If you’re reading this, that means you could be considering a c职业变化——你并不孤单:担心 20% of Americans have switched careers since the beginning of 2020. Taking a step toward a new career can be a brave and rewarding decision that can transform your future for the better. 它也会带来很多担忧和不确定性. Don’t worry; if you know what you’re passionate about and what work drives you to be at your best, you’re halfway to finding the right career for yourself!
对于那些对法律职业感兴趣的人来说，a role as a paralegal 也许是最适合你的职业. Paralegals, 也被称为法律助理, 帮助律师创建法律文件, 开展法律法规研究, 协助处理法庭案件等.
As a paralegal, you can choose to specialize in a particular area of law that interests you, 比如刑法或房地产. 此外，还有一个很好的就业前景 劳工统计局 projects that paralegal jobs will grow by 14% between 2021 and 2031, much faster than other jobs.
If you’re excited by the idea of becoming a paralegal, learn more about how you can successfully turn your dream job into a reality.
找到适合自己的道路
当你做出人生的重大改变，比如换工作的时候, make sure to get started on creating a plan that makes achieving it as seamless, cost-effective, and quick as possible. First, you’ll want to be sure that you can fulfill the requirements of being a paralegal, 这需要一些额外的教育.
思考以下问题可能会有所帮助:
- 你有兴趣回学校吗?
- What experience/education do you already have that could apply to your legal career?
- 你需要一边工作一边继续深造吗?
- Will you need financial assistance or scholarship opportunities?
With these questions in mind, you’re ready to start your journey to a career as a paralegal. Now, it’s time to start considering the realities of what you’ll need to do to make it happen.
Create a Plan
这取决于你的日程安排和专业, becoming a paralegal can take anywhere from two to seven years, 现在是开始的最佳时机.
有六个主要步骤 becoming a paralegal:
- Discover your options律师助理的职业生涯是什么样的?
- 研究学历要求: Most paralegals have an 副学士学位或证书 in paralegal studies, but a bachelor’s degree in legal studies could help you get a competitive edge.
- 参加学位课程: You’ll need the right education before you’re able to be hired. Re-enrolling will give you the educational experience you need to succeed.
- 获得专业经验: Explore career possibilities by taking on relevant internships.
- Network when possible: A strong professional network is essential for career growth.
- Choose a specialty: Do you want to be a public, private or freelance paralegal?
Choose the Right Program
The great thing about switching careers is that you’re not completely starting over. This means you can advance right to a paralegal degree program or certificate course! 被律师事务所聘用, 这通常是需要的, at a minimum, 副学士学位或法律研究证书. With this in mind, the next step is finding the program that makes sense for you.
Here are a few questions you should ask yourself when deciding what’s next:
- Is your schedule flexible or will you need to take classes after business hours?
- 你喜欢在教室里学习还是在线学习?
- 该幸运28计划获得认证了吗??
A life-changing career as a paralegal could be just around the corner, are you ready for it?
了解更多关于如何成为律师助理的信息
*美国劳工统计局(BLS).S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics 2023 / Occupational Outlook Handbook 2022. BLS estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, 包括之前的经验, age, geography market in which you want to work and degree field, 会影响职业成果和收入吗. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the average salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, 加薪或其他职业发展.
