Carmen
Carmen came into the hub after receiving a leaflet from a neighbourhood promotional campaign
about our services. From the flyer, she was particularly interested in exploring how we could support her well-being and help her return to the workforce. Carmen had been out of work for several months due to anxiety and felt increasingly isolated. She was ready to get back on her feet but needed some guidance to do so.
When she arrived, Carmen was pleasant and appeared very sociable. However, during our one-on-one session, she shared that she is skilled at masking her emotions and actually found things quite challenging. Together, we discussed several options. As she was attending a counselling course one day per week at Blackburne House, well-being volunteering emerged as a strong possibility. We also explored potential roles in retail and administrative work. We suggested that she take a few days to reflect on the ideal next step, and we planned to discuss her thoughts in greater detail during our next session.
Over the following weeks, we held weekly sessions focused on CV writing and job searches. She decided that a part-time cleaning position, a role she had held in the past, would be the best fit for her. We felt it was important to avoid overwhelming her, especially after such a challenging start to the year. A part-time cleaning job would help her establish a routine while allowing her to continue her studies and maintain personal time for herself.
Each week, Carmen shared updates on her progress, and together we reviewed opportunities on our in-house job board to identify roles that suited her. She also subscribed to our TLC newsletter, which provides weekly job listings. One of the newsletters featured a local part-time cleaning position just a 15-minute walk from her home. Thanks to our partnership with the employer, program participants meeting the job criteria were guaranteed an interview.
After applying, one of my colleagues conducted interview preparation with Carmen over the phone. During the interview, she felt confident and was offered the job on the spot! In addition to her studies and new part-time cleaning role, we also shared a volunteer opportunity for an administrative position at a local community centre. Carmen applied for this as well, and the centre was extremely impressed with her during the interview. She is now in the process of taking on this volunteer role one day a week.