Importance of Networking

By Beth Cheatham

I have been actively working as a paralegal since 1979 (almost since the profession was invented).  Last summer, for the first time in my working life, I found myself laid off from a job that I loved due to loss of business.  I had worked for the same attorney for 29 years.  The last time I looked for a job I used the telephone book!  Needless to say things have changed significantly…or have they?  Sure, most applications are submitted on-line.  Resumes are still used, but the format and tone are completely different than they were in the past.  Now, it is all about action verbs and highlighting results and accomplishments.  I had to learn to think differently about my skill-set and how to translate them into the buzzwords and thought-processes used in the current job market.  

The entire process was an education in and of itself.  That said, one very significant aspect of finding employment has not changed, NETWORKING.  Yep, it is still who you know!  The job application process is so impersonal and sterile in the on-line world that you may wonder how networking can improve your chances.  Believe me it will.  Any time you can introduce the connection that you share with someone or something that has to do with the prospective employer then you are getting ahead in that game.  The very mentioning of the name or experience gives depth to your application on that flat screen that the lower-level recruiter is looking at all day long.  It humanizes you, connects you.  My job hunting experience shined a beautiful light on the relationships I have developed through the Richmond Paralegal Association.  The advice and assistance I received from fellow members was invaluable.  

There is a happy ending to this story.  I now have a new job!  The best advice I can offer any of you is to continue to develop your relationships with RPA members and to take advantage of all that RPA has to offer such as education, industry trends and changes, ethics, community outreach and NETWORKING.  Do not overlook what a tremendous asset it is to be a member of RPA.