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By: Tamara Quincannon (Guest Blogger)
How did you become a paralegal? Most people would probably answer that question by stating, “I went to college, obtained my BA/BS in “ABC” and then attended a Paralegal Program” or “worked in a law firm for several years and was promoted.” My story isn’t quite that clear cut.
I went to school and, yes, I completed my paralegal program, but my skill set was learned as I walked the path of life. I began acquiring the skill set I would need as a paralegal from other jobs I encountered along the way. This is how I became a paralegal.
I grew up on a farm as the middle child. Everyone did chores, so I developed a good work ethic – an acquired skill. Certain things had to be done first, those tasks took top priority (like feeding the animals, parallel: like taking care of the client) and the rest had to be done, but later. Prioritizing tasks and organizing the rest by importance – an acquired skill.
I had older siblings, so I listened and learned, taking it all in. I watched how they did things and then figured it out myself – an acquired skill. We fixed whatever broke instead of just going and buying new. Parallel this to entering a law firm, observing the lay of the land and figuring out how things are done, so you can work to get them accomplished. I was fascinated by how things worked. (It makes sense that I became a product liability paralegal.)
One of my least favorite chores happened to be helping bale hay; it was my job to wait in the haymow to pull the bales off the conveyor belt; sometimes the weight of the bales would knock me down. By the time the wagon was unloaded, there was a mountain of bales to stack and put in their place. (Can you see a parallel to clients sending you everything they have since the beginning of time in every imaginable format?) Putting them in the correct place the first time saved me from having to go back and rearrange them later. I knew another hay wagon would arrive soon, so I got a drink of water, put my gloves back on and stood ready; it’s just like when the next wave of client material arrives at the office. (They just remembered they had 60 more boxes in storage). As a farm girl, I learned how to sift the wheat from the chaff; so as I look at the mountain of client data, I was glad I learned how to figure out what’s relevant and what isn’t. Parallel that to pre-case assessment; glean everything you need the first time so you only touch it once – an acquired skill.
During my teen years, I had a job as an assembly worker; it was boring and tedious. I didn’t want to die from boredom while assembling widgets and watching the minutes tick by, so I figured out how to get the job done efficiently and streamlined the process. A lot of what we do as paralegals can be tedious, but if we set the process up early on, we can get quality work done efficiently and get back to the fun stuff. Parallel - I learned team work, planning and organizational skills – again, acquired skills.
Worst job ever; we all had one. My worst job ever was skinning mink. Please don’t send me Peta messages. I needed a job and it paid the bills. You’re probably wondering what skill I could possibly have learned that would benefit me as a paralegal from skinning mink. That job taught me that I can do anything, I mean anything, if I have to – perseverance, an acquired skill.
Through my college years, I waitressed; who knew carrying 10 dinners on one serving tray would teach me to organize my load, prioritize my steps and keep balanced? Every customer was treated as if they were my only one. Parallel to the legal world – every client should be treated as if they are #1. Exceptional customer service – an acquired skill.
My acquired skill set prepared me to be a good paralegal; my continuous learning makes me a better paralegal. So next time you find yourself wondering if your outside (and seemingly unrelated) job skills could benefit you in the legal realm, the answer is an astounding “yes!” After all, I did make it from farm, to a factory, to a restaurant, to skinning mink to pay the bills and eventually into a law firm - with more acquired skills than one could imagine. And you can too!
Tamara Quincannon, is a career in-house litigation paralegal who works at Joy Global Inc., an international mining equipment manufacturer. She is responsible for the product liability and toxic tort work, as well as other litigation that may arise. She enjoys the corporate legal environment because no two days are ever the same. Tamara is part of a team and has the opportunity to proactively help the business minimize risk and liability.
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Hey TPSers, Do you have any interesting job skills you acquired from a previous position that are seemingly, completely unrelated to the legal profession? If so, tell us about it! The contest for the weirdest, acquired, paralegal skills begins….right now! (See that comment button – go hit it!)
We’ll see you on that coveted, paralegal holiday fondly known as: “Happy High Heel Friday!” Get ‘em spiffed up and out of the closet, people! (And for those of you who can’t do heels because you’re fellas - wear a cool tie, cufflinks or neat socks, and for those of you who can’t wear heels because your heels (the ones permanently attached to your feet) won’t let you – rock the jewelry loud and proud, ladies!)
One more day until the next, paralegal salute…
I’ll play along, Tamara. I’m hoping others chime in on this one.
I once did an oh-so-brief stint (and by oh so brief, I mean 3 days) at a warehouse that manufactured calendars. Whew. Worst job I ever had. I only took the job at the behest of a friend who really needed the money and a way there. I was the transporter and tag along companion on this adventure. Anyway, we arrived and she was assigned an easy job of packing boxes or something like that. They sent me over to this line. I was a smart person. Running a line? No problem…or at least so I thought. The calendars came down this line for packaging REALLY fast (like the speed of lightning fast). The calendars were supposed to be packaged in stacks of 25. Now let me clarify a bit here…when I say fast, I mean they came down the line so fast you couldn’t just count from 1-25 to stack them. There was no time to utter the words twelve, thirteen…or any others for that matter. They had developed a “special” way of counting them. You would count 1-2-3-4-5 (one) 1-2-3-4-5 (two) in order to properly count them. In other words, when you got to 1-2-3-4-5 (five) that meant you hit 25 and it was time to package, meanwhile the dreaded things continued chugging along down the conveyer belt at full pace while you’re scammering to get this package of 25 together and still trying to continue on with the dreaded 1-2-3-4-5 (one) method of counting. Did I back that line up? You betcha. Sounded easy enough! But It sure wasn’t. Anyway, while I only remained at this most wonderful job 3 days (it was through a temp service), I learned adaptability, not to freak out in the midst of a fast- paced assignment, and to to become a creature of habit with specific processes in place was key for insanity invoking assignments such as this one. (Parallel – Your office with papers flying all around, attorneys flying in and out, staff scammering in the midst of insanity, and that phone ringing away while you try to remain composed.)
So if anyone should ever walk by my office and hear me counting the papers on my desk 1-2-3-4-5 (one) 1-2-3-4-5 (two), you’ll know why!
~ Jamie
My journey on becoming a paralegal has involved three careers in three years. Not to embellish too much and become maudlin or boring, but my husband passed away in 2007. I was a special education teacher at a local district when I became subject to a massive layoff the year after my husband died. I was shocked, and most of all, frightened. I had three girls to support, who, at the time, were 17, 14 and 11, with one embarking on college. At my age, I realized that seeking another position in education was futile: given the layoffs, my advanced degree and experience, and the fact that I would again be a “first year” teacher at any district to which I applied, only to be “pink slipped” again in the never-ending cycle of budget cuts and district procedures for first year teachers. So, plan B came to mind. I had always been fascinated by law, (even considered pre law in college). So I planted myself in the registrar’s office of my local community college and eventually pulled out an ABA approved paralegal certificate in two years.
Shortly after obtaining my certificate, I was so very fortunate to obtain an interview with a solo practicing family law attorney and acquired the position. Talk about baptism by fire! I learned a great deal about the practice and soon found myself doing everything in the office, including the invoicing of bills, calendar scheduling for the attorney, and even accompanying the attorney to court. This all occurred within the space of nine short months until my attorney had to retire due to serious health issues. Coinciding with my attorney’s retirement came a phone call from a Fortune 500 company to which I had applied over a year before offering me an interview. I interviewed and was hired. The HR manager stated that she was impressed that I had a paralegal certificate and was accustomed to detail-oriented work. (Not to mention the fact that I brought along to the interview samples of my paralegal-related documents! That helped greatly). I displayed confidence in my abilities to “get the job done”. Additionally, through a friend, I am also doing some freelance paralegal work in family law in order to supplement my income.
Now, I work at this company reviewing QDRO’s as part of their compliance benefits department. I love what I do and I still am amazed as to how far my paralegal certificate/experience has taken me. It has truly proven how far confidence and determination can get you, along with the great skills that a paralegal possesses.
Thank you, Tamara. Your story is akin to my own in every respect, except I didn’t work with wheat but potatoes, and I have never held a skinning job (thank goodness). My factory job was for G H Bass Shoes. I’ve never thought of telling my story quite like that to get across how I came to be a paralegal during my interviewing process. These days, practice makes perfect, and I am hoping to be employed soon! Thank you so much for sharing your story!
~ Barbara
Barbara:
For newbie paralegals with no “paralegal” experience, I firmly believe sharing your other work experience and how your skill set carries over into what they are looking for in their job description is definitely worth mentioning in your next interview. I recall in one of my first interviews, I actually told the employer, “my wheels were spinning, just set me down and watch me go.” Looking back at it now I have to laugh, but they hired me because of my enthusiasm. Good luck.
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