An enthusiastic youngster that joined as an admin assistant through the Governments Kick-start scheme is now a fully qualified Immigration Caseworker!
NATALIA SARKOZI joined Batley Law under the government’s Kick-start placement scheme in early 2021, a scheme designed to support young people getting back into employment post COVID. Natalia was introduced to Batley Law as a potential administrative assistant.
Natalia, whilst new to working in an office environment, relished the challenge. She worked alongside experienced lawyers in the firm, and shadowed client appointments and helped with the preparation of cases. Natalia soon developed a keen interest in the type of work undertaken by the firm, and expressed a desire to understand the work further.
Natalia’s work ethic and diligence became evident over time. Under the guidance of the managing director, Natalia was provided with further training and was encouraged to develop her knowledge further. The hard-working young administrator was encouraged to sit a series of exams – and excelled in all of them. From admin assistant to a qualified caseworker, Natalia has helped some of the most vulnerable individuals progress their asylum cases with the Home Office.
Speaking to the Reporter Series, Natalia began talking about her amazing career journey by saying;
“I came to England as a child with my father from Hungary at the age of 6. I went to local schools and learned to speak fluent English. When I first arrived, things were difficult to begin with, but I quickly adapted.”
“My experience of growing up in England has been a very positive one. I had the opportunity over the years to meet people from many diverse cultures. The vast majority were helpful and good natured which fits in with my own personal character of helping others ever since my early childhood days. I also brought this friendly helpful personality into my placement at Batley Law.”
Natalia also explained to the Reporter Series what made her think of qualifying as a Paralegal Caseworker. She continued;
“I developed a keen interest in British immigration legislation after starting the placement at Batley Law, perhaps because I myself was the child of Hungarian immigrants. I knew from first-hand experience what it was like growing up in a family with an uncertain future hanging over you. The despair can be overwhelming. This is why I began thinking immediately after joining Batley Law of working in a more frontline role where I could actually use my expertise to directly help people.”
“Everyone at my workplace encouraged me to sit the relevant exams and to qualify as a Paralegal Caseworker – and here I am now in my new role doing what I have always wanted to do for a long time, assisting some of the most vulnerable families with their legal aid applications.”
Natalia also spoke about the main skills needed in her job. She continued;
“An interesting aspect whilst working as a Paralegal Caseworker is to develop good listening skills. I always try my best to understand the situation of my clients by attempting to step into their shoes, and to look at things from their point of view. I then offer empathetic and straightforward professional advice without raising too many expectations.”
“My role as Paralegal Caseworker involves collecting lots of information – and with it the correct documentation. Often a huge amount of paperwork has to examined along with the legal status of these families. I then begin preparing their case to present forward for a decision. Despite the intricate nature of my work, I get a tremendous amount of job satisfaction in my new role.”
“But the best satisfaction is to know how much the clients themselves appreciate the effort, I have personally contributed a fair amount of the firm’s 265+ Google Reviews which are 5 star. That moment when a client receives a positive decision, the phone call to notify them is truly heart-warming and these are the conversations that drive myself and the wider team to carry out the work we do”
Talking about her experience so far, Natalia ended her interview with these words;
“My experience working at Batley Law has been exceptionally fruitful and positive. Looking back, I feel my proudest achievement has been to gain my Immigration & Asylum Law accreditation within only one year of joining this wonderful Law firm. The staff are amazing and very supportive. In fact, the support they have given me is phenomenal and I would not be where I am today without their encouragement.”
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