Sue’s first visit to the centre was an extremely traumatic experience for her as she had not ventured out of the house for a very long time, mainly due to confidence and low self esteem issues.
However, from the moment the door was answered to a trembling Sue, she was made to feel welcome and at ease which was a major hurdle for Sue, as she did not know what to expect from an organisation that was not familiar to her. As soon as Sue was engaged in conversation it was obvious what a lovely lady she was and that she needed to be guided in the right direction to show her self worth to enable her to progress to her full potential.
At Sue’s initial appointment I fully explained the support and guidance we could offer from Pathways. Working together to compile an action plan to set clear achievable targets, we discussed her confidence and self esteem issues and decided that it would be of great benefit for her to attend our Directions course; she was really excited about the prospect of attending a short supported course which could assist her in her personal development. We also discussed ongoing occupational support available to maintain the consistency of tackling health related and personal obstacles. Again, Sue was keen to undertake this invaluable service.
Sue began to attend the centre every week for regular reviews and support and at each session her confidence slowly improved. Her employment background was exclusively in the Retail Sector. However she really wanted to return to her initial career path, a role within the Administration environment, such as receptionist.
Sue lacked experience in computer skills, this affected her confidence greatly and we sat together and worked out a plan to support her fully. We held short basic computer sessions in the centre and I helped her to set up her own email account which then led to Sue having enough confidence to put together her own CV with support and guidance from myself this in it’s self was a huge achievement for her and I felt like a proud mother!
As Sue’s confidence continued to grow with the support from the Occupational support and the Directions course she attended (and of course myself)! We began to carry out more in-depth job search within the administration sector on a local scale.
Through regular attendance to our Job Club a local administration vacancy was advertised in the Western mail which seemed to match Sue’s skills and personality. We completed the application form together and held interview workshops to help prepare her for a possible interview.
Sue was short listed for the administration position but was unfortunately not successful this time. We discussed her performance at the interview and reflected on areas where she could make some improvements, however as we are all aware nerves sometimes get the better of you.
An Administration/Reception position soon became available within Pathways to Work Barry Office of which we knew Sue had to apply for. We knew she had the necessary skills, empathy and understanding of our customer group and would be able to sympathise with people who have been in the same predicament as her.
We thoroughly prepared Sue for the interview with Pathways. This had to be in-depth due to Sue not undertaking an interview for many years. I prepared by explaining the content of an interview to include proving her competence of delivering excellent customer service, using evidence from past experiences. She had her interview and we met afterwards to discuss how she thought it had gone. She was really nervous, but, she did think she put in a good performance- Boy was she right!
Sue was offered full time Administration reception at Barry Pathways Flagship office- What an asset she is to our team!
We have received continuous feedback from customers on what a friendly, courteous
and welcoming person she is. Never failing to assist customers and other members of staff in any capacity! Her confidence has soared through the roof, she always presents with a huge smile and her happiness is displayed always.
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