Dan's story
| Age: | 19 | |
| Location: | Wolverhampton | |
| Work experience: | Carillion | |
| Employment history: | Unemployed | |
| Current employment: | Volunteering with YouthBank UK |
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Give me chance
I’d been out of work since school and I didn’t have any idea what I wanted to do. I just needed qualifications and experience, which is why I did the two weeks placement.
Everywhere you look people want experience of some kind, but that’s easier said than done. You want a job, but employers want you to have experience, and you can’t get the experience unless someone gives you a chance.
The great thing about this course was that we got work but we were also given interview training and advice. We had to go for interviews with the employer we wanted to do work experience with, and if they liked us we’d get the gig.
We were given a bit of training about how to handle those interviews. They gave us an idea of the questions we might be asked and some advice on the best ways to answer. We were told how we should sit, how we should present ourselves, how to dress and that kind of thing.
Carillion wanted some level of IT, which I had. I was confident enough working on computers, so I felt happy going for that interview.
Big man
The morning of the interview, I was there in my suit, with a coffee, reading the paper. It felt quite strange, but in a way it made me feel more confident. “I’m here in my suit, I’m a big man, I’m going to get the job, I’m going to get the girls!”
It was the first interview I’d had, but it wasn’t as intense as I’d thought it might be. They were really nice. They were just getting to know me - asking about my hobbies, what I was good at and what my weaknesses are.
What helped me do well in the interview was remembering what I’d been told in the training: be polite, keep eye contact, shake hands, don’t be scared and show yourself in the best light. You only get one chance – don’t be nervous!
Afterward, I got really positive feedback and they told me I’d got the position. I was very happy. Carillion is a good company to work for, anyone around here will tell you that.
First day
The first day of the placement is something I won’t forget. I got up really early, so I’m tired and a bit nervous. But there’s no point in being tired, you’ve just got to go for it. You do what you have to do – the night before, you get everything ready and go to bed early – so there’s no mad panic in the morning.
When I actually walked through the doors for the first time, I thought, “Blimey! Am I going to be good here?” It’s a nice office, a good place to work.
Pretty soon, I’d forgotten about my nerves. I was treated like a proper member of staff, not a work experience kid. That was great.
While I was there I had a job coach, someone who checked things were going well, who looked after me, made sure I knew what was happening. This person also helped me put a CV together. Beforehand it wasn’t that good. Now it’s much better - it’s actually helped me get work.
I now load my CV into sites likes Total Jobs. That’s where I get my job offers; people see my CV and ask me in for interviews.
The best thing about this whole project was simply getting the experience. It was great. In those two weeks I learnt so much, it felt like I was there for a year.
It really helped my confidence. It showed me I could actually work. I could enter an office and do well. I’d not had that kind of chance before, it helped me think differently about myself.
One of the highlights was travelling home on the bus after my first day. We had been given ID badges and I’d forgotten to take mine off. Someone spoke to me and said, “You work for Carillion? That’s a good job to be in that is.” I didn’t know what to say! Someone nice is asking if I work at Carillion. That kind of thing doesn’t happen to someone like me.
Volunteering
Since the placement, I’ve become much more involved in Youthbank. I work as a volunteer, helping to decide whether we should give money to different schemes for young people.
They recently opened up a new Youth Café and I went along and volunteered for the whole of half term, just going along each day and helping out with whatever needed to happen.
I’m doing this – putting the hours in and not getting paid - because I want to work. I want to show what I can do. You know, I’ve got a bad background and most employers won’t give me a chance. So I have to do whatever it takes to put all of that behind me and show that I am hard working, that I can put the effort in and that I am dedicated.
I’ve got to give myself these opportunities because other people might not be willing to give them to me.
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