Episode 3A: You finished the program now what?

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Hello, my name is Tara, and welcome to Sister-in-Law, the Paralegal Journey, a podcast about the careers behind the case files. Whether you work in law, work alongside the legal profession, or thinking about a career in this space, or simply want an honest look at the paralegal journey, you're in the right place. Hello and welcome back to Sister-in-Law, the Paralegal Journey. Episode three is a two part conversation in Part A. It is for those of you who have just graduated from paralegal studies or are about to, and are sitting with the uncomfortable question. Now, what in part B, the focus will shift to those of you who are already established in the legal field. So senior legal assistants. Who are still asking the same question just from a different place. As you listen to today's part, a episode, I want you to ask yourself this, what skills, experience and professional confidence am I building or that I can build right now that will move me closer to the work I wanna be doing? Try not to focus on where you think you should be, but instead on what you can actually gain right now and where you want to be. Even if it doesn't look the way you expected. You did the program, you passed the courses, you got the credential, and instead of clarity, you're left feeling unsure about where you fit in the legal field. Whether you're in Ontario or Alberta, this episode is about that moment. Reality versus expectation. Put your hand up if your program talked about life after graduation. How much of your program really talked about life after graduation? Some teachers may have had this conversation and some not. Some talk about work options, especially if you did not get hired after your placement some not at all. What happens if you don't get hired where you did your practicum? What if the area of law isn't a good fit? What if the role you land doesn't look like what you imagined? Whether you completed a legal assistant or paralegal program, do you feel that there is enough conversation around what happens after graduation? There is often an unspoken expectation that once you finish school, you step into a defined role with autonomy, responsibility, and recognition, but the reality is far more complicated. The complexity of job readiness and employment in the legal field changes depending on the province you're in, the lawyer work for the firm structure, and most importantly, how and where you gain experience. In episode two, I talk a bit about this reality. So if you haven't listened to that yet, I would strongly encourage you to pause this podcast. Go to episode two and give it a listen first. Alberta flexibility without clarity in Alberta, paralegals are not licensed yet, and yes, I am an advocate for paralegal licensing. What I often see with new grads or practicum students is that you will walk right into a paralegal position right away, that you will step directly into a paralegal role. The truth is that is rare. Most paralegal graduates in Alberta tend to start as legal assistants learning the legal support role first. In smaller firms or with solo practitioners, some graduates are given significant responsibility. Early on, they learn alongside the lawyer. Not just legal support work, but paralegal tasks and even law office management. In larger firms, the path tends to look a little bit different. You may start as a legal assistant, gaining experience and seniority, and then move into a paralegal role if that's the direction you choose. In both scenarios, it comes down to trust, competence, and potential. What I can tell you firsthand is that process can be humbling. When I was first in Ontario and prepping to relocate to Edmonton, I spoke to a recruiter about moving into a paralegal role, seeing how I was completed, the courses, the recruiter was honest. While my resume clearly showed skills, I needed to establish myself within a firm. First, I needed people who could see my work and advocate for me internally. I respected her honesty, but I was shocked. What I learned later is this, starting as a legal assistant and really understanding the role and the firm dynamics. It's not a setback. It's an opportunity to build depth, confidence and credibility and sets you up to excel. Long term, Ontario, a regulated path. Ontario is different. Paralegals are licensed, which brings legitimacy, but also structure limits and higher level of accountability to fulfill your role as an independent paralegal. I remember one of my instructors in Ontario saying very honestly that some of us would make terrible paralegals. That was not meant to discourage anyone, but it was a reminder. That being a paralegal requires more than just liking law or doing well in school. It requires judgment, independence, accountability, and true ownership of your work. Licensing is only the next step. It's not the finish line. An entry level paralegal role may look like the paralegal deciding to start the career as a legal assistant or law clerk to gain experience, knowledge, and understand the legal environment. Here is the hard question if needed. Are you willing to do that work to become a competent, confident paralegal While that can feel like a step backward, it isn't. In episode two, I shared this story of a close friend, a mentor who waited 10 years after licensing, before stepping fully into a paralegal role because the right lawyer saw her potential and invested in her growth. It's the reality of entering a regulated profession where trust, mentorship, and opportunity take time and you will thank yourself later for giving yourself that space to grow. So what to do after graduation? Let's go back to the beginning of this podcast. You did the program, you passed the courses, you got the credential, and you're still jobless or unsure. So what now? What do you do next? If you are a student or a recent graduate listening to this podcast, think about the different laws that you learned in your course load. Ask yourself, which one did you really like, and which one could you see yourself doing forever? Then ask yourself, what do I want my career to look like? Do you wanna move into a paralegal role? If you do, when do you wanna do that, and what experience or extra courses do you need to get there? For example, in Alberta, if you are a corporate legal assistant and you wanna become a corporate paralegal, you should invest on getting your course one, two, and three. Or should you even invest in doing that? Are you connected with paralegals that can speak to you just to get a gauge or sense of what it looks like? What do you want your professional roadmap to look like? and who can you start to network with or get mentorship from? In order to navigate some of the challenges or get questions answered, I would suggest set up a meeting with recruiter or two or three or see if anyone in the industry, your teachers, other legal assistants or paralegals. Have go-to recruiters that they use. Ask the recruiter very pointed questions about the field and what they see as a recruiter, but also meet with the recruiters so you can get a sense of who you wanna work with and what law firms you would like to work with. Compatibility matters. Speak to your teachers or your favorite teacher and get some real insight. Teachers really wanna see their students excel. And so what I've come across in my own journey is that the teachers who I have reached out to, um, no matter how long it's been, they've been really open to have conversations. Maybe those teachers have some senior assistants or paralegals that they can introduce you to, to have conversations with. LinkedIn is also a great connection tool. I just spoke to someone today who found beyond LinkedIn and is considering the move from Ontario to Alberta. She had a lot of amazing questions and I could tell she was already thinking about what her role here in Alberta would look like. Stay connected with your practicum supervisor and the law firm manager where you did your practicum. Sometimes you just need to make sure you peek your head in every so often so they remember that you are around and ready to work. If a position comes up or sometimes they can refer you to a friend or a recruiter, don't be afraid to find your own mentor. I was really lucky. Mentors seemed to always find me, but in one instance, when I was studying at Centennial, I reached out directly to the president of one of the paralegal associations at the time and told him that I was a student and I was looking for a mentor that I could start a mentorship with. Before I started my practicum, I was paired with a senior paralegal who interviewed me. I brought my portfolio of assignments that I had done in class. It was hard. The senior paralegal asked me a lot of tough questions. In the end, he agreed to mentor me. he not only started the mentorship, but he also taught me how to process, serve, and brought me on to do odd jobs so I can learn all aspects besides the legal assisting, which I had already known. They were all skills that I had in my skill bank when I relocated to Edmonton. So let's reframe the question. Instead of asking why am I not where I thought it would be after graduating, ask yourself, what am I learning right now? Who am I learning from? What skills am I building right now? Or what skills can I build and what kind of professional do I wanna grow into? Early career roles are about exposure, not identity. If you've listened to my previous episodes, you'll hear a common theme, find a mentor, gain as much experience as you can, ask questions and put yourself out there. Your title doesn't define your long-term value. It shows that you're willing to learn so that you can get where you wanna go. Remember, you are not behind. You're simply in the early stages of a profession that takes time to grow into. As we wrap up Part A, let's return to that question instead of focusing on a title, what skills, experience and professional confidence can I build right now that will move me closer to the work I want to do? You don't have to answer that today, but asking the question matters. So every time that you think about your career. Look for a new job or even work in a new job. Ask yourself this question. It matters in part B of episode three. We'll continue this conversation, but from the other side of experience, I will be talking to senior legal assistants who have put in the years, built the skills. And are still asking. Now, what if that's you or you see yourself heading there? You won't wanna miss this. If this episode resonated with you, I invite you to follow the podcast on Apple or Spotify and connect with me on LinkedIn. Let me know where you're at in your journey. This is Sister-in-law, the paralegal journey. Welcome to the conversation.