I'm a mid-fifties old shorthand/medical secretary; any chance of switching to legal?
Asked by mvgclarke
Enthusiastic, hardworking, completed ILEX and paralegal courses and planning to work till at least 100, will I be inundated with work offers or simply new bedroom slippers and packs of laxatives? Help!

Best Answer:
You probably want to try the worker's compensation field. The things you have in your favor is that you CAN take shorthand (very few people really can these days and it is being considered a lost art) and with that shorthand you will get invited to take minutes in the meetings - many meetings are taped but it is hard to tell who said what. The other thing in your favor is the medical terminology, which is what a lot of the legal secretaries/paralegals struggle when starting out in worker's comp. (Push both of these in your cover letter.) Worker's Comp is a prolific industry. Lots of people filing and so lots of work available. As long as you can also type from a dictaphone, I don't see that there would be any issue about them wanting to hire you. You don't need to state your age on your application. But really highlight that shorthand ability. It will be even better if you are working with older attorneys who don't like dictaphones or ones who mumble, because they like to have a secretary they can dictate to - instead of one who gives them a page back with several blanks on it. Good Luck!! I think if you are serious about wanting a job in this field that you would be a great asset to any of them.
Used to be there, Used to do that.
Answered by Real Estate Dawn

Maybe you can check with lawyers that specialize in medical cases.
Answered by tumbleweed1954

Legal would offer fewer opportunities, a rather different environment and the strong likelihood that you would only get the poorest positions that may turn out to be short term. The suggestion that you work for a law firm that specialises in medical cases sounds promising at first but consider the following:- Such a firm would have pharmaceutical and medical terms in their spell-check dictionaries so the benefit of your specialist would be limited to recognising howlers in reports that a layman may not see. Stay where you are, too late to be a small fish in a big pond.
Answered by Clive

Your shorthand will not have that much direct impact on your interactions or required skills as far as working with the lawyers. These days, lawyers do most of their own typing on computers. But your shorthand skills will be useful for quickly and accurately taking down instructions and information. Your medical background will be a boon to you in firms that specialize in the following areas of law: insurance, insurance defense, workers comp, medical malpractice. Your medical background will also be useful if you decide to transfer from a doctor's office to the legal department of a hospital, an insurance company, a pharmaceuticals company, legal department for a fitness company, and many other businesses that deal with various issues that affect the body. Your age is going to be a factor anywhere you go. I won't paint a rosy picture where there is none. You will not be "inundated" with job offers. However, there are a few ways to overcome that. Pointing out in your cover letter as well as during your interview that you have or are taking classes shows your enthusiasm to get involved in new concepts and that you're motivated in many ways. Having an upbeat and professional attitude is another factor that will help you stand out in a positive way. Being able to talk about how you've applied or used your course studies skills in real world applications will also give you an advantage because it will not be theory but actual application that you bring to the table. There are some other strategies for making yourself shine because of your maturity. But you've probably already got a lot of those down pat. Incidentally, play up those paralegal courses and especially ILEX. Also play up your strengths in organizing and summarizing documents, your being adept at talking with people in order to get the facts while keeping them on your side. Litigation is moving into hi-tech and any blossoming knowledge you have of case management via computer programs is definitely in your favor.
Answered by Viva