Restart Scheme
After being unemployed for 18 months, Reba was determined to get back to work locally in Birmingham. But despite securing multiple interviews, none of them had turned into an actual job offer as nerves got the better of her each time, resulting in her inability to communicate why she was the best hire for the role. Reba turned to her Restart Scheme Job Coach, Maadiya, for help.
With a range of experience in sales, care work and childcare, Reba was open to which sector she wanted to work in but was keen to make use of the transferable skills that Maadiya helped her identify during their initial meeting. Recently rejected for a Recruitment Advisor role, Reba’s motivation and confidence was low. And with another interview coming up, Maadiya didn’t want her to give up and encouraged Reba to ask for constructive feedback. In the meantime, the two of them put a plan in place to keep Reba’s spirits up, such as employability and confidence building workshops, plus mentoring to improve her self-confidence.
The feedback stated that Reba needed to give more detail and apply her experience when answering questions at interview. Armed with this knowledge, Maadiya taught Reba how to use the STAR* method to plan her answers to interview questions so she could showcase her skills and experience. This helped Reba to identify and talk about examples from her previous work experience to be successful.
All this prep helped Reba to shine at the interview and she was offered a full-time role as a Receptionist in Birmingham City Centre! She is settling well into her new job and is full of thanks for the support:
“A massive thank you to Maadiya. Even after starting my new job, Madiyaa checks in to make sure I am happy.”
*STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Result: The STAR method | National Careers Service
