Developing knowledge and skills to secure work: Diego’s story
After meeting some of the Making a Difference team at a job fair in Brighton, Diego, aged 32 from East Sussex, was keen to register with the programme and get started.
Diego was highly motivated and had been actively job hunting and applying for a range of jobs but was not getting any interviews. He was flexible about the roles he was applying for but felt there must have been a reason why he was not getting any interviews and wanted support to understand why.
Diego met with Employment Coach Lisa who discussed with Diego the sector and types of jobs Diego was looking for. He was keen to pursue jobs working in a library or museum.
During their sessions, Lisa and Diego reviewed his CV and discussed potential reasons why employers were not choosing to take him to interview. Lisa observed that his CV was formatted with multiple graphics which would not get past the Applicant Tracking Software employers were using to filter candidates and their suitability to the role.
Alongside his 1:1 sessions with Lisa, Diego signed up to Making A Difference group workshops to help to develop his CV and build his confidence. Lisa also sent Diego a range of resources which would further support him, including cover-letter templates and job search booklets.
The coaching Lisa was able to provide during their sessions, giving feedback, support and encouragement, was really valuable in supporting Diego to secure work. In one session, Diego completed a quiz which highlighted the types of roles which may suit him based on his personality. Based on this, Lisa was able to send Diego sector-specific job adverts he may be interested in alongside the jobs and apprenticeships bulletin.
To improve his employability, Lisa and Diego looked into a range of courses related to teaching he could take part in. They also researched clubs and groups within Diego’s local area he could join to help to integrate him into the local community. Participation in these groups helped to build Diego’s confidence and provide opportunities for social networking.
Since participating in the Making A Difference programme, Diego is now working as a Learning Resources Assistant in a local college. In his new role, Diego has been described as an asset to the college.
Of the support Lisa provided, Diego said:
“Lisa helped me understand clearly what I needed to do, which were the steps to take to land a job interview. She helped me restructure my CV to make it more competitive, and encouraged me to keep going forward until I was eventually hired.”
