You can continue to possess a high level of competence and say “why shouldn’t anybody hire me?”, but with hordes of talent out there and companies striving to hire only the best and no one but the best, the interviewers have only one response “why should we?” It’s only when you make yourself stand apart from the horde; that the companies will take notice of you and will think about having your services. How to do that? A cover letter will serve to your needs. Rephrase: A lucid cover letter written with conviction and self belief will serve to your needs, because, let’s face it: you will not be the only one who’d be writing one. This is especially the case when you’re going to write one for the post of a paralegal with responsibilities like: preparations for hearings, trials, closings; drafting documents of wills, mortgages, contracts etc, and whose services in the fields like litigation, family law, health care, labor laws etc are becoming the backbone of the law industry and is growing at a rate of knots. With an expanding industry like this, it’s obvious that the level of competition will be naturally high, which makes the task of writing a perfect cover letter all the more important. Read below to know about guidelines of writing a cover letter and then check out a sample cover letter for the post of a paralegal.
General Guidelines
-
To begin with, it’s a cover letter and not a thesis. It shouldn’t be more than a single page’s length for an employer has to go through many letters. Make it short and crisp.
-
Writing a cover letter is a professional thing; don’t commit any grammatical errors and please don’t misspell anything, especially not your employer’s name or the name of the company.
-
Don’t forget to include your contact address for further correspondence from the employer’s side and the date at which you’re going to submit it. Address of the company and the person to whom you’re directing the letter should come in next.
-
Start the body of the letter by enquiring if there’s a position available as a paralegal and why you’ll be good at it with your educational qualifications coming in next.
-
Highlight a positive description of the employer as to why you are so keen on working with this particular firm. Mention any positive word of mouth you may have heard.
-
Mention about your current job if any, and the roles and responsibilities you are required to handle. Give a brief description about your accomplishments or experience as a paralegal.
-
Write down your qualities as an employee and the skills that you can offer to the company and help it achieve its goals and targets. Try not to replicate your resume and write stuff that isn’t there or correlates with it or highlights what you wrote in there.
-
Request for an interview or meeting with the employer but only at his/her convenience; don’t push at it. Mention your contact number for further intimation and be ready for whenever you are asked to come.
-
At last, thank the employer and end the letter on a positive note. Write your name at the end of it and the enclosures like resume and experience certificate that the employer should look for.
Sample Paralegal Cover Letter
Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip Code
Your Email Address
Your Phone
Date
Employer Name
Employer Title
Employer Address
Employer City, State, Zip Code
Dear Salutation
I am writing to enquire if there would be an opening for a junior paralegal position in your prestigious firm. I graduated in the top 10 of my batch at (name of the academy) and am looking for work with a labor law firm in (name of the city). During my studies, I had the chance to spend 3 months as a co-operative student at (name of the organization), and I truly enjoyed the experience of working in their labor law department. I was an assistant to three senior counsels with a class action lawsuit involving a pharmaceutical company. I helped during the discovery process, in the preparation of witnesses for trial and in the preparation of legal documents to be presented during evidence.
I enjoy working in a fast pace environment and am confident that I will meet or surpass your expectations. I have strong work ethics, am meticulous yet effective and can work under pressure. I would really appreciate the opportunity to meet with you in person any time as per your conveniences. Please mail me or call me at (your mobile number); I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
Your name (signed)
Your name (Printed)
Enclosures: Resume and Experience Certificate
