ERIKA: Training the next generation

Name: Erika Inglett

Age: 27

Occupation: Court Reporting Instructor

Number of Years in the Profession: 6

Background
Erika enrolled in a court reporting program in Des Moines, Iowa, right out of high school. She graduated with her degree in Court Reporting in 2002. Erika thought at the time that she might one day want to return to teaching, but had no idea that an opportunity at her alma mater would become available as quickly as it did. “Although the door to teaching opened up a lot sooner than I thought it would, and I was enjoying my career as a reporter, I decided I’d follow my heart. I’m really happy I did.”

Getting interested in the profession
Erika learned about the profession from a family friend, whose daughter was a court reporter. Erika says that the more she talked about it as a career option, the more people thought it would make a perfect fit. Looking into it for herself, she liked the idea of a challenging career that would provide numerous options for her future.

A “typical” day
As an instructor, Erika’s work life is fairly structured. She teaches from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and spends the rest of the workday prepping for tomorrow’s classes, meeting with students and catching up on grading. She teaches 16 classes a year, which range from the entry-level courses with as many as 15 students to the smaller, advanced classes where she teaches skills like speed writing and realtime. Her schedule allows her to spend lots of time with her family, which includes her 18-month-old baby.

Best part of the job
“Without question the best part of my job is working with the students. I really enjoy that daily interaction and the one-on-one relationships I get to build. My favorite thing is to watch them when they’ve been struggling with something, and then it clicks and I get to be there when they go ’wow, I did it, I got it.’ That’s really special.”

Most rewarding professional experience
“Seeing my students graduate and go out and get jobs that they truly love.”

Main skills used on the job
“Court reporting is such an involved and technical field, there are very few things you learn in the classroom that you don’t use on the job every day. Every ounce of my education has transferred from student to reporter to teacher — and that definitely includes the ’soft’ skills like patience and perseverance. It’s also important to remember that the profession is changing so much all the time. You never really stop learning.”

Advice for people considering entering the profession.
“I always tell people that I thought the first year — learning the foundation — was the most important. It doesn’t necessarily all come easily after that, but you develop a certain mental toughness that helps keep you positive and motivated. All in all, it’s challenging and rewarding and when you get done, the victory is just so sweet — a profession that’s fulfilling and flexible and that will last a lifetime.”