Apprentice to Professional
Claudia Bennett - Legal Secretary
I was successful in starting my
business and administration apprenticeship in the October of 2014 in Public Health. I contemplated whether
to attend college or apply for an apprenticeship as I had not heard much about
apprenticeships and college was the usual route for people to go down. I
decided to apply for an apprenticeship with Devon County Council as I wasn’t
exactly sure what I wanted to do but I knew I wanted to earn money, learn and
gain experience of a working environment as soon as I could.
The experience I have gained from
completing my apprenticeship put me in good stead for my career aspirations, I now
have the experience of working within a busy office and dealing with problem
solving, this is something I wouldn’t have received if I attended college. The
breadth of knowledge I have also gained from working with experienced colleagues
that guided me and gave me confidence has benefitted me, this allowed me to
expand my skills and apply them within a business environment. Gaining the
knowledge, skills and experience alongside studying put me ahead of those whom
attended college and received the same qualification as me.
At the end of my apprenticeship I
applied for a job within the legal sector of the Council. I felt I was
confident enough to work within a demanding and busy environment and had the
skills and experience to do so. Law has always interested me, however I have
never felt confident enough to take that big step of working within a legal
department, however, after completing my apprenticeship and gaining the skills
required I was successful in being appointed as a legal secretary.
After working as a legal
secretary for almost two years, I decided to take that next step in my career.
I applied to university as a distance-learning student to complete my law degree
of four years. I now work as a legal secretary four days a week, and one day a
week I study. I have recently just completed my first year and look forward to achieving
my career of becoming a solicitor.
I feel I am where I am today due
to doing an apprenticeship. Gaining experience and skills, as well as studying
and earning money is a combination that cannot be turned down. I highly
recommend an apprenticeship to anyone, whether you don’t know what you want to
do or whether you want to go to university in the future or you just want to
get on the ladder of working.
Claudia Bennett
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