Every administrative professional needs a procedures manual.

Procedures are documented processes that explain exactly how to complete a task. They help you provide consistent customer service, make it easier for you to delegate tasks, and showcase the value you bring to your organisation.

When I talk about procedures, most people think of a physical binder sitting on a desk or bookshelf. And you should absolutely have one of those. It’s easy to grab your binder, look up a procedure or refer to a checklist, and get on with your day.

But from a disaster preparedness standpoint, only having a physical binder is risky. What happens if there’s a fire? Or a pipe bursts and floods your office? Or you have to work from home?

There are many employees who are fooled by their job titles. An estimated 200,000 plus paralegals work in a variety of fields and for diverse employers, who are unaware that they are paralegals and can apply for membership of a professional body, giving them status.

Identifying a paralegal

This is simple: does the work they do involve any sort of legality? For example, are they involved in drafting or reviewing commercial contracts or employment contracts? Do they do any legal research to assist someone in their department? Are they involved in compliance or regulation ensuring that statutory criteria are adhered to? Are they involved in reviewing documents in relation to childcare proceedings?

Zoom interviews are becoming more commonplace in today's digital age. Conducting video interviews has numerous advantages:

Since the employee does not have to travel, video interviews save time and money.

The New Year is a common time for people to decide to make positive changes in their lives and set new goals. We often start a new year thinking about what we want to achieve and how best to make those achievements a reality.

Setting goals is essential for both our personal growth and our career progression. It doesn’t matter how big or small your goal is, it has the capability of improving your life in some way. Have a think about what you would like to achieve this year. You may want to complete a course and secure your dream job or maybe you would like to improve your relationships with your colleagues at work. Whatever your goals, you need to be clear about them, how they will benefit you and what you need to do to achieve them.

It is not unexpected that many people find it difficult to request higher pay. Especially once their job hunt is over and they have an offer. They do not want to risk the opportunity now that they've made it this far.

However, as the UK HR experts point out, hiring in many sectors has surpassed or even reached pre-pandemic levels. On top of that, there is a shortage of skilled professionals, increasing competition for top talent and driving up salaries.

If you do not negotiate a salary offer while having specialised skills and a strong CV, you may lose a huge amount of well-deserved money.

Most recruiting managers will give you time to consider the offer and will not demand a response right away. Here are some pay negotiation techniques to help you politely and confidently request what you want.

You’ve probably heard it before: your self-esteem impacts every part of your life. The truth is, if you want to be successful at work, you need to feel confident in yourself and the value that you bring. Building self-esteem isn’t easy, but it is possible!

Ask for feedback

One of the best ways to build your self-esteem at work is to ask for feedback. Whether it’s from your boss or colleagues, asking for constructive criticism will help you improve yourself and grow as an individual.

Here are some tips on how to do this:

In last month’s publication of our journal, there was an article on the “Top Three Legal Myths’, which included the myth regarding cohabitation, i.e. of there being no such thing as a ‘common law wife’, or a ‘common law husband’, or indeed a ‘common law marriage’, that is to say a couple who are living together, with or without their children, and are not married or under a civil partnership. As was shown, the conception of such a thing is, in fact, a misconception – and it can be a serious one at that. If that relationship breaks down, such couples have extremely few rights when it comes to aspects such as finances, property and most seriously of all, the children of their relationship,

Here is a selection of vacancies from our Legal Secretary Jobs Board this month:

Legal Secretary – LF Legal Limited  
Location: Central London
Salary: £20,000-£30,000

An opportunity has arisen for a Legal Secretary (remote) to join a small legal practice specialising in different areas of law, including areas such as company commercial, immigration, litigation and dispute resolution, family law, white collar crime and litigation, but not necessarily limited to them.

For this role, the candidate must have had experience working within a law firm as a Legal Secretary for at least five years. This is an ever-evolving role, and the nature of duties will develop and alter with the progression of time and the gaining of experience.

Our Legal Secretaries Diploma Course is suitable for a wide variety of individuals, whatever their experience, whatever their schedule and wherever they live in the world.

We were pleased to be able to communicate with Shama Ali, who recently completed our Legal Secretaries Diploma course from Dubai. An experienced Legal Secretary, Shama took a five-year career break to have two children, returning to the legal sector during the pandemic. We asked her what led her to take a qualification at this stage in her career, as well as how she found studying overseas with a busy family.   

What were you doing before you joined ILSPA?

Last month saw the gathering of PAs, EAs and Office Managers, from across the UK, to celebrate the annual SecsintheCity PA of the Year Awards, sponsored by Tay Associates.

Boasting the splendour of the Ivy in London, the event saw hopeful nominees, friends, and supportive colleagues gather to celebrate the achievement of all those involved.

Having received an outstanding 700 nominations, the judges whittled down the nominees to just 19.