[papintiggy]

Okay I recently got hired in a law firm on January. I am very content with my job, I have no complaints what so ever. But I am still in high school and part time is good until June 7. I really want to go for a full time job but I don't know how to ask my boss. I will say that I am totally intimated. His paralegal said that she doubt it but it won't mind to ask him for a definite answer.

My co-worker that are the assistant of the other attorney in this law firm told me that his paralegal usually says NO and with me she did it different. They also told me if I am shy or intimated to e-mail him a letter asking for a full time. What shall I do??

[Eileen G]

If you don't think you can ask him in person, write a polite letter asking. I'd write it on paper and deliver it yourself, rather than e-mailing. It's amazing how easy it is to make a mistake or press send before your e-mail is exactly the way you want it to be.

[joypulv]

Is English not your first language? (Got hired on January, it won't mind to ask him... )
And 'intimated,' which you used twice, means suggested or implied. The word you meant was intimidated. So if you do write a letter, have someone proofread it. It's OK to keep it very short, one or two sentences, just saying how much you like working there and hope you can work full time.

[excon]

They also told me if I am shy or intimated to e-mail him a letter asking for a full time. What shall I do????

Hello Young Person:

Let me see... You've got TWO ways to deal with shyness. You can (1) NEVER talk to people, or (2) you can GET OVER the shyness...

Since the first solution isn't really a solution at all, you're left with the second... But it's no big deal.. There ARE ways you can LEARN to get over it. You're NOT just expected to do it on your own...

At the very least, I'd recommend you join a club called Toastmasters... It's just for people like you. I'll bet you can find a young persons chapter in your town... That's a place where you can LEARN to express yourself in front of people. It's really a matter of "fake it till you make it". That means you may never really get over your shyness, or you will and not even notice it.

So, NO. The bottom line is do NOT write a letter asking for a job.

excon

[papintiggy]

Thank you for your responses, really helpful. English is my first language by the way.

[papintiggy]

My boss rejected my request because he said that he really does not need someone for full-time, but he did tell me that he will do a recommendation letter. At least that is a plus. :-) Once more thank you for the help.

[dontknownuthin]

Don't throw the part time work away. I assume you go back to school in the fall and it's very hard for kids to get jobs right now - older people are taking the jobs that teenagers used to do because of the economy.

In the meantime, do great work and truly, work on your grammar, typing and spelling. Particularly if you wish to work in a law firm, you must be able to communicate well in emails and on paper and make a polished, professional impression.

[papintiggy]

I have done the emails and the professional impression. Everything has it time and place as I like to think. I really don't need to have perfect grammar here or spelling. Come on, make no sense. You are voice youtr words on a computer and sometimes before you know it you press the send button and everything is misspelled. It happens and is natural. I looked for full-time and I have gotten 5 calls back and 10 emails. Unfortunately I can't no jobs currently because I am in high school, when I graduate maybe.

[dontknownuthin]

The advice I and others have offered on grammar and spelling is based on our experience working in the professional world, and is meant to help you succeed.

If you attach your resume or job application to an email which contains errors, or respond to an email from a potential employer with typos, you will not get the job in most cases. If you work in a law firm, a single typo can change the meaning of a pleading or draft order and can have serious consequences for the client. My boss recently drafted a document that was missing a single character, a "0" in a divorce settlement. Our client was selling his share of the family home to his wife, and with this zero missing, the order would have said that she owed him $20,000 for his half of the house instead of $200,000. I fortunately caught and corrected the mistake, which my boss counts on me to do. It does matter.

Nobody means to put you down or be nitpicky - it's just a really tough world, and thinking of how young you are and what it takes to be successful, we're recommending that this is a weakness to work on for your own benefit.

When I receive resumes from people who wish to work in the law firm where I work, I do not consider any which contain errors. They are out in the first round, and that is the norm among everyone I know who either hires or narrows down applicants for hiring managers.

[papintiggy]

I know that in the professional field it matter, but like I said everything has it time and place. Right now I do not need to right with perfect grammar. In my work field I do need that perfect grammar. I understand where the advice was coming from and I am grateful for it. I just didn't want others to come and post the same thing based on grammar, if I am aware of it.

[hauntinghelper]

You have a number of years yet to find your place. Things take time.