Paralegal
(Female, Age 22) from Bolling AFB, DC
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 22 who works as a Paralegal in Bolling AFB, DC. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Paralegal |
|---|---|
| Salary | $43,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 42 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Bolling AFB, DC |
| Years Experience | 1 year |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
It is an international law firm employing approximately 1,000 lawyers in a number of project areas.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
Follow-up on transaction closings, review/proofread contracts and documents, prepare documents for closings.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
Health Insurance, Metrochecks, gym membership
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
Under compensated
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
Yes, I work with others daily. Our work is done very collaboratively. I love it because the other 3 people view it as a team effort and work well together.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
I work in a small office suite in a residential neighborhood. I love it. Everyone knows each other and it’s quiet. It’s a very relaxed setting where I am able to be creative and get a lot accomplished.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 4
Benefits: 5
Hours: 7
Co-Workers: 3
Supervisors: 2
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 6
The Actual Work: 1
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | Commute to work (Drive to the metro train station, then take a train) |
| 8am to 9am | Check emails. Follow up with 2 associate lawyers on pending items from projects from the day before. Check in with both project areas to see if they have any projects for today. |
| 9am to 10am | Compare two loan agreements, double checking redlined documents (documents that show changes between different versions of the documet) to ensure all the corrections were made. (This includes organizational changes, changes to the wording, etc.) |
| 10am to 11am | same as above |
| 11am to 12pm | same as above |
| 12pm to 1pm | Lunch. |
| 1pm to 2pm | Prepare UCC filing docuements, which ensure that the transactions are being processed in a legal manner. Contact filing service with the client and billing information and set up filing. |
| 2pm to 3pm | Prepare a binder of all the original documents from a transaction closed a week prior. Organize each document with tabs and signature pages. |
| 3pm to 4pm | same as above |
| 4pm to 5pm | same as above |
| 5pm to 6pm | Prepare cover letters for the binders addressed to the contact from each party. |
| 6pm to 7pm | Commute home. |
| 7pm to 8pm | n/a |
| 8pm to 9pm | n/a |
| 9pm to 10pm | n/a |
| 10pm to 11pm | n/a |
| 11pm to 12am | n/a |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
MonsterTrak
What was the application process?
Sumbitted cover letter, resume and writing sample
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
I did interview for my current job. I interviewed with 5 people in one project area, from the top lawyer to another paralegal.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
Why did you pick our firm? Do you speak any foreign languages? Do you multi-task well? Can you be flexible with your schedule and pick up some overtime?
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
They gave me the basic skills I needed, but a lot of it you just have to learn as you go along.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Yes, it entailed going through the company policies and computer training.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
No, there was really nothing in my education that prepared me for my job, with the exception of my writing courses.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
n/a
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
I would recommend doing a lot of background research on the type of firm (i.e. the project areas) and if their need is for more of an administrative paralegal or one that deals with more substantive work.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Writing skills are definitely the most important, but you definitely need to have social skills to deal with clients and other law firms.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes, bachelor’s degree
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
You may not be doing the most exciting work at first, but stick with it, as the lawyers get to know you they give you better, more important tasks.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes, it is giving me experience in the field of law before going to law school.
What are your current career goals?
To become an international lawyer.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
It can be boring, but it is a good starting point for my future career goals.
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Office Assistant | 1.5 years | $15/hour | Prepared weekly schedule, ordered office supplies, ran the box office. |
| Prior Job 2 | Shift Supervisor | 2 years | $9/hour | Acting manager on nights and weekends, made deposits of stores daily income, filled in at the photo counter |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:4
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.5 | George Washington Univ. | International Affairs |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
N/A | N/A | N/A |
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