There are many ways of discovering paralegal roles. But before you consult these sources, here are some general points to bear in mind:

• As previously mentioned, not every paralegal role will have the word “paralegal” in the job title, so don’t restrict yourself to vacancies that specifically include the word paralegal. Instead, focus on roles which include legal elements. 
• In addition, if you want to work within a specific industry, perhaps search for roles within companies – rather than law firms – that include legal elements. Paralegal roles can come up in countless contexts, from roles at Premier League football clubs and fashion houses, to music industry and Government roles.
• Finally, don’t forget that there are paralegal jobs all over the country, not just in London and other major cities. It may be easier to secure your first role at a smaller, regional firm, so hedge your bets and apply for these too.

With this in mind, we’ll now look at some sources you can use to find paralegal roles.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn can be a great source of job vacancies. You can use the job search function to search for specific roles, and ask to receive notifications when vacancies arise. Law firms and recruiters may also post about vacancies, so follow their pages and profiles. Whatever you do, make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to scratch before reaching out to anyone on LinkedIn!

Recruiters

Many legal recruiters offer paralegal roles, so use search engines and LinkedIn to find and connect with them. If you post on LinkedIn about your desire to secure a paralegal role, recruiters might also reach out to you directly.

Recruiters can be great sources of advice throughout the recruitment process, offering guidance around which roles might suit your education, experience and preferences, CV advice before your CV goes to firms, tips on how to prepare for interviews, and explanations of what roles and recruitment processes involve.

Job boards

There are many other websites that share paralegal roles from time to time, including FlexLegal, Lawyers on Demand,Accutrainee, the National Association of Licensed Paralegals website, Indeed.com, Glassdoor.co.uk, Brightnetwork.co.uk, and more. Google should help here.

However, some of our interviewees don’t recommend relying too much on submitting applications through general job board sites such as Indeed.com and Glassdoor.co.uk if you’re simply told to upload a CV and click send. Response rates in these circumstances tend to be really low.

Law firm communication channels

In addition, some firms promote their paralegal vacancies on their websites and social channels and at career events such as law fairs and conferences, whilst others might host paralegal-specific webinars and open evenings (so check firm websites).

Work experience

Finally, work experience can sometimes lead directly to paralegal roles, especially at smaller firms that may lack the resources to invest in large-scale recruitment campaigns.