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"What was your experience like looking for a paralegal role? What advice do you have?"
Here is a masterclass in why you should never outright ask for a job when engaging alumni.
It has never been easier to ‘Ask Alumni’ and get a response. But the secret to successful networking is incrementalism. Trust and rapport are built through small, low-friction conversations that eventually evolve into mentoring, or even hiring, relationships.
The key is asking for something that makes saying ‘yes’ easy and non-committal:
- ‘How did you navigate [specific challenge] early in your career?’
- ‘Would you be open to giving me 2 minutes of feedback on my resume?’
- ‘Which companies in this space are actually doing the most innovative work right now?’
The engagement below is a testament to the natural desire alumni have to help those walking in their footsteps. When you make the ‘ask’ simple for the recipient, the magic happens on its own.
Max
Question
My name is STUDENT, and I am a student with an academic background in Political Science.
I am applying for paralegal positions, ideally in New York. I’ve sent in a decent number of applications and had one interview (waiting to hear back). What was your experience like if you went through this process? Any advice?
Thank you for any advice you can share.
Response (1 of 3)
Why don’t you send me your résumé? You can email it to me at law.com. Please put Kenyon alum in the subject line, so I know it’s coming from you.
Feedback
I received an inquiry from a Kenyan graduate regarding a paralegal position. Instead of providing him with particular advice about how to find one, I forwarded his resume to office manager who will be interviewing him for a position shortly. Although he was only looking for advice I felt at a more practical response would be appreciated.
Ready to connect your community?
Let’s find a time for Max & team to show you just how smart, simple, and scalable it can truly be for alumni and students to connect to one another for advice and support. We promise you’ll be inspired by how artificial intelligence can be a force for good.