When I first came to see my National Careers Service adviser, my confidence was low from being out of paid work for over 10 years while I raised 3 children as a lone parent. I felt like I wasn’t good enough for the job market.
The adviser explained that I had a lot of skills from training and volunteering. She helped me to create a CV highlighting skills from these activities. She also suggested I could apply for jobs relevant to my voluntary work rather than retail, which was my previous plan.
I created a CV tailored to education, health and social care. I planned to apply for work in a school or community environment, which fits with my experience. Then I saw a great job advertised on Facebook; so I made another appointment to see my adviser so she could help me prepare my application.
My adviser suggested a free online course on Equality and Diversity as it was relevant to the role being advertised. Together we wrote a tailored personal statement and I applied for the role.
“Voluntary work had made me employable”
I was offered an interview and then met with my adviser again to discuss interview preparation. This included working on a presentation which I’d been asked to do for the interview.
And I got the job! I feel very positive now about my future career prospects. I’m very proud of my achievement and with the adviser’s encouragement my confidence has grown.
The National Careers Service helped me to realise that voluntary work and study had made me employable even when not in paid work. They gave me structure and a ‘push’ to focus on my goal.
To speak to a National Careers Service adviser, call 0800 100 900 or use our webchat (8am to 10pm, 7 days a week).
