Myra had previously attended a Successful Mums Back to Work course following an introduction by a friend, she signed up in February 2020, completed the course, and felt ready to return to work, but then the pandemic took hold.
HERE’S HER STORY:
“Having completed the Back to Work course, I was looking forward to applying for a new job. Unfortunately, timing was not on my side, the pandemic hit and as a result, there were many barriers to overcome. Having gone from being confident and job-ready I felt like I was in a worse position, than when I started the course!
With a background in the not-for-profit sector, I found all the charity jobs I was applying for were being declined. Charities had their funding withdrawn and recruitment was put on hold. As a result, I started losing my confidence, along with the employment skills I’d gained.
Having lost my way, I felt like I was facing an enormous task and just did not know where to start. I lacked motivation and inspiration, and felt at an all-time low.
I heard about the Successful Mums coaching programme and decided to register.
“To have a coach on a one-to-one basis for four weeks, totally dedicated to you and helping you find employment was incredible.”
Myra
I was so happy to be placed with the same coach from my previous Back To Work course. We’d already established a relationship, and knew each other so was able to crack straight on with updating my CV. I started to make job applications the very next week.
I enjoyed attending the weekly webinars, it was great having a small group of women with the same goals to brainstorm ideas, I felt more confident to speak and contribute to the discussion, something I wouldn’t normally feel empowered to do. I also, felt the group was great support and having somewhere to share experiences was so beneficial; as being a mum can be quite isolating at times.
You sometimes feel that you are the only one facing these difficulties, but the group webinar discussions highlighted that we’re all in the same boat and the other women were facing similar challenges.
The coaching gave me a clear plan of how to achieve my goal. The tasks to find work was broken down into more achievable steps, and there were elements that I could take away each week and work on and give feedback on the following week. This made me stay on top of my job search and not get distracted.
The webinars were all online using Zoom, and as a result, I became better at using Zoom. I also picked up some really useful tips when using online tools which I thought would be really helpful for attending online interviews. I found it helpful to hear from people who had previously recruited online and to get their perspectives on what they look for when interviewing.
The reassurance from my coach was invaluable, my confidence increased massively. Once I had an up-to-date CV and sent off that first job application, it felt like one major hurdle I’d overcome. I started applying for several roles and have even received a telephone interview.
I am over the moon that I have now been successful in my job search and have been offered a job with the National Trust!
The coaching programme certainly put me on the road to success, something which I could have never done alone. I was less afraid and I got my mojo back. I was inspired and equipped to achieve my goal of securing employment.
Thank you, Successful Mums, I will definitely consider further training in the future.”