As a specialist in hospitality, I worked in one of the sectors that was hit first and hardest by the pandemic. My business, which I had spent 15 years building up, was suddenly and cruelly wiped out. It was a frightening and lonely time for my family and I.
A friend told me about Work Avenue, a place of hope, expertise and support. With work collapsing around me, WE Hub gave me a reason to get out of the house and space to think about what to do next alongside a friendly and professional community.
I also met with an employment adviser: Richard Linden. These sessions were hugely helpful. After all, I hadn’t listed my professional skills, achievements and strengths, much less drafted a CV for such a long time; that process was overwhelming as I realised I was out of touch. Richard was the perfect adviser for me. Honest, relatable, creative, he shared his professional views on how to put together my CV and covering letter, and he helped to brush up my interview skills.
Beyond the practical, I can’t begin to articulate how beneficial it is to feel that you have an expert/confidence-boosting supporter to hand, particularly during a vulnerable period.
Where am I now? In a much better place. I have a second interview for a role that I really want. To help prepare, I’ll arrange a practice interview with Work Avenue beforehand. Whatever the outcome in this case, I feel more confident and practiced so that when the right job comes around – and I firmly believe it will – I am in a far better position than I was to capitalise on that.
To sum up, Work Avenue is the community’s gift to itself; everyone is greeted with a warm welcome and given practical support. I highly recommend the personable, relevant and first class service to anyone who needs it, and feel immensely grateful to have been helped by this amazing, inclusive and special organisation.