cover letter and the position? (1 Viewer)

[plankwoodly]

Hey guys,

A thought came to mind, while being in your first or second year into your law degree, your probably hoping to gain some experience whatsoever.

The question, so when your applying for a job (ie at a law firm in your suburb) what position is it that your actually qualified to work or after. Do you say I'm a law student looking to be a paralegal or ....? ect
And should you offer to work for free?


Cheers,

 

[LA88]

Yes to the first, no to the second. Working for free is what you do at community legal centres, not law firms.

 

[melsc]

Yes to the first, no to the second. Working for free is what you do at community legal centres, not law firms.

I would disagree on the second part. I know quite a few people who have gained paid employment for volunteering for a while.


Say you are a law student seeking work experience/a paralegal position.

 

[izzy88]

I personally would not volunteer for a commercial law firm- I would want to be paid. I would volunteer at legal aid etc.

I guess the other important factor with volunteering vs paid is can you afford to work one or two days a week in a volunteer position- or do you actually need a job for money?

 

[melsc]

I personally would not volunteer for a commercial law firm- I would want to be paid. I would volunteer at legal aid etc.

I guess the other important factor with volunteering vs paid is can you afford to work one or two days a week in a volunteer position- or do you actually need a job for money?

Yeah thats the important point. If you can afford to do it, sometimes its the way to get your foot in the door.

 

[jamima1986]

I know people who have gained paid employment by volunteering too. Just write that you are interested in gaining work experience (as a paralegal) and don't mention pay in the letter - if they contact you, they are likely to mention pay and you can often gauge from that whether they might pay you in the future or not! Just remember - any experience is good!