Grenfell tragedy rapid responder, Nawal secures a new role with Kennedy Scott and Journey2Work
Nawal is a registered Integrative Psychotherapist who bravely therapeutically supported Grenfell Tower victims but found herself out of work for five months after this ordeal.
Why did Nawal join the Journey2Work services?
Nawal joined the Journey2Work programme back in November 2018. At the time she was frustrated that she had applied for countless roles in her field, but she was not getting the desired response from employers or being selected for interviews.
She felt she would be able to return to her field easily however this didn’t happen leaving her feeling demoralised. It was recommended by her universal work coach that she should speak to a Journey2Work adviser to find out how the programme could support her to overcome her barriers and get her back into employment.
How Journey2Work helped?
Nawal was introduced to her Personal Adviser Sandy who explained how Journey2Work supports older workers back into employment. Nawal was eager to join and the first barrier they looked at was her CV. Her adviser did a thorough CV review which she identified was a major barrier as it wasn’t reflective of Nawal’s current experience or skillset. Sandy redrafted her CV and highlighted Nawal’s skills and abilities so it was more tailored to the roles she was applying for.
By attending the programme Nawal was able to develop her interview techniques and gain an understanding of competency-based interview questions. Nawal attended mock interviews with Sandy where she had to present a subject and answer questions. She found it very nerve wracking but the feedback she received helped improve her confidence.
Sandy referred Nawal to an organisation called ‘Smart Works’ where she was offered interview clothes and given further interview tips. Nawal said: “after the experience she felt ‘special’ and this gave her the confidence she needed in her personal appearance.” At times Nawal found her journey back to work very emotional and this impacted her existing diabetic condition. With the help of her personal ‘Circle of Support’ (friends, ex-colleagues and her adviser) were able to offer further emotional support.
Getting the job
Everything started to come together for Nawal and her CV started to get noticed by the employers. She started getting interviews and this followed on by being short listed for roles. The team and her adviser Sandy was with her every step of the way with practical and emotional support, they also looked at the better off calculations to see how she would be better financially being in work.
Nawal has successfully secured a two-day a week role as a therapist for Solace Rape Crises Centre. She has now settled in well with Solace and her next plan is to secure a permanent role – the Journey2Work team will be there to support her with. Nawal has come a long way and we wish her every success for the future.
loading