Store aisles are overflowing with school supplies and back to school sales. You may be checking off long lists of must-haves for your children in elementary and high school classes. Even preschools are sending home hefty requirements of paint brushes, playdough Ziplock baggies. But when you head back to class, online, do you need to have a stack of freshly pressed notebooks and red pens at your side

No.

Your only must have is your computer and an internet connection. Brook Urban, Bryant & Stratton Academic Advisor, said students do 100 percent of their work online. “Their papers are submitted online, the quizzes are completed online, even the portfolio they create will be completed online,” she said. Which means your number one school supply is your computer and an internet connection. Students in the public speaking class will need to make sure their computer contains a camera since they will need to record themselves giving a speech. All students are given a list of hardware and software requirements when they submit their application, but in case you missed it, here it is again:

Hardware:

Software:

Connectivity:

Perhaps the most important thing you can have at the ready as an online student is a technology contingency plan. Storms knock out internet. Computers crash. Toddlers poor juice all over keyboards. It happens. And unfortunately, deadlines keep rolling.

“Having a backup plan is essential for success,” Urban said. “We advise our students to have at least one, at best two back up plans, whether that is a local library, or a friend or family member’s computer. This will also eliminate a lot of stress for the students.”

And just because your professor didn’t send you a tidy list of school supplies doesn’t mean you can’t use them. Urban stresses that students need to understand how they learn best. If that means taking notes on actual paper, making flashcards or highlighting passages in books, go for it!

“Do they need to print out their lecture and highlight portions for better understanding, or do they need to take notes, or record themselves reading the lectures? It is basically the student’s preference for how they learn if they need additional supplies.”

announced today that it has again been named a Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs Magazine. Only 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools are awarded this distinction.

The list was created so that service members and military veterans can easily find schools that offer the best education, value and welcome. The G.I. Jobs list includes state universities, private colleges, community colleges and trade schools. Methodology, criteria and weighting for the list were developed with the assistance of an Academic Advisory Board consisting of educators from schools across the country.

\”We are humbled to be again named a Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs Magazine, especially since this year\’s list considered veteran feedback,\” said Scott Traylor, Associate Campus Director for Online Education at Bryant & Stratton College. \”We feel that it is our duty to do what we can to help service members, military veterans and their families receive the education they need to succeed, in an environment that understands their unique circumstances.\”

G.I. Jobs Magazine selected schools following extensive research and a data-driven survey of more than 8,000 schools nationwide. Bryant & Stratton College Online was selected because it offers scholarships and discounts, has a veteran\’s club and a full-time staff member dedicated to helping students with military experience. Examples of ways Bryant & Stratton College Online supports its military students and their families are below

Transferring colleges requires meticulous attention on the part of the student to ensure every possible credit will transfer. In addition to reducing the amount of time you spend making up coursework, transferring your maximum credit potential can save you thousands of dollars in tuition expenses. There are specific steps you can take to ensure your new college accepts most, if not all, credits from previous educational institutions. When in doubt, contact the admissions office of your new campus to get personal assistance reviewing former transcripts, course requirements, and syllabi from your previous school(s).

Here are five tips for transferring colleges without losing credits:

Transferring colleges can be a smooth process as long as you are prepared and willing to work with your prospective campus. Contact the Admissions Office at Bryant & Stratton College so we can get started transferring your college credits.

The longer you work, sooner or later it’s going to happen to you: the major mess-up. You did something that was the result of perhaps not quite paying attention, missing a major detail, skipping a step in a work process to beat a deadline, or figuring that it wouldn’t really make that much difference if you just relied on someone else’s information rather than verifying it for yourself. The result: a classic screw up, the kind that’s going to be embarrassing at best, send your boss through the roof at worst.

It’s happened to all of us who’ve spent any time in the workplace, and after being read the riot act several times, you realize that the best way – in fact, the only way – to handle this type of career crisis is head-on. As soon as you realize you’ve made a mistake that may have an impact on the company, you want to pull together the following information, and be prepared to lay it out for your boss:

Your goals in mastering your “I screwed up” statement are to make it clear to your boss that you know you messed up, and you intend to take responsibility for it (thus building your boss’s confidence in your honesty and reliability). Also, you want to make sure that you’re the one delivering this information rather than the woman three cubicles down who’s got it in for you.

Bottom line:

So start rehearsing your speech now: “Boss, do you have a moment? I need to tell you about a situation that came up and how I’d like to handle it if this meets with your approval….”

Even though you’re not showing up in person, how you approach your first day of online learning will set the tone for the semester and your class experience. Here’s what you need to know to put your best virtual foot forward from day one.

Complete Your Orientation Here’s your starting point. Your online orientation will cover all of the basic information you need to be ready for your first day. It will introduce Blackboard, the system your online learning will be based on. You’ll learn about the online bookstore, the library, how to find scholarly documents and more on setting yourself up for success. This should take roughly an hour to an hour and a half. Once you’ve completed orientation, you’ll be ready to log in.

Logging In It’s not just a matter of knowing your login, said Ann Shaul, admissions manager for Bryant & Stratton College Online. The online schedule can be a little confusing for first-time students. Because classes run 7.5 weeks, the full roster doesn’t show up that first day, she said.

“When they get into BSC Learn, they only see two of the four classes,” she said. “We get these calls of, ‘Where are my other classes?’ You won’t see them till the next session.”

Be sure you look at the main course page, said Brandy McDonough, associate dean of instruction at online. Your instructor will likely have an announcement posted. It’s a good place to start every time you log in because that’s where important information will be posted, she said. Two days before week one starts, you can get into the introductory folder, which will include documents like supplemental syllabus, tracking calendar, office hours, course materials, grading structure, late policy and other things you need to know about that specific class, she said.

“When students log in week one, that Wednesday, they’ll have access to lecture materials,” McDonough said. “It’s really important for a student to begin right there with that lecture content.”

Know the Lingo Be sure you know the difference between an address bar (where you type in a URL) and a search bar (where you enter search terms on Google, Yahoo, etc.). Know your computer’s operating system (Windows XP, Windows 8, Windows 7, etc.). If you run into trouble, that will be one of the first questions the help desk attendee will ask, Shaul said. You also need to know your browsers; Blackboard is only supported in Firefox, which you can download for free.

“Definitely terminology is very, very helpful,” Shaul said.

Budgeting Time Shaul suggests you plan to spend 12-15 hours per week on each class, and that you be prepared to start working on the first day.

“That’s super-important,” she said. “People just don\’t realize the amount of time it takes, especially for online classes.”

You may find you need more or less time depending on the subject and work flow, but 12-15 hours is a reasonable starting point, she said. Depending on your academic strengths, you may find far more or far less will get the job done, so take note of how quickly you work through that first week. McDonough suggests you plan to hit the books the first part of the week.

“Reading early in the week is very important to set students up for success,” she said. Once the reading is done, you’re in a better position to write and respond to posts, she said.

Be Ready to Work You’ll be expected to start your posts immediately, Shaul said. For most classes, the initial discussion will be some kind of icebreaker. She recommends students write and save a basic introduction that’s about 300 words and describes your background, your interests, your career goals and other basic info. There may be some minor differences in that initial question for different classes, but your mini-bio will come in handy for each session.

“Each instructor will have their own version, but by having that first blurb about yourself, it saves you so much time when you’re logging into classes,” she said.

Bryant & Stratton College has changed a lot throughout its 157 years of operation, but a few things have remained the same. We have always put student success and preparation for a career as our top priorities.

One of the ways we are helping to add value to your education as an online student is a process called Portfolio Development Seminars (PDS), which are modeled after Portfolio Development Days held for our campus students. This process includes four career preparatory seminars that all Bryant & Stratton College Online students will eventually take as they progress through their respective programs.

Three of the four seminars will be attached to three general education courses: SOSC102: Introduction to Sociology, PHIL250: Practices in Analytic Reasoning & Critical Thinking, and the Capstone course unique to each major. The fourth Portfolio Development Seminar stands alone in the form of the Career Management Seminar, which is meant to be taken before a student enrolls in their Capstone course.

The launching of Online’s Portfolio Development Seminars started about a year ago when the Career Management Seminar was introduced for the first time. The second installment will commence this fall with the first PDS attachment to SOSC102. The goal of these seminars is to help students prepare for their career by building portfolios in the Optimal Resume program, creating and updating a resume, learning job searching and interviewing skills, as well as many other subjects to increase your chances of landing your dream job and advancing beyond graduation!

Keep an eye out as Bryant & Stratton College continues to add programs and benefits to fulfill our goal of producing prepared and competent graduates ready to succeed in a competitive economy!

I’ve been teaching online since before my three-year-old was born. So when students share how difficult it is to complete assignments with young children at home, I understand! While everyone enjoys working from home, there are some disadvantages. I wanted to share some study strategies for college students to use amidst the distractions at home.

One disadvantage to attending class online and studying at home is that there is not always a set time to spend time on schoolwork. There is always something that seems more pressing like housework, or more enticing like the internet. I encourage all online students to log in on Sundays to look at the discussion topic and the assignments for the week. Writing down all of the tasks for the week (four days in discussion, reading, activities) can ensure you allow time for everything. If it helps, you can write specific assignments into your calendar. For example, “Monday, 10 p.m., write initial post for discussion and read textbook reading.” Writing deadlines on the family calendar will help your family remember your commitment. Setting boundaries that you can live with- such as staying off social media during your study time, or waiting to answer a text- can provide some accountability.

The most challenging distraction is, of course, children. While children naturally want your attention, there is a benefit to them seeing you study. Treat studying with the seriousness of going to a job, and you model healthy habits to even young children.  Explain why you are studying and what the benefits will be for completing your degree. For older children, connect your homework to the importance of theirs. Your study time can be time for them to play on their own, or, depending on their age, “lesson time” for them to color while you study and complete assignments.

There may also be times when it is necessary to arrange for childcare. I tell my daughter she will have more fun playing with friends than playing by herself while I am working. Paying for childcare (or swapping with friends, if possible) also helps me be the most productive.  It can be hard to invest in childcare, but, remember, your degree is the ticket to a new career. Devoting time to understanding the course content and producing your best work is an investment in your future. I’m also able to enjoy my time with daughter knowing the work I completed.

In the short term, it can be hard to plug in the headphones, turn off social media and open a textbook.   But the rest of the world will be waiting, and you will be proud of yourself for each well-completed assignment!

If you are interested in knowing more about online study at Bryant & Stratton College, check out our online degrees and contact the Admissions office at 1.888.273.2758 for information on how to get started.

Roger Maris, a famous baseball player, once said, “You win not by chance, but by preparation.”

The same is true for college; planning for success is a huge step in reaching your goals, and being successful in college. As an online instructor I am often asked, “How do I prepare for online classes?”  Online students don’t need to go brave the crowds for a new outfit to wear on the first day, yet, there are a few things online students should do to prepare for the start of class! Creating long-term and short-term goals is essential for success.

Linking your long-term goal of graduating and advancing your career with your short-term goals of being successful in each class will give you the opportunity to celebrate your accomplishments on a regular basis.

Establishing study times is another way to prepare for online classes. Many students are working full time, have families, and other personal responsibilities, so establishing a weekly schedule with consistent blocks of time each week for working on your online assignments is one strategy for success. Having an effective study area is another step in your online success program. This environment should be a quiet place where you can concentrate, as well as where you have access to the Internet. In your study environment you want to eliminate any online distractions, do not be logged into any chat or social media tools while working on your coursework. Concentrate on one assignment at a time.

Jumping back and forth between assignments will decrease your ability to comprehend the material and successfully complete your assignment. Familiarizing yourself with the course design is another strategy for online success. You will have access to your course syllabus and a tracking calendar. Take note of your instructor’s email address, when are assignments due, how your assignments needs to be submitted, course policies (late policies and attendance), what textbooks are required, and where to get technical support. Once you are familiar with your course you will be able to set that worry aside and be prepared to start your class and be successful. Familiarize yourself with your support services. You have access to an online library with a librarian available 24 hours a day, as well as tutoring. Understanding where you can find these support services will help relieve any stress you may feel when you come across a point where you need support. Having a technology contingency plan is another strategy for online success.

We have no control over what may happen that may stand in our way when we are trying to achieve our goals.  Unfortunately computers and Internet access will inevitably fail, and always when we can least afford it. Having a plan for this is essential. Identify alternative access to computers, whether this is a local library, or a friend or family member’s computer. Have your instructor’s contact information as well as the technology support services written down. Ensure you have a plan for backing up your work. Too often things can go wrong, computers can crash, work is not saved, and having a backup plan for your work will help to eliminate this type of distraction.

Taking college classes online gives you a great opportunity to reach your goals. Your journey to success in college will be filled with many challenges; however, creating a plan for success and being prepared for any situation will help you overcome these challenges, and help you reach your ultimate goal!

Plagiarism can seem like a scary word, and it can be difficult to understand everything that is considered plagiarism. Most students would never intentionally steal work from another student or the internet. However, plagiarism also includes:

While citation can seem involved and complicated, it’s important to remember the purpose of citation. Citing a source shows the reader what information is from an outside source.  When presenting an argument or proposal, you want to show the source that supports your argument. Introducing a source helps orient the reader. For example, let’s say you are creating a proposal to implement a specific kind of software. Your in-text citation might look like this:

According to the Journal of Medical Software, “Software X decreases errors and increases efficiency by 73% through streamlining all patient information” (Hernandez, 2013, p.4).

The reader gains helpful information from this introduction. The name of the publication is listed, which saves the reader from having to scroll to the reference page. Also, the year is part of the in-text citation, which shows the currency of the information. For direct quotes, the page or paragraph number is required.

With the above source, let’s look at examples of plagiarism:

I propose that our office implement Software X to stay competitive in today’s market. Software X decreases errors and increases efficiency by 73% through streamlining all patient information.

The lack of citation leaves the reader with questions. Where is the statistic from? Did the writer conduct his or her own research? If the source is listed on the reference page but not in the text, the reader does not know what, if any, information is from the source listed. Even if the source is listed on the reference page, failure to use in-text citation still constitutes plagiarism. A source must also be listed on the reference page to avoid plagiarism. End citation is critical as it allows the reader to go directly to the source.

Avoiding plagiarism not only preserves your academic integrity, but strengthens your role as a professional. Even if APA is not used in your field, having an understanding of how to integrate a source and provide credit allows the reader to differentiate between the ideas of the writer and an outside source. Strong and accurately cited support can make the difference between a proposal being accepted or ignored!

On this Veterans Day, I can’t help but think of the family members like you that support modern day heroes, and all the sacrifices you endure.  To honor all military spouses, Bryant & Stratton College is recognizing the spouses of those that serve by increasing the Salute to Spouses Scholarship Program to now include National Guard and Reserve spouses.  The hardships they bear when their husband/wife deploys from their home community is just as difficult as the hardship experienced by spouses of active duty service members.

At Bryant & Stratton College we appreciate those sacrifices, and want to give back to those who give.  We are proud to extend the scholarship to all spouses and hope that it will make a college education possible for more of you since the scholarship is for online programs, which can be completed from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. I would also like to take a moment and thank all of our military spouse students for the great work they have done over the past year.  I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to teach several courses, and have had many spouses in my classes.  They have been some of my best students because of the experiences, perspective, and effort that they put into their coursework.  I hope that the expansion of the program to now include National Guard and Reserve spouses will increase the number of great students that we have at Bryant & Stratton College Online.

As a final thought, in celebration of Veterans Day today, and everyday, we offer the sincerest thanks to all who serve and their families. Thank you for all you do to make this nation and the world a safer place.

Time flies when you’re having fun. It also flies when you’re balancing work, school and promotions as Brian Germann found out during his time at Bryant & Stratton College Online.

Germann has been working at DuPont’s Tonawanda, NY plant for over 20 years and took his first step towards advancing his career by pursuing an associate’s degree in IT-Networking. He completed that degree at Bryant & Stratton’s Southtowns campus in 2006 and almost immediately began to see the fruits of his labor.

It took less than two years for Germann to be promoted and even after seeing his first degree pay off his supervisors were recommending that he earn another degree. They recommended he consider a path in the business field, this time. Taking the time to carefully research the school he would choose for his bachelor’s degree, Germann considered a number of private schools in the Buffalo area before deciding that online education was the path he wished to follow.

“I liked the flexibility of being able to do my schoolwork on my own time,” Germann said.

After choosing to return to his alma mater as an online student, Germann received yet another promotion as he was working through his bachelor’s degree in General Management with a specialization in Project Management. He received his third promotion just last year and he officially graduated with his bachelor’s degree in April of 2014.

“I knew going back to school and getting a degree would open doors for me. And it did,” Germann said. “I was promoted immediately.”

With over 20 years of work experience already under his belt along with the strength of one Bryant & Stratton College degree on his resume, Germann was the elder statesman, of sorts, in his classes. In addition to receiving a great deal of feedback from his peers in many classes, Germann was also asked to write letters of recommendation for a few classmates. Noting his appreciation to his classmates, Germann also pointed out that the online setting allowed for so many connections that may have otherwise been overlooked in other settings.

“You don’t know [the other students] personally,” he said. “But if you’re a shy person it may actually be better for you.”

Coupled with the schedule that appealed to his work schedule, Germann remains quick to recommend Bryant & Stratton College to friends and acquaintances alike. He referred a co-worker to an online program recently as he is vocal about the success he experienced as a student here.

“I had gotten as far as I could without a degree,” Germann said. “I wasn’t looking to go to another company. I would highly recommend online education.”

Germann credits perseverance and time management for making him such a successful student in an online setting. He added that staying disciplined and managing your time is the best way to succeed. Due to his track record and strong educational background, Germann has made himself an invaluable part of the organizational structure at DuPont. He has the skills and education to continue growing and it’s likely just a matter of time until he is sharing news of another impressive promotion.

As job-search efforts ramp up across a battered economy, job-hunters need every effective tool that can find. LinkedIn is one of the most robust tools available, with a wealth of tools, resources, and processes to help connect you with the right job. Best of all? It’s free, and really easy to use!

During the presentation, acclaimed career coach Kim Dority shared her unique perspectives on just how to utilize LinkedIn for your professional needs.

Kim also covered how to :

Build Your Career Opportunities on LinkedIn, by Kim Dority, https://www.bryantstratton.edu/career-life-prep

How to Find a Job on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Other Social Networks, by Brad and Debra Schepp

From an AAS in Business to a BBA in Business Management, there are several different types of business degrees that provide the education, skills, and training you need to be successful in the world of business, or to start your own company.

Obtaining a business degree from Bryant & Stratton College will open the doors to professional opportunities, career advancement, and will help you maximize your lifetime earning potential. In general, there are two types of business degrees: Associates and Bachelors. Here are examples of the types of careers our students pursue after receiving a degree from Bryant & Stratton\’s business program. All median salary information and projected job growth through 2020 is provided by O*Net Online.

Human Resources Specialist This career is ideal for those who enjoy working with people, and are good at assessing where an employee best fits into the company\’s vision. Some human resources specialists work in-house, managing employee files, tracking employee evaluations and reviews, and overseeing wage and benefits information. They may also be called upon to resolve employee disputes. Others serve as recruiters, attending career fairs and using online employment sites to find employees who are qualified to fill available positions. The projected job growth for HR specialists is higher than average and median salaries are $55,800.

First-Line Supervisors There are a variety of roles for individuals interested in first line management positions. You can work in the food and beverage sector, retail, or production and manufacturing. In every case, the first-line supervisors take an active role in hiring and managing employees, scheduling, and making sure goods and services are produced according to current health safety standards. They also serve as the liaison between employees and upper management. In both the food service and retain sectors, first-line supervisors also work to ensure clients and customers have a satisfying experience. The median salaries vary according to industry.

Customer Service Representatives As a customer service representative, it is your job to maintain customer satisfaction with your company\’s products and services. In many cases, this job is performed via the phone and the internet, working with customers and conveying their comments and queries to managers, so the company can continually tailor products and services to meet the customers\’ needs. In addition to educating the customers, customer service representatives also resolve complaints. The median salary is $30,580.

Office Clerks Office clerks perform a wide range of duties, depending on the type of business in which they are employed, including answering phones and email queries, administering correspondence, and ordering and keeping inventory of the office supplies. They may also be responsible for note-taking and transcription, as well as word processing. The median salary is $27,470.

First-Line Supervisors of Office Workers In this position, employees wear a multitude of hats, from manager to customer service representative. In addition to working with HR to hire and train employees, you also work to facilitate employee relations, help the office to run efficiently, and may work directly with the public to increase customer satisfaction. Median salaries are $49,330.

General Operations Managers This position is also referred to as General Manager or Superintendent and encompasses a wide range of duties and responsibilities in both the public and private sectors. They are responsible for creating, implementing, and revising policies to ensure their company runs efficiently. They are in charge of creating budgets, purchasing, and are ultimately responsible for the company\’s bottom line. The median salary is $95,440. Contact the Admissions Office at Bryant & Stratton College to learn more about the different types of business degrees we offer.

Before you start applying for jobs, it helps to know as much as possible about the types of jobs that will best fit your skills, and to get the broadest-possible frame for how many ways you might develop your career. Happily, LinkedIn has been developing a terrific tool to help you do just that and do a LinkedIn job search at the same time.

It’s called the “Skills & Expertise” section, and you can find it by clicking on the “More” tab at the far right end of the LinkedIn tabs shown across the top of the page. This will bring up a selection of options; you want to click on the one that says “Skills.”

This will bring up a page with a Search box where you can enter the career title or skill or keyword you’re interested in, and then all sorts of cool stuff will be presented for you to explore. For example, you’ll see information about:

Career description. In the center top of the page, there’s a description of that role, and the primary industry of which it’s a part (keep in mind, however, that these career profiles/descriptions are taken from Wikipedia, so some of them are right on target while others, shall we say, miss the mark?). In the description box, there’s also a small arrow pointing up or down with a number; this indicates the amount of growth (or contraction) going on in that career.

Related skills. To the left of the description is a list of “Related Skills” that like the career description, are a bit diverse in how on-target they are (for example, a search on libraries brings up baths, closets, and model homes as related skills in addition to other very relevant terms). Essentially, this section generally pulls up other careers that use skills similar to the ones in your search term, so you can see a potentially broader universe of opportunities for your skills.

LinkedIn members whose jobs include your search term. Doing a search on the term nursing, for example, brings up a list of “Nursing Professionals” on LinkedIn, so you can check out their profiles, where they work, what their career track has looked like, and what keywords they use to describe themselves and their work (to help you determine what keywords you want to use in your profile and search on for additional career info). You’ll also be able to see if anyone you know or are connected to through LinkedIn shows up in this list (LinkedIn will point them out for you).

The relative growth of this career path. Located at the top of the search-results page is a box that provides information about what aspects of the profession are growing or contracting. In the results for nursing, for example, two areas of better-than-average growth are midwifery and nurse practitioners.

Major employers in this field. Under a section title “Related Companies” (right-hand side of the search-results page), you’ll find a list of the major employers in your area of interest. Click on their name, and you’ll be taken to their company page, where you can explore more about them, their career opportunities, and job openings.

LinkedIn groups related to this career path. Most major professional associations now have LinkedIn groups where people can exchange information, talk about trends and issues, and connect with others in their field. Under “Nursing Groups” (lower left side of the page) you’ll find four groups: American Organization of Nurse Executives (3,837 members), Nursing Network (7,449 members), The R.N. Network (6,337 members), and the American Nurses Association (4,515 members). This section tells you a bit about the LinkedIn group then provides a “Join” button so you can join the group. Why join groups like these? To learn more about what people in this career do, where they work, what their concerns are, and reach out to them to start building your professional network.

Job listings. You may not be ready to apply for jobs yet, but there’s still great value in reading about various job descriptions in your potential career path. You have a chance to see what skills are expected, what aspects of the work are likely to appeal to you (or not), what employers look like they offer the best/most interesting opportunities, and what keywords seem to be used most commonly, so you can be sure you have these in your LinkedIn profile.

If you’re just starting your career, the LinkedIn “Skills & Expertise” section provides a great place from which to launch your career-exploration efforts, both in what potential job opportunities might look like, and who might be able to help you go after some of those opportunities when you’re ready to do so. If you’re already well into your career, this section can help you decide how to keep growing in your existing area, or learn more in preparation for a career change.

For more information about Bryant & Stratton\’s Career help for students click here: https://www.bryantstratton.edu/career-life-prep

There are a lot of factors to consider when pursuing a career as a paralegal.  In this role you will be the right-hand assistant to lawyers and other legal professionals.

The job requires certain skills and personality traits, paired with the right training and credentials. Ann Atkinson, advanced certified paralegal and president of the National Association for Legal Assistants (NALA), offered the following advice to aspiring paralegal professionals.

Hone Your Administrative Skills Depending on the area of law in which you are employed (eg. litigation law, family law, etc.), your duties as a paralegal may vary. However, Atkinson said the position generally requires strong writing and administrative skills.

“Being organized is key,” she added.

You will likely be responsible for drafting cover letters, legal documents, and other important writing projects. You also will be responsible for working with clients, and in many cases, you may be the first person a client interacts with when they contact the firm. Accordingly, being personable is a must.

Get Your Associates Degree There are no education requirements for paralegals, but that doesn’t mean training and certifications are unnecessary. According to Atkinson, every business has its own set of standards for employees, and having higher credentials may set you apart from other candidates when applying for a job. If you are already employed, consider asking about tuition reimbursement programs for a traditional program or online school. Earning an associate\’s degree in paralegal studies can help to set you apart from other job seekers down the road.

Earn Additional Credentials Paralegal professionals can also earn their certified paralegal credential (CPL) through national organizations, like NALA. Individuals earn their certification by successfully completing the exam offered by the association. In addition to the basic certification exam, NALA also offers an advanced paralegal certification (APC), which allows paralegals to specialize in a particular area of law. While statistics from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics suggest that employment for paralegals and legal assistants is expected to grow, Atkinson said the job market is still very competitive. Getting certified through a national organization (in addition to earning an associate’s degree, paralegal studies) is critical in boosting your chances of getting hired.

Join an Association When you earn your certification through NALA, you are granted a one-year membership to the organization. Being an active member of a paralegal organization allows you to participate in leadership training and continuing education seminars, as well as networking events where you can build important connections with others in the field. These opportunities for professional development will play a large role in your budding career.

Be Flexible in Your Job Search Your search for a position as a paralegal should not be limited to law firms. There are plenty of companies that employ paralegals as part of their internal legal departments. Insurance companies, banks and real estate agencies are just a few examples. Be broad in your search for employment.