Skills 4 Success
Success Story
I sat down to write this, lit a cigarette, took two pulls, looked at the nasty smelly thing burning in the ash tray and decided I don't need them anymore and put it out. So today's the day I give up smoking. What has brought about that decision? I hear you ask! Well let me take you back to 6th February 2007.
I was made redundant last year and had been unemployed for 5 long months. During this time I had completed 7 job application forms, sent off over 100 CV's, from which I had obtained 3 interviews. I came out of those interviews feeling sure I had made a good impression and felt positive about my future. Then I got the text or email that said they would not be taking my application further. Each rejection or non reply knocked my self esteem and confidence until they were at rock bottom. It got so bad that the last week in January I didn't bother to leave the house except to buy cigarettes. Last year I was running a community organisation and communicating with hundreds of people each week. That week in January I spoke only to my partner, my son and the shopkeeper, I bought the cigarettes from.
It couldn't have got worse, or so I thought, then I got the phone call that informed me I had to attend some stupid back to work course or I would have my benefits stopped!
So on the 6th February I dragged myself to the course at a building next to Wembley Stadium, quite apt I remember thinking. The home of the England Football Team, who can't win anything at the moment either, I felt in good company. The people on the course were a very diverse group from different backgrounds but I soon discovered we had a lot in common, lack of confidence, low in spirits and suffering from job rejection syndrome. Yet these were intelligent, vibrant and skilled people. So where were we going wrong?
On the very first session I found out from Nancy and Emma our tutors, that only 4% of jobseekers obtain successful employment by replying to adds on the internet. As that was what I had been doing, no wonder I wasn't having any success. Although I was still skeptical I decided to stick around and see what other techniques would be suggested as being more successful.
During the next 5 days, we were set tasks to work with each other in small groups to dig deep into ourselves to find our motivation, to increase our confidence, to ascertain what it is that we each personally wanted and to plan a strategy for obtaining our goals. It sounds hard work and complicated but it was simple and very revealing, I was sure I knew what job I wanted but soon found out I had been talking myself into something I didn't really want to do. It was hardly surprising I didn't get those jobs I had applied for as I had probably subconsciously demonstrated that I didn't want them.
At the graduation presentation some of the group had already been offered employment some had more than one offer. All of us had made substantial inroads into our futures and we all felt renewed vigour and confidence in ourselves and our abilities, all that was obvious from our speeches. Some of us had made new friends as a bonus.
I personally feel I have made a journey into self discovery. I now know where I want my path to lead and how to get there. I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to put some perspective in their thinking and energy into their life. To Nancy and Emma I thank you for your enthusiasm which infected us all and I will use your logical and reasoned exercises in all aspects of my life. That brings me back to the cigarettes - I now feel confident that I can do whatever it is I set my mind to so look out world 'cos I'm back!!!
More quotes from participants on Skills4Success:
“[Skills4Success] brought out my confidence to ring up, look for jobs and keep going until I got one”
“The cold calling session refreshed me in making me realise anything is possible”!
“I’m calmer and more confident and I know how to use my knowledge more quickly.”
“[Skills4Success] was a confidence booster, threw you into a group with different sorts of people – it was good for social skills