Restart Scheme
Raees started his journey with the Restart Scheme with Walsall Council in April 2023 after being unemployed for nearly three years. Raees wanted to get into work as soon as possible, but felt he was not having any luck with applications. He lives in Walsall however was willing to travel to secure a full-time job.
Raees`s employment history is not extensive - he had one job working at a family-owned snooker club in Birmingham, which lasted a year and a half after he left college. Raees has a Level 2 Security and Public Space Surveillance Operator qualification and preferably wanted a career in front of house security.
Working with his Restart Scheme Job Coach, Mohammed Ali, an action plan was put together for Raees which involved looking for sustainable employment which offered an opportunity progress in the role. The first step was creating a new and professional CV that highlighted Raees`s transferable skills, alongside support with how to make quality applications. This included skills for completing online applications, as well as learning how to approach employers directly and market himself. Raees felt like he knew how to do applications himself, however showing him examples through job clubs with employer engagement officers, Raees realised where he could make improvements and what type of employers to approach.
Prior to joining the Restart Scheme, Raees’ CV wasn’t fit for purpose. After engaging with Mohammed and redeveloping his CV, Raees started to get responses from jobs and opportunities for interviews. However, at the interview stage, Raees felt he lacked experience in the workplace and his, previously strong motivation to get into work as soon as possible dropped after attending interviews and not getting the job.
To overcome this and ensure that his motivation remained high, Raees attended mock interview sessions with an Employer Engagement Officer from Walsall Council, as well as attending Walsall Works Job Club twice per week. After a few mock interviews, Raees was given interview techniques and tips on how to best conduct interviews for the types of roles he was applying for. Raees had a one-to-one motivation session with the Employer Engagement Officer, who went through Raees`s career and life aspirations to keep him motivated.
The Employer Engagement Officer identified a role at Metro Inn Hotel that seemed suitable for Raees, as a Front of House Receptionist. The employer wanted to speak to Raees as he does have front of house experience, albeit in a different setting. Raees was prepped on the interview and that it would be useful to talk about his qualification in security and surveillance as his long-term goal, and that he would be willing to train/help the hotel team with this if needed.
Raess attended a face-to-face interview, with the Restart Scheme providing new trousers and shirt, which ensured Raess was looking smart for the interview. The employer was really impressed with Raees`s attitude and motivation to work and offered Raees a 16-hour position as a Front of House Receptionist.
