What brought me to Smart Works

When I started to think about changing career, in the back of my mind I think I believed there was nothing else that I could do. But each year, as things went on in this career path, I had a horrible dark voice in the back of my head telling me, ‘you can’t keep doing this’. So, in the end I thought, I’ve got to try to do something else.

I left my job without something to go to and started applying for jobs in completely different sectors, sectors I was interested in. I would read the job descriptions and I would think, yep, I’ve got all of those skills. I know that I can do that. I could transfer the knowledge that I had.

But then I just kept getting no’s. Or just wouldn’t hear anything at all, which is just as disheartening. It was almost a full-time job, trying to find a job. I was spending every day, weekends, looking for something. But it was that constant no - not even getting to interview. It was heartbreaking and soul destroying because I was already in a place where my confidence was rock bottom.

There was one job I applied for, and they said it had closed. They’d received 600 applications. I thought, how am I going to get a job in that environment? It’s so difficult to be up against that competition and keep on looking and maintain your self-belief. It’s really tough.

“It was heartbreaking and soul destroying because I was already in a place where my confidence was rock bottom.”

I happened to have a job centre appointment which is when they asked if I’d ever thought about attending a job fair. That’s how I heard about the Smart Works job fair, Women into Work. That was a real turning point for me because I went to the job fair and signed myself up for one of the one-to-one sessions for a coach to go through your CV.

My Smart Works experience

When I sat down with a Smart Works coach for the first time, really embarrassingly, I bawled my eyes out. I was so overwhelmed. The coach reviewed my CV but then asked me directly ‘what are your strengths?’ I didn’t feel I had any because of the role I’d come from but the coach reassured me that I could transfer my skills, I did have strengths and could do this.

That was the start of my confidence building up again. It was such a changing point. The support was just incredible.

With this new CV, I actually got an interview the following week for a job and although I was offered the role, unfortunately I had to decline it.

“That was the start of my confidence building up again. It was such a changing point.”

I then booked myself into the Smart Works one-to-one coaching session where the coach reviewed all of the applications that I’d been doing and gave me advice on what I needed to do to hit the criteria. She reiterated the importance of telling myself that I could do this at those moments when it was easy to start doubting myself.

My Smart Works dressing experience

When I went to the appointment, I honestly had no idea what to expect. It was before my interview coaching and I sat with the dresser who asked what I liked to wear. She asked me what job I was going into, what job I’d just left.

I’d been sent some information about what to expect from the dressing appointment - I thought maybe it’s where I would be given an idea of the sort of things I could wear in the job. I had no idea that I was going to walk away with such a beautiful dress that I was given for my interview. It was lovely.

I tried on all these different things and that in itself was such a confidence boost, having someone saying, that looks really lovely, really professional, it really suits your job. I was quite daunted about going into a completely different job with a different dress code. It was great to have someone say, this is the sort of thing that you could wear for the role and give me that guidance. It wasn’t just about what you looked like in that moment either. It was advice on how to tailor it at home with stuff that you would have at home.

Stepping into my new role

Now I’m in something that I’m really happy with – over the moon in fact. I benefited from Smart Works interview preparation appointment ahead of the interview and I had a chance to run through lots of practice questions with the coach. I attended the interview in my lovely dress that I’d been given in my styling session and since that day I’ve not looked back. When they called me to say that I’d got it 2 hours after the interview, I was just floods of tears because I’d actually done it. I couldn’t believe I’d actually done it.

And the job itself is just so brilliant. I feel like myself again. I had completely lost myself. I wasn’t who I am, I was so unhappy. But now I feel like I’m back to me. The job is so rewarding in a different way, so varied, I get to use all my skills, the people that I work with are lovely, I have such a supportive team, it’s just completely different. I go in, I’m happy. I’m just constantly smiling.

When I came for my appointment after I got the job and they were brilliant again. One of the stylists worked in fashion, and I literally felt like I was on a fashion show. I absolutely loved every minute of it. It was such an incredible experience.

I wear the clothes that I was given on that appointment week in, week out. I’ve tailored them for if it’s been colder or I’ve changed the outfits around.

It’s a year on since I left my old career and I can’t believe that I’ve come so far. It’s very difficult to live a life that you don’t enjoy and I needed help to move on. The first coach I saw, she knew that and instantly knew what I needed. It was life changing for me.

There is light at the end of that tunnel and through that tunnel there might be bumps and there might be knocks and you might have moments where you think, I can’t get to that end, there’s no way I’m gonna make it - but you absolutely can. But in that tunnel, you need support. You need to talk to the people that you love, your family, your friends. You need to reach out to people like Smart Works to get through that tunnel. You can’t do it on your own. In my experience you need to call on others to help you get there.

Edie*, Smart Works Client

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