Determined to succeed
Jake’s cleaning career takes off thanks to the Restart Scheme
After being unemployed for two years, Jake Corrigan from Nottingham is back in work in a new sector thanks to the help he received on the Restart Scheme.
Jake joined the Restart Scheme in June 2022, having previously worked as a self-employed labourer.
When Jake met with his Employment Advisor, Sara, he needed help with job searching, interview techniques and basic IT skills. He also required support to improve his mental health. Initially, Jake was sceptical as to how the scheme could help him but his mindset slowly shifted when he saw the team’s commitment to helping him.
Jake knew that being employed would help his mental health so was determined to get back into work straight away.
At each session, Sara gave him relevant job searching advice and support. Sara helped Jake to improve his digital skills, by teaching him the basics and helping him to apply for jobs online. She also booked him onto a session to improve his CV.
Sara put Jake forward for a part-time cleaning role with a local employer who was interviewing participants within the Nottingham Restart Scheme office. Sara was on hand to help Jake with interview preparation by taking him through potential questions beforehand, so that he had a clear idea of what to expect.
Jake’s interview was a success, and he secured the role the same day.
Jake started his new job as a cleaner in October, and thanks to his hard work and commitment, he is progressing well and undertaking training for a supervisor position.
Jake said: “My job is going really well, I’ve made new friends and it feels like a family. I’m training to become a cover supervisor too, which is really exciting.
“I didn’t think I would get the job as I’ve never done cleaning before, but Maximus helped me a lot. I’m not good on the Internet and Sara made looking for a job seem a lot easier than I thought it was. I really appreciated everything that Sara did.”
Sara Mahfooz, Jake’s Employment Advisor, said: “Jake is really enjoying his new job. He has met some lovely people and made some good friends. He has mentioned his mental health is a lot better, and he now has a reason to get up in the morning.”
