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Here’s to your future “untils,” TPS paralegals! May they be plentiful and frequent.
When I initially joined LinkedIn in March of last year, I was moderately skeptical. I had received an invitation to join from a former client, who worked as an insurance agent and decided, “What the heck…I don’t do Facebook (yes, I know I’m one of the only non-Facebookers on the planet) and LinkedIn holds itself out as a professional networking site – so I’ll check it out.” Like most newbies to LinkedIn, I constructed a general, bare bones version of a personal profile, loaded a color photo and sent invitations to “join my network” to everyone in my in box. I instantly found a few friends and former colleagues and we connected. By this point, I was probably at a connection population of around 23. It’s funny looking back, but at the time, I really thought I was well on my way. To what, I didn’t know, but I had a whopping 23 connections. Woo hoo!
Over the months that followed, I made a consorted effort to work on completing my profile, joined a few of the paralegal forums, and continued to make some connections. My selections forum-wise were, of course, based strictly on the group names because I had little else to go on – I was LinkedIn clueless. I selected a few duds (which shall remain nameless), but joined a few good ones too. I remember being a bit overwhelmed by the forums in the beginning…there were thousands of paralegals in them (did I mention thousands…really…wow), and generally, only about a baker’s dozen or so that regularly posted comments.
As a LinkedIn newbie, the paralegal waters were a bit intimidating to navigate, but I began by posting a comment here, and a comment there – holding my breath every time I hit the “post” button. I started to see some familiar faces in those forums, and began to make some general acquaintances along the way. I’d say I probably had around 45 connections by that point. That’s a lot compared to the zero I had when I started! Again, I thought I was well on my way. Still not sure to what exactly, but I was on my way.
I’ve gotta tell you that somewhere along the way, LinkedIn became a professional mecca for me. I started meeting amazing paralegals from all across the country. We saw each other in the paralegal forums, interacted, engaged in a bit of friendly banter, often joined in the same conversation strings, and chatted it up via private e-mail exchanges. One of the funny things about life is that you never really realize what you’re missing out on in your life “until” you find it.
As a small firm litigation paralegal, I certainly made a lot of professional connections on my way down paralegal row. Nearly every attorney and paralegal I’ve ever worked with (minus the dark clouds a/k/a keepers of the misery) became professional contacts and many of them, good friends. Yet, my professional “paralegal” network was virtually non-existent from a paralegal motivation and inspiration standpoint.
When you work at a small firm, it’s you and anywhere from 1-3 paralegals. As a small firm paralegal, your access to other successful paralegals can be fairly limited. The thing is…I never stopped to even think about it…and never even realized that to be the case…“until.” Until I met some of the most intelligent, articulate, friendly, positive, happy, thriving paralegals from all across the country; the movers and shakers, the doers, the top shelf talent in the US, the upper echelon, the who’s who in paralegal land. I had no clue what I was missing out on. I never realized how lonely it was to be a senior level paralegal at a small firm…“until.”
At this juncture, I’ve made over 500 contacts, most of whom are paralegals, sprinkled in with some senior partners, attorneys, editors, CEO’s, former judges, and business professionals. One might assume it’s the higher ranking individuals in my network that I find most impressive. I’m certainly happy to have made those connections along the way – especially the editors! Yet, the cross section of my LinkedIn “connections”that brings the biggest smile to my face is the paralegals; my paralegal counterparts and comrades in arms. They are my core network; my paralegal network. They became the group I never looked for… “until.”
Our TPS LinkedIn group has grown to over 350 active members over the past 5 months. Remember me referencing some of the other paralegal forums having thousands? Well, I’d take the TPS 350 over the masses any day of the week! We engage in some of the most interesting, intellectual, inspiring, helpful, fun and friendly discussions day-in and day-out. It’s a place we know we can turn to post a random question or seek a little advice or assistance with our paralegal careers. And when I say “help,” I don’t mean “here’s a generic answer – good luck,” I mean “give me a call and I’ll walk you through it” kind of help…“I’ll do a half hour of research to help you find an answer kind of help.” It has truly become a meeting hub of happiness via the world-wide web. I never realized I needed a paralegal social outlet…”until” it become my paralegal mecca.
Since March, I have managed to inadvertently form the BEST inner circle a girl could hope for. Personal note to self: Inner circles are WAY more important than random connections – they are a life line. When I have a question or need support and encouragement, I send an e-mail out to 8 or so paralegals and a litigation support guru, spread out all across the country, who are the best of the best. These paralegals (and guru) leap into action like stealth ninjas, to provide an answer to a question, proposed solutions, a few words of encouragement, a funny antidote, or to take part in a 2-way vent session, which as you all know, is much needed in paralegal land. The help, advice, support and strong sense of friendship and camaraderie that we all share is absolutely unparalleled. My inner circle is one of the greatest paralegal assets I have. Period. It too, became an “until” moment. I never realized I was missing them “until” I found them. I gotta admit, it’s pretty cool having your own, personal, online paralegal arsenal of back up reinforcements, supporters, idea bouncers, career coaches, rally speech givers, professional minds, motivational and inspirational beings, and most importantly…friends. Besides, how cool is it to have a whole group of paralegal ninjas to turn to at anytime? Really!
So to all of the LinkedIn skeptics, I say to you…maybe it’s not your thing, maybe you won’t like it…maybe you’ll be too scared to ever post in the chat rooms or too intimidated to make any new friends, but it’s allowed me to establish the Greatest Paralegal Network in America. What I’m here to tell you, is that there is no good reason for you to row the SS Paralegal all alone, small firm, rural community or otherwise. It’s a choice you make. There are thousands of amazing paralegals all across the country just waiting for you to pick up an oar and hand one off. Besides, you never know if it’s your path to harnessing the Best Paralegal Network in all of America — until you manage to find your “until…”
Who else has the Best Paralegal Network in America? Are any of you LinkedIn skeptics? Do you have a paralegal inner circle, and if so, how many people are in it? What’s the number one asset in your paralegal tool box? What was your “until” moment? By all means paralegals…share away! We’d love to hear from you.
If you’re riding on the SS Paralegal all alone – don’t! There are 350+ paralegals waiting to greet you in our LinkedIn forum for The Paralegal Society! So start a basic profile, load a pic, and you’ll be well on your way to establishing the Greatest Paralegal Network in America or proving me wrong, but either way, you’ll no longer be rowing the SS paralegal all alone. So, grab an oar and pass one on…
Misty Sheffield said:
Jamie, Congratulations on jumping in and starting such a successful and dynamic forum. I can closely relate to your experience. As a virtual paralegal, I would be very isolated professionally if not for social media. I have been blessed with terrific friends and family, but they cannot relate to my life in paralegal land. Sharing ideas, opinions, successes, failures and stories with other paralegals has greatly enhanced my professional life. TPS is a wonderful group for this. My “until” is blogging. I did not realize that I needed a creative writing outlet until I started my blog. I love the legal writing I do in my work, but it is not personal or expressive. Blogging lets me get things out of my head and into written words, it is therapeutic.
The Paralegal Society said:
Thanks for your kind words about the TPS forum, Misty! We’re so glad you joined us. It’s great to have another dynamic paralegal and successful blogger in our midst! I can absolutely relate to you with regard to the blogging. The same is also true for me of my writing. I had no idea I was missing it or would completely love it, “until” I found it. I hope to continue to find many, many more “untils” in 2012, and I wish the same for you! I can imagine there are many perks for working as a virtual paralegal, but I can definitely see where isolation would make the list of negatives. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and for sharing a piece of your story with us. I’m glad you like to have found TPS to be a fun place to mingle. I’ll definitely be seeing you “around!” ~ Jamie
p.s. A little birdie told me we may be seeing more of you in TPS very, very soon. How exciting!!
barbara26point2 said:
Proud to be a part of your “inner circle” — providing antidotes (and anecdotes) to the toxins of the world! ;^D
Going to forward this onward to the members of the Santa Barbara Paralegal Association who haven’t yet signed up to LinkedIn, too!
The Paralegal Society said:
Hello madam President…I mean Barb! I hope your LinkedIn skeptics find it to be a swift nudge into the world of social media. Hopefully, we’ll make a few new LinkedIn friends from Santa Barbara. Thanks for your contribution in helping to ward off the keepers of the misery in paralegal land. Raise the TPS flags…we ride at sunrise! (Okay, that part was totally a joke, but it is awesome to have you around!)
~ Jamie
Practical Paralegalism said:
That’s the most wonderful thing about social media – expanding your network of people who know what you do and understand both the highs and the lows! I know you said you don’t do Facebook, but that’s a wonderful place to build on your paralegal friendships, and there are some great Facebook pages for paralegals. I also love seeing pics of peeps’ two-leggeds, four-leggeds, and their status updates about personal and professional moments in their day.
The Paralegal Society said:
Lynne, Perhaps one day there will be a Facebook page for The Paralegal Society! You never know! Never say never. I love following your posts regarding paralegal career wear on Practical Paralegalism…especially your recent post stating that every paralegal should own a basic, black suit. Seriously! I couldn’t agree more. Thanks for stopping by! ~ Jamie
Pamela J Starr said:
I am new to TPS (and so thrilled to have found you). Of course, so many of my favorite paralegals are contributors and followers, so it stands to reason that I would find my way here.
Jamie, you are right, LinkedIn is a wealth of information and a much better place to make professional connections. Back in 2010, I even blogged on some of its merits. It has proven to be a rich resource for clients and other opportunities. As a virtual paralegal, I completely agree with Misty’s comments about the relative isolation of our industry and the need for our LinkedIn networks and forums like this.
When I became a paralegal (in the dark ages when we used typewriters and ‘cut and paste’ meant that you cut up one document and pasted the content you liked onto another sheet of paper), I never thought I would be working independently, much less using a computer or tablet to get my work done. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I have access to people I would never have otherwise met and I have a blog and thriving virtual paralegal business.
As long as we’re talking LinkedIn, please join my network – http://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelajstarr
Power to the Paralegal!! 😉
The Paralegal Society said:
Pamela, I’m so glad you found us! It’s always nice to mingle with other like-minded, “friendly” (emphasis on friendly) paralegals on LinkedIn, and out here in the blogosphere! If you’d ever be interested in contributing an article to the TPS blog, just let me know! I’ll be sure to check out your blog, as well. Thanks for stopping by. I hope to see you “around.” ~ Jamie
ann marie armstrong said:
Jamie, I can relate to everything you said and ventured onto linked in after being invited to join the network of several attorneys and real estate professionals I have met while working in my corner of the world on long island. I accepted and never imagined that linked in would become such a wealth of information to me as a paralegal till I started browsing the numerous groups and began following articles of interest. I am the sole paralegal in an office staffed by several attorneys and various support personnel, having been with this firm for over 15 years. I look forward to joining the paralegal groups, starting with this one, and making the acquaintance of some, if not all, of the talented paralegals out there.
The seeds of my paralegal training came to me via the very first job I got when I got out of high school, where a wonderful lady who was the legal professional in the office literally, taught me everything I would ever need to know to be a successful legal professional! That job was almost 40 years ago and about 8 years ago (after not having seen her since 1975) I got the opportunity to share that with her.
The Paralegal Society said:
Ann Marie, It’s terrific that you had someone so warm, friendly, and helpful to show you the paralegal ropes, and even better that you finally had the opportunity to acknowledge and thank this wonderful lady for all she gave to you, as a person and a paralegal. Mentors are very, very important. I can’t stress that enough. I’ve certainly had (and continue to have) my fair share. I look forward to networking with you and getting to know you better! Thanks for stopping by TPS! Hope to see you again soon. ~ Jamie
Amy said:
I have been on LinkedIn for many years and I have joined and departed many groups over the years. But I now tell everyone who will listen that Jamie Collin’s LinkedIn group is like no other and it’s absolutely the best group I belong to now — no comparison. It is the level of interaction that appeals to me, but it takes a lot of work to make that happen week in and week out. I am amazed and proud to be part of it.
The Paralegal Society said:
Thanks so much for your kind words, Amy. We love having you in our group – that’s for sure!
Laurenza said:
How do I sign up for the society?
The Paralegal Society said:
Laurenza,
We are a two part forum. We have the TPS blog and then we have a “social club” aspect which is hosted on LinkedIn. If you aren’t already a member of LinkedIn, you should join! It’s free. You can just create a basic profile, connect with me (and any of the other TPS mentors), and request to join The Paralegal Society “group.” We currently have about 470 members in our social club. We have a lot of great discussions and share great articlesand information. It’s a tremendous group (and I’m not just saying that because I’m the founder)! If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at: jamietheparalegal@yahoo.com. I’d be happy to help!
You can also subscribe to our blog by scrolling to the bottom of the page and entering your e-mail address. Then you will receive an e-mail each time a new article is published, which is typically about 3 times per week!
I look forward to seeing you “around.”
Jamie
MAK'S VA Services said:
Hello Jamie,
I have been following your blog for a little while and I even have posted a few times.
You’re blog is very informative and inspirational.
I am on LinkedIn, I just arrived in New York and after 17 years I’m looking to re-enter the New York job force, I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in communications. I’m trying very hard to get my foot in the door and begin a career as a paralegal. Can you please suggest associations that I can join so I can network.
Thank You.
The Paralegal Society said:
Mak’s VA,
Thanks for following us! It’s great to see you around TPS.
I would recommend that you join our “social club” for The Paralegal Society on LinkedIn if you haven’t already. There are several terrific paralegal groups on LinkedIn if you aren’t already a member. Check out these:
The Paralegal Society
National Federation of Paralegal Associations
NALA
KNOW: The Magazine for Paralegals
Paralegal Network
PARALEGAL NETWORK
Paralegal Gateway
You should also ask to connect with Mariana Fradman on LinkedIn. She is a TPS Mentor and President of the New York City Paralegal Association. If her group isn’t close to you, she will help you find one that is. Just tell her I sent you her way!
I hope this helps.
~ Jamie
MAK'S VA Services said:
Thanks for your reply! I have already connected with some associations on LinkedIn and I have also contacted Maianna Fradman. Where can I ask irrelevant questions concerning employment advice ?
Where can I buy the paralegal magazine ?
The Paralegal Society said:
Mak’s VA, you can feel free to send your questions to any of the people in The Paralegal Society’s inner circle, who are listed on our “Meet the Mentors” page! All of our e-mails are listed for your convenience. Don’t hesitate to reach out!
If you look at my recent post “Two Sides to the Paralegal Sandbox…” I have the links for three great magazines listed on that post. Have a fabulous weekend!
~ Jamie
SANGEETA SHARMA said:
Hi there.
I am a recent graduate who has also switched career from admin to paralegal. I have been looking for an informative and friendly forum to share my thoughts and interact with my own community. I am so happy and thrilled to see such a fantastic medium to stay in touch with everyone. I am now looking to learn and polish my tools and find a firm where I can really use my passion for intellectual property. Just don’t know where to start. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks very much again
Joseph Panozzo said:
That is a great story! It is nice to know that a paralegal is not alone.