Antonis' story shows how varied our service can be
Antonis was referred to the service by the Brent Talk Therapy Team. He had a background as a Senior Marketing person with a specific interest in technology. By the time he came to Twining he had been unemployed for a few months, and was very motivated to get back onto work.
Because Antonis was already quite successful with securing interviews, much of our work centred on how to give him an extra edge to outshine other candidates. While he was at a very senior level, he found there were very few vacancies available at this level, and so he decided to widen his remit to lower level management roles, however interviewers fed back that he was too over qualified. Antonis was also concerned about the gap in his CV becoming more of a barrier for him the longer he was out of work.
Thanks to our Individual Placement and Support model we can provide tailored and personalised support. With Antonis our Employment Specialist supported him by:
- We discussed how he could manage his narrative during interviews to address the unemployment gap.
- We identified some networking events for him to attend, and supported him to print new business cards, and maintain communication with employers after interviews.
- We reviewed common interview questions, provided feedback on how to adjust his answers in a way that encompassed feedback from previous interviews.
- Used a lot of motivational coaching as Antonis was making a significant effort in his job search with little results. Gave him a picture a realistic view of his situation to give him perspective including stats for unemployment in the UK, nature of labour market at senior levels, competitive job market, average length of time job seekers spend out of work etc.
- Arranged peer support session with another client at a similar level experiencing very similar challenges. Found it helpful to be able to speak with someone in the same boat as; someone who is looking for work and also has a mental health condition or a history of mental ill health.
His Employment Specialist was thrilled to learn in early August that Antonis had successfully secured a role and is now working as a Marketing Operations Manager full time.
She said
This client has always been receptive to advice and quick to implement changes to put him in the best position to meet his employment goals. It was a pleasure to help him on his journey back into work
Whilst Antonis said
Firstly, and foremost, the existence of such organisation reassures you that you are not isolated or exceptional in searching for employment while also going through mental and psychological challenges.
Secondly, the fact that you are listened to, but also advised on an individual 1-2-1 level is priceless this is dependent also to a large extent on how engaged and committed your employment specialist is. I was exceptionally fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Nicole which exceeded my prior expectations of the service.
Her tailored advice and commitment to seeing me through the interview experience will be memorable for me. Another important element to the success of this experience was the mutual respect that was established from the start of the working relationship. I was not only advised on how to engage and seek employment prospects but also provided information for social economic support services available – a holistic approach to respond to the burning concerns of the client. In my personal view and experience this was one of the best EU sponsored initiatives to help the capable and willing population of the UK, in times of difficulty.
Finally, the flexibility provided in terms of meetings and keeping a personal line of communication open was instrumental in creating a sense of personalisation throughout the months I was on the programme. I am not sure if all the specialists approach it the same way but mine did and was remarkable. Well done, Nicole - keep up the great work!
For many, including myself, this is a mentally challenging and secluded journey and being able to work with someone properly trained, to share and receive immediate feedback on understanding if what you have been doing the last weeks, months is in the right direction, gives a big relief and reassurance to carry on.
Knowing there are others in the same position as yourself gives you an understanding that you are not in this position because you are doing things wrong or not worth it.
