Self-belief - Ian’s story

After a serious car accident, Ian felt he was ready to start looking for work again after taking some time out of employment to recover mentally and physically. Ian joined the Restart Scheme for support in rebuilding his confidence to find suitable employment.

During his initial appointment, Ian met with his Employment Adviser, Bianca, who assessed his current situation and readiness to work.

Our Employment Advisers assess job readiness, readiness to change and any transferrable skills which helps participants to create an action plan to support their journey back into working life.

Ian said: “Bianca and the team listened to me and understood my barriers to work. They were really encouraging and helped me to create a new CV and complete job applications online”.

Ian discovered a vacancy for his old workplace at a warehouse. Rather than applying online, he decided to go and submit his CV in person, so that he could show his face and possibly have a chat in the process. Unfortunately, on this occasion, Ian didn't hear back, however “just this act of believing in himself raised his confidence levels enormously”, said Bianca. “And although he didn’t hear back from the employer, this gave him the confidence to continue applying for other jobs”.

Ian completed several in-house courses during his time on the Restart Scheme that boosted his confidence in returning to work. Just some of the Employability Support Training courses we offer focus on interview skills, CV workshops, job sector taster days, and confidence building sessions.

Initially after his car accident, Ian was unsure about driving again, however as the months went on and his confidence slowly returned, he shared with Bianca that he was considering a driving job vacancy that he had seen.

Bianca was on hand to support with his application to the pharmaceutical driving role, and Ian was invited to interview shortly after. After a few mock interview practices, Ian felt ready, and following his official interview, he was offered the job. “Everything just clicked with him, and he knew that he would be ok”, said Bianca.

The Restart Scheme provided financial support for interview clothing and travel costs to Ian. We offer this to our participants to ensure their transition back into work doesn’t have a financial impact.

Bianca shared: “Ian was an absolute joy to work with, he grew in confidence each time I saw him and was open to new ideas and embraced new thinking. I whole heartedly wish him all the very best in his new job and for the future!”