Emma was left without a job due to the coronavirus pandemic and was struggling to find work. With the support from IPES she is now working in a role with better job prospects.
Why Emma joined IPES?
Emma had been out of work for six months before joining the IPES programme in September 2020. She struggled with anxiety, depression, and had low self-esteem which she recognised was a result of being out of work. Acknowledging this, she contacted LIFT Psychology to support with her mental health issues.
How IPES helped?
Emma was very determined to start looking for job, but her anxiety held her back. She was introduced to Hannah, specialist key worker who was able to use a technique called ‘worry circles’ – to help identify her worries, putting them into categories of what she can and cannot control. She found this exercise very useful and realised that most of her worries were in her control and she could take steps to manage them.
Working together they looked at Emma’s CV and Hannah was able to give some constructive feedback on areas for improvement. It wasn’t long until she started her jobsearch and was soon offered an interview at a large research company.
Hannah arranged an interview preparation meeting with Emma to look at the type of job specific questions that may arise during the interview. Hannah explained the SMART technique to help answer the interview questions in a concise way. Emma found this support very useful and went to her interview feeling confident.
However, after the interview, Hannah noticed a change in Emma’s confidence so to help keep her upbeat Hannah suggested that she attended one of our confidence building workshops. She found these extremely useful and felt ready to get back to her jobsearch.
Hannah and Emma explored alternatives ways of networking during the lockdown restrictions. Hannah suggested using LinkedIn to connect and engage with potential employers. Hannah helped Emma set up her account, creating an engaging bio and guided her through best practice on connecting with relevant people such as hiring managers. They then began sending speculative messages to recruiters in Emma’s local area.
Emma was finding it difficult to find the right jobs to apply for and understood the pandemic had a part to play in this so Hannah started helping her with cold calling employers and speaking with hiring managers to look at any suitable roles available. This was a major milestone for Emma, her confidence had grown incredibly - three months prior to this, the thought of picking up the phone and talking to a stranger was unimaginable.
Getting the job
Emma applied for a role as an Investments Officer and was successful. She was so pleased of what she had achieved. Hannah and Emma completed a Better-off calculation and it showed that she would be £1,400 better off in work each month. She was very excited to get back to work.
Emma is now working full-time and feels fully supported by both Fedcap and her employer and feels this a job she will stay in for a very long time. She said:
"Having the additional layer of support from Fedcap helped to boost my confidence in finding and beginning my new role. My health conditions have always been my biggest worry when it comes to working, and especially after nine months unemployed in a global pandemic!
Fedcap’s intervention meant that I had an extra place to turn to for support in a more professional and unbiased capacity than my friends and family. I could trust Hannah to respond to my questions in an impartial but supportive manner. It made the jobsearch process less intimidating, and I'm now happily settling into a job that is absolutely perfect for me."
