- Jack Stone and Allison Simpson, RTW Skills Facilitator
Life is an extraordinary journey filled with opportunities waiting to be seized. It's a story of dreams and aspirations, and today, we are thrilled to share an inspiring chapter from one such story—Jack Stone's remarkable journey to college!
Jack, a recent graduate of the Central Learning and Employability Hub based in the Coatbridge Community Centre, is setting sail towards a bright future – he’s off to college, where he will be pursuing his passion for sports.
Journey Begins
Throughout Jack’s time in the Hub, he was fully engaged and stayed motivated and determined while working towards completing Routes To Work’s employability programme delivered by one of our experienced skills facilitators, Allison. Under her guidance, Jack honed a diverse set of skills that helped him develop his self-confidence.
As part of Jack’s journey, we offered him a variety of sessions, each an amazing opportunity for him to learn and grow. He delved into the details of creating a compelling CV, understanding its structure, and writing a powerful personal statement that highlighted his unique skills and qualities. Jack also explored the process of a successful job search, utilising a variety of powerful platforms, including social media.
Jack's commitment extended beyond the classroom. He regularly updated his CV and continuously maintained his CPD record. But that was just the beginning.
With the support of our amazing team, Jack invested time in identifying the employability skills and qualities that would set him apart in the sectors he was interested in. Some of the skills he now has under his belt is the ability to write a persuasive cover letter, and a good knowledge of the significance of understanding job adverts, person specifications, and job descriptions to align his skills with the demands of potential employers.
Next Steps
Next in his journey was applying all that he has learned so far to practice. For that, he completed the My World of Work, All About Me and Strengths analysis, all while carefully selecting a live job role and completing a practice application.
The next step in the employability journey of a lot of our clients is practicing, and as a result mastering, interviews. This includes learning best practices and techniques to succeed and leave a good impression on the interviewer. Jack went to do just that – he completed the first part of our RTW interview skills programme and tackled competency-based interview questions using the STAR method in preparation for a mock interview with his trainer Allison.
In the second phase of the programme, Jack learned the importance of planning, effective verbal and written communication, invaluable tips for interview success and how to dress to impress at an interview. The next challenge in his preparation was creating a story board all about interview skills during a presentation to develop his jotting and note taking skills.
Furthermore, Jack completed a session on common interview questions, thoroughly planning his responses. The highlight of his journey was a practice mock interview, where he performed admirably, scoring an impressive 4 out of 5 for each question. This success gave Jack the confidence to apply for college.
Heading for Success
As Jack prepares to embark on his college adventure, we extend our heartfelt wishes for every success he will undoubtedly achieve. Jack’s journey is one of many at Routes To Work, but it showcases the unwavering support that our clients get, depending on their needs, wishes and dreams. And this support doesn’t stop here – our post destination support professionals make sure that each and every one of Routes To Work champions is happy after reaching their desired milestone and guide them to the next page in their story of success.
Each of our clients is in the heart of our work, and seeing Jack’s journey develop as he moves towards his positive destination – going to college – is heartwarming and inspiring. We wish him every success for the future.
Did Jack's story inspire you? Whether you are looking to begin your own journey to education or work, however challenging it might seem, we are here to support you all the way!
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