Jimmy's story

Support from Working Wales helped Jimmy rebuild his confidence after redundancy and secure a new role.

After redundancy, Jimmy felt he needed to get back into work quickly. He began applying for roles, but wasn't getting any response.

“I left the business with a small payout,” says Jimmy. “It was quite important to get back on the job market as quickly as possible.

Turning applications into interviews

Jimmy first heard about Working Wales after visiting the Jobcentre in Porthcawl. He was referred to Working Wales careers adviser, Kelly.

Together, they reviewed his CV and discussed covering letters. They looked at how recruitment processes have changed since he had last applied for jobs.

“I realised that it was AI that was reading your CV, so it was a good idea to use AI to help you. That was really helpful,” says Jimmy.

“It was invaluable because I had sent a lot of CVs out and I had nothing. When I changed it with Kelly’s advice, all of a sudden I started getting feedback. I started getting invites to interview too, which was great.”

Kelly also helped Jimmy understand modern interview techniques, which were very different from what he had experienced.

“I'd gone for three or four interviews and I was surprised by what they asked. They talked about behaviours and how you deal with situations” he says.

Looking beyond engineering

Kelly encouraged Jimmy to think more broadly about the types of roles he could pursue.

Rather than focusing solely on engineering jobs, they explored how his wider skills and experience could transfer into different careers.

“Kelly helped me see what I was trying to do. I'm working with people now rather than things, which is something I'm really looking forward to.”

Building confidence through practice

Following Kelly's advice, Jimmy began treating every interview as a learning opportunity.

“Once I understood the way interviews worked, the best training was an interview,” he says.

“I did several interviews for jobs. They all helped towards me practising with technique and raising my confidence.”

A new opportunity ahead

Jimmy went on to secure a role with training provider ACT. He is looking forward to starting his new job.

Reflecting on the support, he said, “Before, I didn't know where to look. Looking for jobs and not hearing anything, it seemed very bleak.

“After the session with Kelly, there was sort of light at the end of the tunnel, I think, and it made me a believer again.

“It has really improved my confidence, especially when I could see the advice working so quickly with my CV. It made a huge difference.”

For anyone in a similar situation, Jimmy has a clear message.

Certainly get in touch with Careers Wales. That was the best move I did.”

If you’ve been affected by redundancy and feel you need redundancy support or access to training and upskilling, please visit Redundancy Support or contact us.

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