JobStart Story of Success- From JobStart Trainee to Attorney At Law

With every door that closes, a new one opens—especially if we work hard to make it happen. Out of the 7,685 Bar examinees last 2019, Atty. Erna Arrida Delfin, a JobStart graduate, is one of the successful passers. Behind her success is a story of hope, rejection, and resilience.

Delfin joined the JobStart Philippines program through the Quezon City Public Employment Service Office during its pilot phase in 2014 in partnership with Asian Development Bank - ADB ADB Philippines and Embassy of Canada in the Philippines. As a fresh graduate of BS Cruise Ship Management, the JobStart became her training ground to prepare her for the world of work, specifically in the food and hospitality industry.

She took her technical training at the Pacific Global Hospitality Institute where she trained as a service ambassador. This experience became an avenue for her to eventually land a job in a coffee shop in Makati City.

However, unfortunate events happen when we least expect it. The door for Erna’s career path in the food and hospitality industry suddenly shut her off. She was about to begin working for the said coffee shop when the Human Resource officer informed her that she is no longer qualified to continue, simply because of a scar in her face. Appalled and devastated, this rejection set her back and Erna lost hope to further pursue this career.

But remembering the lessons of positive attitude towards work and how to effectively handle challenges which she learned from her JobStart training, she realized that she should not waste time regretfully looking at closed doors, and rather see that a better one has opened.

With courage and support earned from her family, Erna decided to pursue her Law degree at the University of Iloilo which led her to this day. Erna, together with the other 2019 bar passers, are about to take their oath and sign the roll of attorneys hopefully within the year, should the current health and safety circumstances permit.

Indeed, JobStart has helped Erna to become resilient and that there are no limitations to what she can do. For every door that closes, every failure, rejection, or lost opportunities, a new and better one will always open. Her faith has also guided her for a greater purpose, with a simple quote she instills in her mind and let everyone know, “If God brought you to it, He will bring you through it.”