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| *Ostroff, Fair and Company>>>Law & Legal |
I am starting to interview for legal assistant positions. Will my background be a huge problem? |
I'm wondering how to deal with (on my resume and in person) some issues. I'm in my early 30s and was divorced five years ago. The divorce and some health issues caused me to go bankrupt a couple years after that. I also dropped out of grad school (I had an A average, but I hated the school and honestly was just too immature at the time to deal with marriage and living 700 miles from my family). Will an attorney know I'm bankrupt? Does it make me look really bad? I was always a good student and worker, but the divorce and illness messed up my life for awhile. I went back to school to try to get my finances in a better position. I am a lawyer. Many law firms DO NOT run credit checks on their prospective employees--the really large ones and corporations, sure but not many small to midsize ones. If asked, tell them that was then and you've fixed the problems and it's over. You've grown/matured and it has no bearing on your skills as a legal assistant now. You should NOT include that on your resume--again, no bearing on your abilities as a legal assistant. If asked about dropping out of grad school just tell them simply, it wasn't a good time for you then--and the same as above--it has no bearing your skills as a legal assistant. Really, you shouldn't bother putting it on your resume since you didn't get a degree. I don't think it's unethical to not include that. Anyway, don't go into details--about grad school or your marriage. Don't lie either. They shouldn't be asking about the whole divorce thing anyway--it's potentially discriminatory practice. Anyway, just highlight your skills and what you can do. Don't wrry about the rest. edit: Sure govt positions and some securities firms might check your credit rating, but honestly, if they don't bring it up, there's no reason for you to do so. As an attorney, I just care if you're reliable, good worker, etc. That's what you want to show--you as the stronger person you are now not what all you went through to get here. That's not anyone's business during an interview and unless you're working for a firm or corporation that does significant work with the SEC, NASD, OCC or the like it's not relevant. I practice in those areas, and I have occasionally done bankruptcy--even those bankruptcy attorneys probably don't care. So many good people just get into a bad situation--it's understandable. And if by chance your interviewer knows there's a bankruptcy on your record and makes a big deal about it--good, now you know you wouldn't have liked working in that kind of environment anyway. Good luck and happy job hunting. Well, that sounds reasonable, as long as you don't have any felonies I don't see why any one would care. I am in my early 20s and trying to get into law school. . . . I do not believe that a bankruptcy will have a negative impact on employment interviews for that type of position. Do not indicate this on your resume. Only address it if you are asked. A background check more directed to a criminal check, higher security type positions do pull credit but if your credit is up to date then that is not much of a concern there either. If you are asked about why you left school, keep it short, don not use the word "immature" most people have had at least one bad marriage, enough said. Good luck! Credit analyst Depends on the type of law. My wife is a paralegal and she went through a massive background check because in her line of work, money is an extremely important aspect (also it is a government job so they don't want people susceptible to bribes). Anyway, my advice is also be open, honest, and upfront. If you believe financial issues may be a problem, clarify with them before they discover it. I am not suggesting that you tell them your whole life story, but you could ask if some financial troubles in your past may cause a problem for this position (I did that for a position and they had no problems with me asking). If anyone tells you they don't run a credit check, they're full of baloney. I've been without a steady, full-time job for over three years because of credit problems. After I lost my job in '04, I had to max out my credit cards to make it until I got a gas station job part time for a year. Now my credit is horrible and I couldn't find a job working for a lawyer, insurance company, bank, consulting firm... anywhere, basically, that would hire an administrative assistant, which is what I went to school for. An attorney will probably do a credit check. If you're that worried about it, ask. If they invite you to explain, do so briefly and clearly (I had marriage and health problems, which were taken care of X years ago). Bankruptcy disappears from credit records after 10 years, and late payments and settlements 7 years after they occured. By law, they cannot discriminate against you because of health problems; in fact, must make reasonable accomodations for you to perform a job if you are handicapped. Hope I helped, and good luck! My cousin works for a bankruptcy lawyer in Detroit |
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