If you recently earned your GED or high school diploma and do not want to spend a lot of time or money on education, you may be wondering what type of career you should start looking into. While there are a lot of careers to choose from, studying to become a paralegal might be a good route for you. Becoming a paralegal can be a great career for certain people, and here are a few things you should know about this line of work.

The Job Description Of A Paralegal

A paralegal is a person that works in a law firm. Paralegals are not lawyers and they are not really secretaries; however, they do many different activities that both lawyers and secretaries may do. Here are some of the jobs you would be responsible for if you were a paralegal:

• Research – One of the top duties of a paralegal is researching. The lawyers you work for will ask you to research various cases and legal issues. Your job is to find information that is relevant for the cases the lawyers are currently handling.
• Interviewing clients and witnesses – You will also most likely be responsible for initial client meetings and interviews with relevant witnesses. You will have to take notes, ask clients to fill out paperwork, and complete documents that contain information about the cases.
• Complete legal paperwork – You will also have to prepare legal documents for the cases your law firm is handling.
• Office work – In addition, you may be responsible for certain types of secretarial skills, such as answering phone calls or filing documents.

Paralegals are not lawyers and do not offer legal advice. They are basically workers that handle much of the tedious steps of legal procedures, and this is necessary for lightening the workloads of the lawyers at the firm.

Traits And Qualities Needed For Paralegals

If the job duties listed here seem interesting to you, this might be a good career to look into. As you make this decision, it's important to realize that there are certain personality traits and qualities needed in order to enjoy and be good at this type of work. Here are some of the most important traits you should have:

• Good with people – If you are looking for a job that does not require good personal relation skills, this is not the job for you. Paralegals spend a lot of time working with clients in person and on the phone, and you will need to have good interpersonal relationship skills.
• Meticulous – Small details are vital in this industry, because just one word can change the legal meaning of a document. If you are meticulous and are good at noticing small details, this might be a good career for you.
• Enjoy paperwork – Paperwork is a huge part of this job. If you enjoy working by yourself at times, researching and filling out documents, becoming a paralegal might be a good option.

Benefits Of Paralegal Careers

If you are interested in this career, you will be glad to know that there are several key benefits of choosing this career path over many of the other options you could choose. Here are some of those benefits:

• You only need two years of education – There are two-year and four-year programs for becoming a paralegal, but you really only need a two-year degree to be successful in this job.
• The outlook is positive – One good factor to look into when choosing a career path is the outlook for the future. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that this job field is expected to grow at a rate of 18% from 2010 to 2020. This is a great rate of growth, which means it may be easier for you to find a job when you finish school.
• The salary is good – For a career that only requires two years of college, the salary for this type of work is very good. In 2010, the average salary of a paralegal was $46,680.

If this is a career path you are interested in, you should look for a college that offers paralegal programs in your area, such as ASA College. When you apply, you may qualify for financial aid or other types of assistance, and this could help you afford a college education.