Regardless of what resume format you end up using, it’s helpful to know the latest resume trends, what sections are necessary and which ones can be omitted or minimized from your paralegal resume. The following tips will help you in your search for legal employment.
Career objective or summary might not be necessary. This section isn’t always necessary today, and if you choose to leave it off, you usually won’t hurt your chances of getting an interview. If you do decide to include an objective or qualifications summary as part of your resume format, make sure it aligns with the responsibilities of the paralegal role you’re applying for, as outlined in the legal employment ad.
Your paralegal employment experience should get top billing. If you’ve been working as a paralegal for several years, consider using this section to lead your resume. List the title and firm for every relevant job you’ve had, along with the dates you held the job and your main responsibilities.
Emphasize your accomplishments in your paralegal resume. Try to include information about your major accomplishments rather than simply listing the job duties. For example, instead of saying that you managed e-filing for legal documents, explain how you streamlined the filing system so it was easier to retrieve specific documents. If you’re looking for your first job as a paralegal, place the experience section after the education section and list any internships you had while in school.
Where your education section goes? It depends. If you’ve just finished school, adjust your resume format to start with this section; paralegals with extensive experience should place this section at the end of their resumes. List the schools you attended and the degrees you received, along with any specialization in your studies. Make sure to include your certificate of completion from an American Bar Association-approved paralegal education program here, if you have one.
Highlight special skills or attributes prominently. In this section, which should follow the section on legal employment experience, detail any other skills that would make you a strong candidate for the job, including foreign language proficiency and technical expertise in litigation support, billing and case management software.