Aimen’s story

Careers support helped Aimen regain her confidence after redundancy.

Aimen, 36, has lived in Deeside for over 10 years. After being made redundant, she found herself struggling to secure her next opportunity.

She said, “Sadly, I lost my job last year in April and I was quite disheartened, to be honest. I started applying online on all the job platforms and everywhere, but I wasn't getting any luck. I lost my confidence, and I was getting frustrated.”

Getting support

Aimen decided to reach out to Working Wales for help.

She said, “One day I just walked into the office. I was welcomed very warmly. The way I was asked what my situation was and when I explained I was given an appointment, my career advisor, Andy, took the time to listen to my situation. He discussed all the possible options that were available for me.”

Together they talked about the types of work Aimen enjoyed and the importance of finding a role that suited her family life. They also identified her need for an updated CV.

“He explained to me that my CV might need to be improved a bit. Sometimes people don't know how to sell themselves in the best way so a CV specialist can help you bring all your skills together and highlight them in your CV so that it can help you get the job."

Aimen booked an appointment with Lesley, an employability coach at Working Wales, to gain a better understanding of how to improve her CV. Lesley helped Aimen list all her job roles to date and identify the key skills she could showcase to employers.

A turning point

Once her CV was updated, Aimen started applying for jobs again.

“I applied to a few different places using the new CV. I got a lot of responses out of which I had this care job as a care assistant. Immediately they were happy to offer me the job. They even offered me an apprenticeship.”

This gave Aimen the chance to get back into work and rebuild her confidence.

Aimen said, “Coming to get help and support from Working Wales was the turning point in my life. I was given so many different options – I could choose to find a career or to study. So it's not just one thing.”

Advice for others

Talking with a careers adviser helped Aimen see her own strengths again.

Aimen said, “Even just chatting to them, telling them about the things that I used to do and what I'm capable of, made me realise I shouldn’t be feeling so low about myself. I actually had a lot to offer.”

She encourages others to use the free service.

“Anybody who is unsure of how to find the best career for them, or if they need support upgrading their CV, or if they have the skills but don't know how to put themselves out there – I would recommend them to come to Working Wales. It's a free service and I’m sure they will get the help and support they need to move in the right direction.”

If you’ve been affected by redundancy, please visit redundancy support or contact us.

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