions how much his clients appreciated him, demonstrating that he may be a valuable asset to the organization on a client-facing level.
The final paragraph is a call to action. Including a call to action in your cover letter will help you stand out from the crowd because you’re taking the initiative to further engage with the hiring manager, which makes a positive impression.
Your forwardness is important because it demonstrates your dedication and enthusiasm for the new job to the hiring manager. It also allows you to demonstrate boldness and confidence, which may impress your potential employers. The applicant states, “I look forward to discussing,” implying the interview will occur, which could be an excellent way to draft a request without being aggressive.
Use the ResumeNerd cover letter builder and resume builder to create a perfect cover letter and resume. You can create a winning paralegal cover letter in no time with the paralegal cover letter templates.
When applying for a paralegal position, you should include a cover letter with your resume. Hiring managers rely on cover letters for most job vacancies. Recruiters may not have time to read all of the cover letters and resumes that they receive, but they will read them if they see outstanding job qualifications from a potential candidate. A good cover letter explains your experience, career objectives and it also helps you request an interview.
Cover letters should be between a half to 3/4 of a page in length. If your cover letter exceeds 3/4 of a page, it will take too much space and be tough to scan for a hiring manager. It will seem empty and lacking information if it is less than half a page long. Most cover letters can make the best impression and include the ideal amount of career highlights in 3/4 of a page in length.
You can still utilize this cover letter example if you want to work as an entry-level paralegal. Adjust your accomplishments to your current level of experience and paralegal skill set. You can discuss your educational background including any paralegal studies and previous paralegal-related work, internship or volunteer experiences.
