KatieJ

When did you graduate?

I just graduated in May of this year!

 

What lead you to pursue court reporting as a career?

My mom's friend/my mentor told me about her job and all of the benefits, the main one being money, and it sounded too good to be true at first. Instead of going to my community college, I decided to give court reporting a shot, what did I have to lose?

 

What made you choose CCR?

I transferred to CCR because I needed more hands on help, more discipline, and more encouragement. I will be the first to admit I'm not self-disciplined enough, so I loved having that "over the shoulder" guidance from my teachers.

 

Do you have any certifications? If not, do you plan on getting any?

I do not have any whole certifications but I have part of my Illinois CSR and am working towards that.

 

Are you currently working? If not, what are your future plans?

I currently work in downtown Chicago at a court reporting firm named Jensen Litigation Solutions in their production department. Once I obtain my certification, I want to become a reporter for this wonderful company!

 

What were your strengths in school?

If I had to pick out my strengths while in school it was always pushing my speed and tackling doing readback clearly and loudly. I also always listened to my teachers.

 

What were your weaknesses in school?

Some of my weaknesses were staying disciplined, turning in homework on time, and beating myself up more than necessary. I always thought I could do this better or that but looking back I always made progress through my doubts.

 

If you could give any advice to a struggling student, what would that be?

My advice is keep with it! It gets frustrating and upsetting when you don't progress as quick as you want or you just miss that test by 1%. Practice every day for at least 20 minutes to keep speed if you can't for two hours. High speed students, start testing for your certification while in school to try to jump ahead when you can!