New Year New Career: Paralegal
Even if college isn’t on your radar in 2019, you don’t have to put off starting the career of your dreams another year. There are a lot of growing careers that you can enter without a degree including becoming a paralegal.
U.S. News and World Report listed paralegal as #2 on its list of “Best Jobs that Don’t Require a College Degree”. A paralegal career was also included on its list of “The 100 Best Jobs” overall based on the salary, job market, potential growth, and work-life balance.
There are a lot of reasons why you should become a paralegal, and we’ve outlined four of the most important arguments below, as well as information you will need as you look for the best way to enter a paralegal career in 2019.
Paralegals have great salary potential
Not only do paralegals make a good salary, regular increases are common as well as bonuses from employers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for paralegals is $50,410.
Those just entering the profession should make over $32,000, while those with experience could make as much as $70,000 per year. Paralegal certification also plays a role in the salary you can demand. In fact, the National Association of Legal Assistants reports an average compensation of $61,671 among their membership which is primarily made up of certified paralegals.
The job growth outlook for paralegals is high
There will always be a need for good lawyers, and the paralegal profession is growing as a way to provide better, more manageable service to clients. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that employment growth with be around 15 percent for paralegals through the year 2026.
This growth will add 41,800 positions nationwide. It’s also important to note that the current unemployment rate for paralegals is only 1.9 percent.
Paralegals have a large variety of options
As a paralegal, you’ll be able to choose a specialization to fit your interests no matter what they may be. When thinking about specializations, it’s important to try various types of law until you find the one that will fulfill you most.
Online paralegal training programs are a great place to get your feet wet before you fully commit to a specialization. You can always expand your training and experience to include more areas of the law as your grow into you career.
There is a high level of prestige in the paralegal profession
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that paralegals are nothing more that assistants to attorneys. Paralegals play an extremely important role in the legal industry. While they do assist lawyers in providing legal services to clients, they also help law firms keep client costs lower and improve the efficiency of lawyers by freeing up time to help even more clients. Paralegals are essential parts of the legal industry as they help increase the productivity and revenue of firms.
While it’s true that you can enter a paralegal career with no formal training, it will be easy to land a job with some online training for paralegals or even prepare for paralegal certification — not to mention you’ll be able to explore various areas of the law and choose where you really want to work.
Online paralegal training courses are a great option for you if you want to learn from experts, complete training quickly and begin working in your new career. You can even choose a program that will prepare you for the Certified Paralegal exam. What are you waiting for? A new year could mean a new you, in the career of your dreams!
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