Hired: Real-world benefits of continuing education
Hired: Real-world benefits of continuing education
The stories and feedback we get from students are easily one of our greatest motivators as educators.
My colleague Cynthia Gentile, a professor in our Paralegal Studies program, shared with me a note she recently received from one of her students.
Cynthia is extremely excited for this student (as we all are)! Truth is, so many of the individuals that come to Peirce College are looking for new opportunities in their professional life. As far as I’m concerned, whenever we help a student achieve this goal, we’ve accomplished our mission.
Here’s the note Cynthia received (with some names and details removed to respect the student’s privacy, but otherwise verbatim). From what I understand, this student has nothing to worry about, and is ready for the task ahead of her!
This past Wednesday, my District Paralegal President recommended me to a local attorney for a job within her firm. I went for an interview Wednesday evening and was hired on the spot. She was so impressed with my legal memos, case briefs, and civil draftings. She knew I had no hands on legal experience, but could not believe how my pleadings were drafted in such a thorough manner. She told me that she has never seen a paralegal educated in this area (draft documents) as I have. I could not say enough great things about Peirce and how I was grateful for my education. I explained to her that I had taken four classes at a technical community college, but they did not in any way guide me in a manner that would have given me an opportunity to obtain a position such as the one she offered me. She also stated that not one paralegal she knows of in this area can even draft a memo properly. (She thought maybe I wrote better than she did!)
I am a bit apprehensive about running the office, since I have no law firm experience. She owns her own practice, and it will be just the two of us. She does have a criminal justice intern that comes in a few times a week, but otherwise it will be just me. I explained to her that I am nervous about screwing things up, but she reassured me that I will catch on quickly and that I seem very intelligent and well educated. (Boy is she in for a surprise…LOL) She could only offer me $XX per hour that day, but oddly enough she called me the next day to offer me more money. She felt that we would work well together and believes I would help her to get her cases completed and that would bring in more money. She said, “If I make more money, then you get more money.” I really did not even have to sell myself to her. She was selling herself to me! She said that with all the work I have obviously completed and my GPA, she was afraid I may be bored working with her. I think I need something small in order to get my feet wet, so I decided to take the job.
I start on Monday!
I thank you for all you have done to teach the students at Peirce.
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I am also a Peirce alumna who has had similar feelings of angst, although my doubt centered on attending graduate school and whether I was capable of doing the work required from an Ivy League institution. The letter shared on this blog sends a clear message that Peirce students are capable or dare I say – exceptional because of what we’ve learned and the people who have helped us learn it.
As alumni, I hope that we will consider sharing our successes and fears with current and prospective students because they need to hear and see what is possible after the degree. I applaud the student whose letter has jarred this response out of me. Whoever you are, I say that you are brave for sharing your worries and fabulous for moving forward inspite of them.
Hi Jackie. First, I want to thank you for sharing your feedback here. It’s great to hear from Peirce students past and present.
Also, I’d invite you to keep sharing your insights – along with other students and alumni, throughout the blog. Your feedback here in invaluable and really helps to create a conversation around the topics we cover on Peirce Connections.