First of all, I begin all my answers with I am currently a paralegal in the State of Texas. I possess an Associates Degree in Paralegal Studies. I am a member of the State Bar of Texas Paralegal Division as well as a member of my local bar association paralegal division. I hold a committee position in my local bar association. The reason I preface with this is because there are a handful of the same users that LOVE to answer paralegal questions but they are a) NOT a paralegal; b) was a paralegal decades ago and have no clue what the field is like now; or c) know a paralegal, once dated a paralegal, is married to an attorney but are still NOT employed paralegals. With that said, my answer is from my experience as a very active paralegal in Texas and this may or may not hold true for the area of the country you live in. With that disclaimer out of the way, first let me say that I love being paralegal and yes. I would absolutely choose it again. Do I find the job rewarding? Absolutely.

The caveats: Do NOT be suckered into "certificate" programs or "paralegal institutes." This is a profession, not a job. Many people ask this question, and most of the time, they have been misinformed on what a paralegal is, what a paralegal does, and what it takes to make it rewarding. You MUST possess an education. In this economy, and with the progression of this profession, you need an education. At the minimum, you need an Associate's Degree. Attend an ABA approved program so you know you are receiving a quality education. There are a lot of scam programs out there that throw out false credentials and in the end, all you have is a worthless piece of paper. Attend a community college type program, not online. Otherwise, you will be one of the thousands on here that complain they can't find a job.

Opportunities for growth - Unfortunately, there really is no upward movement in this profession. At the most, if you work for a large firm, you may be able to be a "paralegal manager". There are always bigger and better firms with better benefits, etc. However, again. That is just lateral movement. If you are inquiring about professional growth, there are TONS of opportunities for that. As I mentioned, there are always paralegals divisions. You attend monthly meetings and get to network with all the local paralegals and really build a bond. It's nice to put a face to the people you call/email/fax everyday. I am responsible for continuing education. I have to take ethics classes. I attend seminars. In fact, this October, I am attending the Texas Advanced Paralegal Seminar. It is a three day seminar where they have speakers on every area of law under the sun. You have to work to make your job rewarding. So many people and peers of mine want it to fall into their laps. You have to find a firm that will support your professional advancement. My firm pays all my membership fees and continuing legal education. If you want it to be rewarding, you HAVE to get involved. Join your associations and hold yourself to a higher standard. I have yet to meet a paralegal that stayed involved that hated his/her job. The unhappy people are the ones expecting happiness to be handed to them on a silver platter. Keep your expectations realistic. There are certifications you can test for after you've received your paralegal education and gained experience. You can test to become a Registered Paralegal through NFPA (National Federation of Paralegal Associations), or a Certified Paralegal/Legal Assistant through NALA (National Association of Legal Assistants). I suggest you browse those two sites for more information on paralegals in general.

Being able to leave work at work - I work for a construction litigation firm. I leave work at work 100% of the time. The nature of this area of law is very easy to walk out the door and leave work there. Nothing happens overnight in my area of the law. However, this is not the same for all areas of law, so you have to carefully consider your personality, and the nature of that area of law. Most family law paralegals I know can't walk out the door and not bring emotional situations home with them. They deal with stressful divorces, abusive husbands, abusive wives, child abuse, etc. This job requires a great deal of confidentiality, so you can't just go home to your husband and vent about a client's personal issues. Depending on the area of law you work in, YOU have be disciplined enough to leave work at work. Could you go home knowing you're doing everything in your power to free a criminal that you're pretty sure was guilty on a technicality? Criminal law paralegals have to ask themselves that everyday. You work for the law. You help the attorney apply the law. Sometimes, it puts you in moral and ethical dilemmas. You have to be prepared for that.

If you own a degree - or any extra qualification - then you'll already be in advace of of the crowd when it comes to searching for jobs. My friend has a degree and he wasn't certain what direction to go with it, but he found some excellent tips and tricks on the site in the resource box below which guided him to decide that he wanted to be a lab assistant. There is plenty of help on the site regarding extra jobs.