What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of being a paralegal?

My approach to this question was to pick a challenge where I could easily demonstrate how I use my key competencies/transferable skills to overcome the said challenge. I used a loose STAR structure by first describing the key challenge, how I overcome the said challenge, and the result of doing so. I tried to link the result to why I would succeed in the role. My answer structure was as follows:

Describe the main challenge

One of the biggest challenges I face as a paralegal is managing multiple tasks assigned by different supervisors, often with competing and tight deadlines.

• Instructions from supervisors can sometimes be vague, and I may have little to no prior experience with the task.
• Supervisors may not always be aware of my current workload before assigning additional work.
• I am occasionally interrupted while working on a task, which can break my concentration and require me to refocus before continuing on the task at hand.

Actions I take to overcome the challenge 

• I create a daily to-do list on my computer, allowing me to visualise my workload and prioritise tasks based on urgency.
• I always keep a pen and paper handy to quickly note down instructions from supervisors, as they can be given at any time.
• I ask sensible questions to confirm which tasks should be prioritised. Since my supervisors have more experience, they can often determine which deadlines are flexible if needed.
• I designed a color-coded Excel spreadsheet with a column for each fee earner. When an urgent task arises, I add a new row with brief details and highlight it in red. This system helps me stay on top of competing responsibilities.
• I use my strong communication skills to inform supervisors when I am at full capacity, providing justification where necessary. This ensures they understand that non-urgent tasks may need to be deprioritised and prevents setting unrealistic deadlines.

Results of my actions 

• I ensure deadlines are met, which helps build trust within my team and demonstrates my reliability. This, in turn, has led to increased responsibility on more interesting tasks. A good example of this was being given the responsibility of creating a first draft of a lease for one of the firm’s bigger clients leasing a new office block. 
• I confidently take ownership of my workload and manage competing tasks effectively. From the job description, I knew this was a key skill required for the role, so I have made a conscious effort to develop and refine it.