question to the paralegals

i got my first paralegal job in january. i'm working for a sole practitioner and most of what i do is the real estate transactions.

every day, i learn something new and i'm feeling more confident in my abilities... i no longer fear that i'll be fired when i make a mistake.

my questions is:

my family is planning to relocate to california in 2014/2015.

with the move in mind, what should i be working on to improve my chances of getting a job out there and what can i do to improve my chances of a better pay once i get out there.

thanks

Re: question to the paralegals

I think real estate is a pretty good thing to master and have under your belt. People will always buy and sell homes, so there will always be jobs. Even if some of the laws and procedures are different in CA, I think the overall process will be the same.

I would also dabble in as much and learn as much as you can as far as the general running of the office (bookeeping, calendar, etc). The more you know, the more attractive you are to a new employer.

Also, I would learn as much of the litigation process as you can. I've worked in several firms doing everything from matrimonial to commercial litigation to personal injury and the one thing that remains pretty much the same is the actual litigation process. If you know how to start a lawsuit and can work the case through to trial (or its conclusion) I think you'll be set.

I hope this all makes sense.

Also, something else for you to consider would be to see about getting a job in a Court or clerk's office. I have no idea how that works in CA, but it might be worth looking into.

Re: question to the paralegals

Re: question to the paralegals

Nice!

I just wanted to add that you could also consider going the insurance company route, especially if you have or can gain some good personal injury experience (I know quite a few who have made the jumb from PI paralegal to claim rep/processor/asst and vice versa).

Good luck to you! And please feel free to bend my ear with any paralegal questions (I'm one of the few who actually loves what I do and don't mind talking about it).

Message edited 8/1/2013 8:58:30 PM.