Thursday, December 8, 2011

Your Most Valuable Professional Asset

I have been fortunate to get to know many wonderful paralegals during my career. Most have impressive resumés with great work experience, notable education, important credentials, and inspiring accomplishments. When I think about these paralegals, I sometimes feel as if I am not doing enough in my profession and career. Regardless of what I do, I know I will never catch up to these paralegals in every area.

However, I also know several paralegals who have fabulous resumés but very few people would recommend them or want to work with them. Some of them are known to have difficult personalities, a few have questionable ethics, and others appear to be overstating their qualifications and experience.

So how can you stand out, particularly when surrounded by fellow paralegals with outstanding resumés? By your reputation.

There will ALWAYS be someone with more experience, more education, better credentials, and more impressive accomplishments. There is nothing you can do about that. What you CAN control is making sure you have a reputation for being knowledgable, dependable, conscientious, professional, and ethical. All of the wonderful information on your resumé can't overcome a bad reputation.

So, above all else, work to guard and improve your professional (and personal) reputation. Because when it comes right down to it, it's really all you've got.