Online Certificate Training Speeds Career Change
Washington Online Learning
Institute
www.TheParalegalSchool.com
800-371-5581
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Success Stories
The fast-growing paralegal field is
attracting talented people with diverse work backgrounds. Certificate
training and Continuing Paralegal Education (CPE) are key.
Naomi Fisch
Radom & Wetter
3421 Route 22 East
Somerville, New Jersey 08876
(908) 707-1500
radomandwetter.com
Early Riser
Gets Dream Job
Making a big career change is not for the faint-hearted.
After 25 plus years in international operations, Naomi Fisch knew she
was competent. But the industry’s roller coaster economics never
provided much job security. So she decided in 2003 to pursue her
long-standing interest in law and become a paralegal.
Naomi turned to her computer to research
the field, and quickly determined that she wanted to earn her
credentials through online training. She compared online and traditional
classroom paralegal programs carefully, and was surprised to discover
that even a good community college program did not offer the range of
courses she could get in the program she ultimately chose, a 10-month
online certificate program from Washington Online Learning Institute,
www.theparalegalschool.com. She knew she could fit online study into any
schedule. She wanted to complete her studies quickly. And she didn’t
want to be constrained by classroom obligations if she found a paralegal
job quickly. Disciplined and determined, she dug into the course
material with zeal, and so found it very possible to put in the 2 or 3
hours a day needed to keep ahead.
Sure enough, two months into the
program, Naomi was hired by a local law firm in the Somerville, NJ
community where she lives. She credits her enrollment in the online
paralegal certificate program with helping her to get a job that was
originally posted as requiring paralegal experience. And, she says, she
really had to use everything she was learning, as she plunged headfirst
into full-time support of an attorney in community association law.
“I would recommend online learning to
anyone,” says Naomi. “In many ways, it’s superior to the traditional
classroom learning. I think I got more personal attention from my
professors online than I ever would have in the community college
classroom. The course material in Washington Online’s paralegal program
is excellent. And their online environment is really conducive to
learning. Instead of competing with fellow students, there’s a
camaraderie in the online discussions, a wonderful combination of
intensive learning and fun. The course participants are at every level
in their careers, and there was so much sharing of information about
careers and how offices work. It went far beyond textbook learning.”
An early riser, Naomi found it easy to
stay abreast of the course material, even after she began working. She
got online mornings, evenings, and weekends, and took her textbook
everywhere with her, studying through her lunch hour and at every
opportunity. She also asked for a mentor through Washington Online, and
was delighted to find in this person a devoted friend, colleague, and
coach.
Today, Naomi holds the National
Paralegal Certificate from Washington Online and is a valued member of
her firm’s two-person paralegal staff. Would she return for further
training? “Absolutely,” says Naomi. “I’m not after a degree. I already
have a BA in history and a Masters in education. What I value is the
credibility and confidence I’ve found in my new career as a paralegal.” |
