Finding the right job role – Cristian's story

Cristian was referred to the Restart Scheme by Jobcentre Plus as he had been unemployed for over a year and required support with getting back into work.

Our Employment Adviser, James, worked closely with Cristian to set goals and to create an action plan on how they would achieve them.

As an engineer, Cristian had experience in multiple areas of this sector, from aeronautics to motorsport. One of his goals was to work his way up to a senior management or quality improvement role, along with earning money and regaining control of his life.

Cristian struggled with CV writing, and what or how to include details of his past work experience, which we were able to support him with. James also helped Cristian with interview preparation, his body language and practising with mock interview questions through our Online Careers Centre.

During Cristian’s time using the Restart Scheme, James was able to support with travel reimbursements and provided vouchers for Cristian to buy a new outfit for interviews.

James enrolled Cristian onto two of our in-house courses, Transferrable Skills and Reboot Your CV, which helped further prepare him for job applications and upcoming interviews.

Cristian told us:

"I see James, my Employment Adviser as a project manager - me being the project.

"He’s always available for a chat, providing advice, support, positivity, and guidance. I’ve met several members of the team and they have all been very supportive. I’m also very grateful to Martin, the Executive Coach, for his support with tailoring my CV to match the jobs I applied for, and encouraging me to positively highlight my skills and experiences for each role.

"I was reimbursed for travel to and from the office for our meetings, and supported with interview clothing too! This was not only a huge incentive, but a massive boost for my confidence too.”

After just six weeks of support from the Restart Scheme, Cristian had his first interview and was offered a Quality Engineer role - matching the goals he set at the start of his journey.

Employment Adviser, James shared:

“The sessions with the Executive Coach highlighted Cristian’s skills and experiences for each role he was applying for and gave him a better understanding of how to sell himself.

"I helped elevate Cristian’s positivity and by assuring him I was always available for a chat and to support. We worked well together, setting further goals, and making sure guidance was tailored to Cristian and his future ambitions.

"Our support gave Cristian a high sense of enthusiasm and incentive to keep interviewing and finding the right role for himself.”