Preparation is key
May 19, 2021
When looking for a new employment opportunity, do you ever consider if you are really ready for the application process?
Having the excitement, determination and passion to find a new job, as well as possessing the skills and capability to meet the requirements of that job can be an exhilarating time for any job seeker. But there is a journey to undertake first to get to that all important stage of having secured
the job and getting stuck in.
Just like the Scouts’ motto ‘Be Prepared’, the first stage of seeking out employment needs to be preparing to apply
for employment.
At Ways into Work we recognised that some of our clients, who often had never been in paid work, whilst very prepared and capable of doing a specific job, were not fully prepared for the process of actually applying for jobs. Ultimately this was significantly hindering their chances of getting to or past the interview stage.
Having identified our clients’ need for greater support in preparing for their employment journey, the Employment Preparation Course
(EPC) was born! Since running the first course in October 2020, it has been very successful; we have run 9 separate courses, each 10 sessions long and prepared
87 individuals for their employment journey.
The EPC course covers very current and relevant content, ranging from understanding the current job market to how to approach an online interview, as well as outlining the benefits of work and a positive work ethic. The course is held remotely online, making it accessible to our clients from the comfort of their homes during the pandemic, as well as building their confidence on video calls.
The 10 sessions layer up week by week all the skills required to be successful in obtaining employment. Topics lead to a realistic style mock online interview – conducted and arranged by one of our Employment Coaches not known to the client. This really mimics the process of arranging and attending a real interview. Feedback is then given to each attendee on every aspect, from how they presented themselves in the video interview, to how they answered the questions and how they approached the initial interview set up communication.
The EPC has provided our clients with so much more than an opportunity to upskill and prepare for work; we experience firsthand how the individual’s confidence grows week on week and how they learn to enjoy interacting in group situations.
More about what content the EPC covers can be found on our flyer - download here.
Photo by Samantha Borges
on Unsplash
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