Cymraeg

Laura* had always dreamed of utilising her Illustration degree and becoming a professional Tattoo Artist, but she’d faced several barriers in life, such as caring responsibilities, which have held her back. Fortunately, with the help of her People Plus Job Coach, Laura is now on-track to realising her dream.  

Being selected for job interviews was proving to be the first challenge for Laura; her Job Coach identified that her CV required development to help overcome this. Following this, contending with low self-confidence and anxiety resulted in her being unable to effectively communicate her capabilities during the interviews that she was now invited to attend. Then followed another challenge; if she was lucky enough to secure a position, Laura’s mid-week caring responsibilities made a weekday work-pattern unfeasible, and being reliant on public transport meant that unsociable evening and weekend work made for a difficult commute.  

Laura and her Job Coach discussed her career goals within the illustration field, and she was advised about feasible pathways to achieve them. Her CV was streamlined to make it more relevant to employers and to incorporate the skills that she had acquired during a long-term voluntary role at Citizens Advice.  

They decided that a work-from-home role would be best suited to mitigate the need for Laura to commute on public transport. With the help of her Job Coach, Laura also broached the topic of caring responsibilities with her wider family members to see if someone could help her by providing support for her family member who required mid-week care. Her family were able to devise an informal roster that provided Laura with alternate dates and times that could fit around work.  

Laura undertook a confidence building workshop and, with her new CV in hand, felt ready to apply for roles. She secured and aced an interview and was offered a full-time, work-from-home position in illustration that paid well enough for her to have the means to move out of her parent’s home.  

Most importantly, Laura is using the skills she learned at university in an exciting and meaningful career within her chosen field.  

*Pseudonym