Paralegal Blog

FAB is an acronym for Features, Advantages, and Benefits. FAB is a common 3-Step strategy employed in sales and marketing to generate interest in products. However, the technique can also be utilized during an interview to SELL yourself and fit any expertise acquired through experience, education, and training to specific job requirements. Consider the following when organizing your FAB responses:

Feature – What key factors, attributes, and skills do you have as required by the position?
Advantage – What strengths do your accomplishments, abilities, or past performance indicate relative to the competition?
Benefit – What is the result or value an employer can anticipate from hiring you?

A paralegal job description will typically require the ability to prepare legal documents and correspondence as well as the ability to organize and maintain files. The examples below illustrate how you can use the FAB method to focus your responses, so they are more impactful.

Example 1
Feature: You earned a Paralegal Credential
Advantage: You understand the legal process and terminology better than someone without a credential
Benefit: You are qualified through education and training to perform substantive legal work that requires knowledge of legal concepts, and as a result, can complete the work more quickly and effectively.

If you are active on social media, be aware that what you give to the web and sharing platforms can be linked to your professional profile. Information you post publicly on any account leaves a digital footprint that is fair game for all to see, whether you are a prospective employee or a current one. A first and lasting impression can be reached well before a virtual or in-person meeting is ever scheduled.

Many hiring managers and recruiters review social media sites and public forums, including candidate posts and comments in internet communities. They may make assessments based on the information made openly available. This includes your online username and content found in your profiles and conversations. Employers are legally prohibited from asking about gender identification, race, ethnicity, disabilities, sexual orientation, political views, and religious affiliation – but they don’t need to if a profile is made public.

A strong correlation exists between the perceived quality of an applicant and the email address used. Think of your email address as an online business card. It is a vital piece of personal information and a primary means of contact. An email address is often seen as a reflection of professional identity, so it is worthwhile to consider how it will be regarded by others. Using a non-traditional address as your first touchpoint for employer interaction could directly impact your credibility.

When two people are equal in terms of background, experience, skills, and education, other fine points will be scrutinized – and that snazzy email name could be the deal-breaker! Bottom line: a person using 2hot4words@email.com may not be taken seriously or get the job. In my role as Director of Career Services, I have seen some cringeworthy name creations. I am baffled every time. A keen job seeker is best represented by an email address that is not overly “creative.”

While an email name is only a small part of the totality of your credentials and candidacy, it has great potential to impact your chances of getting hired if it is poorly conceived. There is a continuum from unprofessional to just not well done. Many job seekers overlook this important detail. They may lose first impression power simply by failing to integrate a respectful level of professionalism in their email name.

Do you want greater visibility as a job candidate? Then take full advantage of the range of resources being offered by your college career center. Doing so can extend your learning experience well beyond the classroom. A one-time interaction to spruce up a resume or prepare a cover letter will not give most students everything they need. Many can benefit from additional preparation in navigating from campus to career, whether they are seeking their first professional position or rejoining the workforce after earning a degree.

Conducting a job search without professional guidance can be both intimidating and stressful. Students and graduates who establish a relationship with career service offices have deeper and more meaningful conversations about their professional goals and how to achieve them. These conversations are core to the full student experience and equally important to graduate success and career readiness as the curriculum. Comprehensive services offered by these offices can enable students to plan and navigate their career path, make self-assessments, identify sought-after attributes, and take inventory of their relevant skillset and background experience.

A good instructor will evaluate your school performance in much the same way that a supervisor will assess your execution of work responsibilities. You will receive feedback on your knowledge, recall, competence, quality of product, completeness, communication skills, time management, punctuality, and more.

Sometimes that feedback can make you feel threatened and insecure.

Before shifting the blame for any shortcomings to your instructor, remember that getting better at anything requires feedback and follow-up. Accepting feedback, even if it is not candy-coated, is an opportunity to improve, grow your competencies, and advance your career. Faculty move into higher education because they genuinely like to teach. They care about their profession and want to make a difference – connecting with students is a big part of that. Keep the following points in mind the next time you receive instructor feedback: