For some, becoming a paralegal is a way of testing the waters without getting soaked. Many young graduates decide to paralegal for a year or two before making a decision about whether to undergo the financial burden of paying for law school. These interim legal assistants frequently do not bother with certification or formal training, as their plans are short-term. Others move onto related fields such as law enforcement or public health regulation agencies. For others, the paralegal trade is the law career that they seek.
Paralegals can, and do, perform many of the same tasks as lawyers.
Furthermore, as companies look to reduce costs, paralegals can expect to do more and more of the non-essential work normally allotted to attorneys. Much of a good experience lies in being lucky enough to stumble upon attorneys who care about their paralegals. If you don't, they get angry. Despite this angst, however, a position as a paralegal is the best entry to the more lucrative life of a lawyer.