求職英語. 律師助理

14. 律師助理

conversation 會話
（a=applicant i=interviewer）

i: let抯 begin by having you tell me about yourself and your background.
a: i have been working as a paralegal for the last 10 months through an agency that specializes in the legal field. my experience has been supporting attorneys in the field of labor law, where i have been able to apply my paralegal education. i was commended on my ability to take information and break it down into usable facts. i really love research and analyzing facts. my major in college was english, and as a result, my writing skills are my major strength. i am looking for a position where my research and writing skills can be used.
i: what do you think are the key qualities needed to succeed in the paralegal profession?
a: flexibility would certainly rank high in this type of job. in my last position, i supported four lawyers, and it was not unusual for them all to give me high-priority items to do in the same day or week. there were days when i had to stop and prioritize my work just to get a handle on everything. i would discuss the urgency of their work with each of them so i didn抰 drop the ball. at the same time, i made sure each of them felt like his or her project was important on my agenda. i think communication is probably the next key quality. it really worked well when i talked with each of them, explained my situation, and got their input.
i: can you give me an example of a time when you had to work above and beyond your job description?
a: there was a very important project that had to be researched and completed by the end of the week. even though i worked extra hours every night for almost two weeks, my boss and i stayed until 2 a.m. for two nights before the final wrap up. it was very rewarding to have put so much effort into a project and see the really great results. my boss gave me a bonus for my extra effort.
i: tell me about a time when you had to research a case and encountered some obstacles you had to overcome.
a: i remember a case that was filled with obstacles. the first thing i did was research through documents and past cases that had similar circumstances. i assembled the facts and then tried to put them together and analyze the next step. i was able to get some input from another lawyer i happened to see at lunch. through some hard work and fact digging, i was able to find a way to overcome most of the obstacles. i took my findings to my boss and made some recommendations, which she and i discussed and eventually resolved. my boss was impressed with the work i had done.
i: what are your strengths and weaknesses?
a: my strengths are my caring about getting the job done. i am very results-driven and have been able to meet all my deadlines in past jobs. as far as weaknesses, i really enjoy my work, and sometimes i put in too much time. but i am aware of my tendency to overwork and have learned to pace myself more.
i: tell me about a time when you had a confrontation with a coworker or boss.
a: i did have an issue with someone who was getting on my nerves. i asked her if i could talk with her one day, and we had a good discussion. it turned out she was not aware of the impact of her actions and that she really needed an explanation of the procedure. i took the time to explain the procedures, and there haven抰 been any problems since that day.
i: when do you find a job satisfying?
a: my biggest satisfaction is when i experience growth in a job. when i first started as a paralegal, i had a lot to learn. but through hard work, advice from some good mentors and continuing education, i have come a long way. i抳e learned to be flexible when possible and to deal with difficult people in a positive manner.
i: how would your coworkers describe you?
a: first, they抎 say i have a lot of energy and enthusiasm. i really enjoy working with people. secondly, they抎 say i had great customer service skills. i put the customer first. and thirdly, they抎 say that i know the law. i put a lot of effort into my education as a paralegal and take it seriously.
i: do you have any questions?
a: yes, i do. on a scale of one to 10, what would you say morale was in this company?
i: 講講你自己和你的背景，我們開始面試吧。
a: 過去的十個月，我一直在一家法律專業代理處做律師專職助理。我的工作就是在勞動法領域為法律事務代理人提供幫助，這樣我就可以應用所學到的律師助理方面的知識于工作中。我具有獲取信息并能把它們轉變成可用事實的能力，這一點受到了人們的稱贊，而且我喜歡調查和分析事實。我大學時的專業是英語，所以寫作技能是我的專業特長。我希望找一份能發揮我調查和寫作技能的工作。
i: 你認為作為一名律師助理，取得成功的關鍵品質是什么？
a: 在這類工作中，靈活性當然排第一位。我的前一份工作就是幫助四位律師，他們經常會在同一天或者同一個星期各自給我同樣重要的工作去做。有時候，我必須把我的工作分出優先級，以便把每一份工作都做好。我會和他們每一個人商量一下工作的緊要程度，這樣我就不會誤事。同時我使他們每個人都確信在我的日程當中他（她）的工作是重要的。我認為第二重要的品質就是溝通能力。每次我和他們討論問題時，這一點都很有幫助。我把我的處境說給他們聽，聽取他們的意見。
i: 你能給我舉一個你必須加班而且超出你的工作范圍的例子嗎？
a: 曾經有一個非常重要的項目必須在周末之前調查清楚并完成。盡管我每晚加班都快兩周了，有兩個晚上我和老板還是工作到凌晨兩點，直到完成。在一個項目上付出很大努力并能得到這么好的結果，是很值得的。對我的額外工作，老板嘉獎了我。
i: 講講你某一次為了調查一個案例，遇到了許多困難，但你必須克服這些困難的經歷。
a: 我記得有一個案例遇到了很多障礙。我首先要做的就是調查清楚所有文檔以及過去類似情形的案例，我將所有證據都收集起來，放在一起，等著