Job clubs: course videos

John: Hi there, my name is John Kirkby. I’m the Founder and International Director of Christians Against Poverty, I am so excited that you have taken the huge and important step in your journey to finding work by coming to this CAP job club.

Having been through my own personal difficulties with debt and poverty, I started Christians Against Poverty back in 1996, simply to help other people in my home town of Bradford. Since then, CAP has grown massively into an international charity that’s partnering with over 1,500 churches in the UK, just like the one running your job club.

Every year, we help tens of thousands of people to budget their money, to get out of debt, and to find a job. The service is completely free, and let me assure you, you are in the right place. As you will see, everyone involved in CAP – including your Job Coach – really wants to help you.

We’re not going to make you follow rules or jump through hoops. Our objective is simply to help you get a job. We’re going to teach you some practical skills; we’re going to help you feel confident. Once a month, you will sit down for a coaching session with your Job Coach, giving you great one-to-one support and of course, as a group you will support each other.

There may be some things that are uncovered during this course that you need some extra help with. We just want to let you know that your Job Coach is here to speak with you about anything
you’re going through. We’re willing to pray with you if you’re comfortable with that.

Just sit back, relax, and be encouraged; you’re in the right place with the right people and you’re really going to enjoy being part of the CAP job club – Welcome!

Carrie: One of the things I found great about job club was the fact that no one’s judged. It doesn’t matter where you live or how much money you have or what your culture is, everybody is welcome. There’s people there that you can talk to individually if you’re a little bit shy, and it’s part of a community, it’s part of a group and everyone’s welcome.

Laura: We’re all in the same boat and we’re all supporting each other to get through that. I really feel like I’ve made a lot of friends through the process and I’ve become more of the community because of that.

Dean: The club has made me feel welcome every week as they do every member that comes. It’s just like one big happy family!

Mohammed: The people are very friendly, the manager is especially very good, and the job club. And myself, I took three more people in!

Dean: Joining the CAP job club has made me feel like I’m wanted, and I’m not just a worthless piece of meat.

Laura: Even if everyone was busy doing something, there was always someone by my side just cheering me on and supporting me.

Dean: Just being at CAP has totally changed my outlook on my whole life and looking for a job.

Sawdatou: Try and come to the job club – they are really friendly; they really appreciate you. There’s no need to be afraid – you’ll enjoy it!

Cheryl: They made me feel fantastic 100% every time I walked through the door. Always greeted with a smile, and I’ve never looked back really. It’s been such an amazing journey to be on and I am so not getting off this rollercoaster just yet!

John: If you have been job searching for a while, you will know that it’s not just having an up-to-date CV that gets you a job. It’s not just the interview, or where you look for jobs. It’s a series of steps that build on each other, which will get you into the best possible position to find a job. We will help you every step of the way, through eight sessions of this course.

Today, we’re looking at step one, which will help you find your motivation to get a job. At our next session we move on to step two, where you will overcome barriers you may face in your job search. You will set yourself some simple goals to help you focus.

Step three will help you discover your strengths and how to apply them to your job search. Step four will help you to get to know employers, what they are looking for and how to catch their attention.

In step five, we will walk you through preparing your CV and application forms that are tailored to your strengths and the job you are applying for. We will cover this over two sessions of the course, ensuring you get plenty of great help in writing a CV you can be proud of.

Step six will prepare you to succeed at interviews. And finally, step seven will get you ready for work to make you the best employee you can possibly be.

You will definitely have to play your part but I am here to tell you, you have the potential to find a job. Hundreds of people have sat where you’re sat today. Hundreds of people have thought they would never get a job. They were wrong, they did it and so can you! So together, let’s go and get you a job!

Cheryl: It has given me a massive amount of confidence to apply for more jobs in different areas that I thought was never possible.

Carrie: They’re there from the start and they talk you right through. They help you with interview techniques and give you back that positivity to go out there and feel like you’re worth something, and something of the community.

Gary: You know, I am now working five days a week at the Gateway, and it’s amazing.

Laura: Some places it feels like they are just getting you through the course or on to the next level
and then they forget about you. Well at CAP, they do care!

Sawdatou: In the job club, they really encourage you. Don’t give up. Some people will say no, which is okay. It’s not very nice but it is fine. You keep applying, you keep going looking for it, you’ll get it at the end.

Laura: They really do bring out the best in people and you feel better about yourself. And I think that is the first step to self confidence and being open. My wellbeing has just shot up!

John: Hi there, and welcome back to step two of your CAP job club. Today, we’re going to be looking at what is holding you back from getting that job that you really want. What obstacles do you need to overcome? Most of us are often held back by something, whether big or small. Overcoming these obstacles is vital to helping you get a job.

Cheryl: My biggest barrier was obviously being at home with my children, being depressed and just literally living the life of family. But going to job club has helped me open a door where I can get my confidence back, where I can see there’s more options there for me, apart from being sat at home between four walls, being depressed, when my kids are at school. There is other things you can do.

Gary: I found it lack of motivation. Obviously with my anxieties, you know, you’re just likely to get anxious with people. Like, ​‘If I go, will people laugh at me?’ and things like that. Just negative thoughts.

Andrew: I felt the same after my wife passed away. For the first few months, I couldn’t be bothered looking for jobs and that, until I got involved with job club. And since then my self esteem has gone back up.

John: So there we have it. Everyone has their own set of obstacles they need to overcome. I hope that the next exercise will help you identify your own obstacles and encourage you to firstly acknowledge them, and secondly, to tackle them. This may seem hard initially, but once you’ve done it, you will find yourself in a stronger position to move forward into your job search.

Carrie: I couldn’t think too much ahead, so setting little goals, it doesn’t matter how small they are, just doing one thing a day or ticking off what I need to do and then I know what I had to do for the week. And it doesn’t matter whether I did it all in one day or did it a little bit at a time, at least I know I was doing it. And then I wouldn’t stress about it, so that’s really helped.

Laura: I was vague. That was my issue. I would always set a goal that was too vague – like a New Year’s resolution! And it would just get forgotten.

Carrie: Don’t you find that all the obstacles and barriers that we first came with have slowly sort of gone away, and through job club with all the goal settings and all the different strategies they’ve taught us, well, I feel more positive – do you feel more positive?

(Everyone agrees)

Gary: Yeah, I feel like I’ve overcome my main barrier of motivation now. It’s just, you know, I feel so much more confident with it, and it’s just a brilliant feeling knowing that you can get to that stage.

John: Now that you have identified your obstacles, you’re going to learn a fantastic way to overcome them: goal setting. A goal is simply something that you want to achieve, something you’re aiming for. Obviously, you’re here at the CAP job club because you’re aiming to find a job. That’s your goal. It’s a very big goal though, isn’t it? And we’ve looked at some obstacles that could get in your way.

During this video, and the activity you’ll do afterwards, you’re going to learn how to set small goals that will help you to overcome the obstacles. They will keep you focussed on each stage of your job search, and they will give you a great sense of achievement when you can say, ​‘I’ve reached my goal!‘

There’s a simple formula for setting a good goal. First, the goal needs to be motivating. Second, it needs to be achievable. And third, the goal needs to have a deadline. It needs to be ​‘MAD’! Motivating, achievable and with a deadline. Let me show you what that means.

Motivating: it takes work to achieve every goal, so do you actually want to achieve this goal and why do you want to achieve it? There’s no point in setting a goal that you don’t care about! Knowing why you want to achieve the goal will be a great reminder when the going gets tough to stick at it.

For example, I could set myself a goal to start volunteering at my local cat shelter because someone told me to. Cats? It really doesn’t motivate me. I’m going to give up before I even start! However, if I set a goal of volunteering at my local food bank – something I really care about – I’ll be much more likely to put the effort in and will achieve my goal.

Achievable: can I do it? Goals need to be realistic, so that you can actually achieve them and will benefit from them. I’ve worked out that I’m motivated to help out with food bank, but if I think I’m going to start a food bank from scratch, that’s too ambitious and unrealistic.I don’t have the time to do that.

So instead, I should work out what I’m capable of, how much time I can dedicate towards my goal,
and make sure it’s achievable.

Deadline: when do you want to achieve it by? Goals could drag on forever if we don’t set deadlines. I’m going to give myself the deadline of contacting the food bank next week to arrange to volunteer. This gives me some focus, and makes sure I don’t let the weeks go by without achieving anything towards my goal.

Making change in our lives is always hard and finding a job is hard, so it’s really important to give ourselves deadlines for our goals. Then, when I try to avoid a difficult task, I’ll think, ​‘No. Even though this is hard, I need to do it because otherwise I’ll miss my deadline’. You’ll be setting some ​‘MAD’ goals at the end of each session of this course.

Perhaps your deadline could be next week’s session of the course, so that every session you’re going to be able to celebrate another goal that you have reached.

Remember, you’ll be meeting with your job club coach one-to-one, and you’ll be taking time together about how you’re getting on with achieving your goals.

I’ve seen hundreds of people see significant changes in their lives through simple goal setting,
and doing what they said they would do, when they said they would do it. Listen, they did it! They changed, and so can you.

Melissa: Some people would say that for five years I’ve been a mum. I’d say something different. I’d say that I’ve been a co-ordinator, because those kids can’t get themselves to the nursery. I’d say that I’ve been punctual because if the swimming lesson starts at 11, then the kids need to be there at 10:30 to get ready.

I’d say that I’ve been reliable because to arrange a five year old, and a baby, means to be responsible and trustworthy. Because being a mum is applying yourself to all areas of life. Those little ones can be demanding, you know!

I never thought I’d be able to teach, but it turns out that explaining and encouraging learning
was inside of me all along. I never thought I’d be good at painting, but it turns out I can be pretty creative.

Some people would say that for five years, I’ve been a mum. But I know that I’ve been a lot more than that.

Rick: A few years ago my mate Danny took over his local pub. He asked me to run the quiz on the Friday night. I didn’t realise I’d do such a decent job at it. But I’m pretty good at public speaking and, if anything, I’m committed.

I’ll always support City from the glory years, right through to the not so glorious years. So I put together some questions for the punters, about the 70s, music, football, and some general knowledge too.

You’ve got to stay self-motivated. I ended up realising I wasn’t just arranging the pub quiz. I was being hospitable, reliable, encouraging others to give it a go. It actually had a pretty decent turnout, too. Especially the night I met my missus.

The nights became quite popular, which made the quizzes more detailed and varied — so I got to show off more of my general knowledge. Danny said it was me who drew the crowd in. To be fair, I’ve always been good at making friends and including people.

Recognising that I could pull a crowd together changed everything, really. I’m just glad I realised I could do it, and all the skills I get to use. In the end, the organisation for the night always pays off. Especially when the drinks are on Danny!

John: A key principle to good communication is to understand your audience. Knowing who you’re talking to will help you to be engaging and relevant. When you’re applying for your job, your audience is the employer.

All employers are different and each job is different, so tailoring your CV or application is vital to make sure it’s as eye-catching as possible. Don’t worry, it’s not as difficult as it all sounds! All we need to do is put ourselves in the employer’s shoes for a moment.

Daniel: When we’re looking to recruit I think, first and foremost, the most important thing for us is getting a feel for the person, above and beyond experience, education, qualifications. We’re looking for that initial meet, and if they’re good enough and we feel they can fit into our company,
then they’re kind of like a perfect candidate for an interview or a role within our business.

Julie: So as an employer, in an interview or in an application, people aren’t trying to catch you out. They’re just trying to make sure that they’ve got the right fit for the organisation, so we’re just trying to get to know you.

Charles: We will listen to all people who come through the door. So I know in this particular shop that we’re in at the moment, if memory serves me right, we had a young man who walked in here and was out of work and asked if he could just have work experience. He was given that work experience and eventually became an employee here.

Julie: I really appreciate word-of-mouth recommendations, because the people who make them already work with us in the organisation, I have respect for them, they have respect for the organisation, they know what the values are, and it’s almost part of the interview process that you know that that person is going to fit if somebody within the organisation has recommended them. The next part is to look at the skills and experience, and dig a little bit deeper.

Charles: Where there isn’t actually a job, that doesn’t mean we won’t take people on work experience. We love work experience, and we give people a genuine chance to learn the job. So those are normally for six to eight weeks.

Julie: So one thing I’m always really impressed with is when I receive a proactive application, which is when somebody has just looked at our website and done some research and literally sends me in a CV.

Daniel: Listen, don’t be scared of us! We’re not big, bad ogres – we’re looking for great people to work within our businesses. People often think that we’re all the Alan Sugars, where it’s all, ​‘You’re fired!’ It’s not like that, you know, we’re just normal people living normal lives, looking for great people to work within our company. So keep doing what you’re doing and hopefully it could be you!

John: Hey, listen. This is really key: Having volunteering experience on your CV can be vital to you finding a job. There are lots of volunteering opportunities – it’s something everyone can do, and I would encourage you to seriously consider this as an opportunity to increase your appeal to employers. And you never know, it could actually lead to you getting the job you’ve always wanted.

Andrew: I’m thinking about doing volunteering at a community place where old people go,
because I like to care for people.

Gary: Yes, I’m doing voluntary work at the Gateway Café. I started off in the kitchen, you know, pot washing and that, and gradually building myself around the kitchen doing the coffee machine, even cheffing, English breakfasts.

Carrie: Those coffee machines aren’t easy as well!

Gary: Oh no, they can be quite tricky! There’s a bit of a technique to some of them, but you know…

Carrie: And I think the more you do it, don’t you find that you get into a routine, which is preparing you for when you do go back out to a job? You’re getting out of the house and doing something, mixing.

Gary: I’m enjoying it so much now because I’m serving as well in the café, meeting new people, making new friends, and it’s just amazing to be able to serve the community.

Carrie: It leads on to other things, doesn’t it sometimes, voluntary work?

Gary: It does, yeah. I mean, it’s led me on to like painting and decorating.

Andrew: Oh, good!

Gary: Yeah, get the odd paid job, you know doing a bit of painting and decorating.

Carrie: If you put volunteering on your CV, at least employers know that you’ve been looking and you’re active, and you’ve been doing something, you haven’t just been doing nothing.

Andrew: You can build up your skills and get certificates as well.

Carrie: Everything helps, doesn’t it?

Cheryl: There’s a couple of charities that do NVQs, don’t they?

Laura: I think I’ve got more out of volunteering than I’ve given back!

Julie: As an employer and somebody who’s recruiting people, I am always really impressed when somebody can say that they’ve done volunteer work. It really shows initiative, and it shows that you’re willing to get involved, and that you’re not just out ​‘earning money’.

Charles: It’s also a valuable way of gaining some skills that you might otherwise not have got.

Julie: It helps you to develop your skills, it shows that you’re working with people, and one thing that people always look for is team work, and volunteer work is a perfect example of team work.

Daniel: We can only look at it as a positive because you know, we’ve had it in the past where people will volunteer and it’ll lead to a job, so it shows that they’re willing to sacrifice maybe financial gain or financial rewards to get their foot in the door or get some experience, which will help them if they stay with us or choose to go elsewhere. It’s a huge plus point – huge, huge plus point is that kind of experience.

Julie: I have taken on people to do work experience and on occasion, those people have ended up actually staying with us or coming back and doing more, and it’s about building a relationship with an organisation.

Charles: One of the most difficult things that somebody interviewing has to do is when they look at a CV and they see gaps on it. You can hide gaps, but you can’t hide every gap. So where you’re out of work for whatever reason, you need to make the effort to go and do something for somebody else because it will pay dividends for you in the end when somebody comes to ask you, ​‘What did you do with your time?’

Julie: If you’re out of work now and not got a job, think about an area where you can volunteer. It will make a difference.

John: Think of your CV as a cover of your book. Its job is firstly to catch the attention of the employer, and secondly, to clearly point out your selling points in an attempt to make them read the whole book! You want to catch the attention of the employer, clearly point out your unique strengths, and make them invite you for an interview so that they can find out more.

To do this, you just need to spend a little more time tailoring your CV to each job you apply for. This is vital. Taking the time to do your research will help you identify the skills they are looking for. This is the first thing you should do and, once identified, you simply need to make sure you match your relevant skills with their needs. The harsh reality is that employers have a pile of CVs and if yours doesn’t catch their attention, then they’re just going to move on to the next one. Your aim is to do the hard work; make it clear in your CV that you fit the role, rather than them having to figure it out themselves.

Laura: See, I always look at the job description now. I pay so much attention to that, while before I didn’t. I would read it, go, ​‘Yeah, I’ve got that. I can do that’, but I didn’t really reflect that on my CV. I totally focus on what skills they’re after and how my skills can transfer there.

Carrie: I looked at, in that booklet, there’s lots of really good, useful words that you can put into it, isn’t there? And I changed a lot of mine round.

Laura: I do feel a lot more ready. I feel a lot more prepared in myself. ​‘Look, here I am on a piece of paper.’ While before, I was just like, ​‘I’m not sure if I’m confident enough to hand this in’. And now that someone’s gone through, with me, how to do a CV, I’m like, ​‘yeah!’ I feel more confident in myself as well. And hopefully that will make me stand out!

Charles: A good CV is something that is no more than two pages long. Some CVs today are far, far too long, there’s far, far too much information. It needs to be short and to the point. It’s got to be a selling document, so that the person who’s reading it at the other end thinks, ​‘This looks interesting. I need to speak to this person’.

Daniel: Something that just jumps off the page that makes me think, ​‘Oh, this is the kind of person I want in my team’.

Charles: If you have a gap, tell somebody what it is and they’ll feel that much more comfortable that the CV they’re reading is honest.

Julie: Avoid spelling mistakes. So make sure you can proofread it, or get somebody else to look at it. Have somebody else to proofread it and ask your friend.

Daniel: As an employer, it’s great to read something that shows that they’re interested in the role,
hat they’ve thought about the job.

Julie: So make sure that in your CV, you’ve understood what the role is that you’ve applied for, if it’s a particular role, and that you’ve got those skills quite clearly right at the top of your CV, so that the person looking at it can see a match straight away to the role that they’re looking for.

Charles: It’s very easy to spot a CV that’s just one that’s been sent out a hundred times. That’s very hard for people because you have to slightly rewrite things, but just make sure you rewrite some of it so that it is linked to the actual job that you’re applying for.

Julie: I don’t want to see something that is just so generic across the board, that it could go to any organisation, anywhere. I want to feel quite special from my point of view, that this person is right for me.

Charles: Look back to the job advert, take a few key words from that job advert, and make sure they’re included either in your cover letter or in the CV itself.

Julie: Don’t worry if you’ve been told, ​‘No’. Don’t let it upset you, it isn’t your fault. Keep going, make your CV strong – look at your CV again. If you feel confident enough, ask for some feedback; so if you have put a CV in, and you haven’t had any response, try again.

John: So, today is your big day! You’ve discovered your strengths, you’ve written a great CV, and you applied for that job. And you have been given an interview. First of all, you need to know that’s absolutely fantastic! Well done! Whatever happens today, you have done amazing.

In this step, we’re going to help you with the whole interview process. First of all, I’m going to walk you through that first stage.

So, I knew I needed to make an effort with my appearance. I’ve made sure I’m clean and smart – hey, I even wore a tie! I needed to arrive early and on time, so I checked the route yesterday to make sure I knew how to get here. And now, I’m ready. I’m here 15 minutes before that interview time. So, a deep breath, here we go. Let’s go and get ourselves a job!

When you go into reception, first impressions are really, really important. You need to know the name of the person you’re seeing, the job you’re applying for and, of course, the time of your appointment. I’m going to show you how you might do that and how you can make a fantastic first impression. Let’s go.

Hello, good morning. My name is John Kirkby. I’m here for my interview at 12:30 with Mrs Brook
for the Maintenance Supervisor.

Receptionist: Yes, Mr Kirkby. If you’d like to take a seat over there, Mrs Brook will be down to see you in 15 minutes.

John: So there you are. I’m in! I’m at the right place at the right time, and I’m ready to go. Hey, I’m still a little bit nervous, but I know it’s going to be okay because I’ve prepared.

I made sure that I read through my CV again yesterday to make sure all of those examples of my achievements were fresh in my mind. I’ve also recapped on the research I did on this company to show them that I really am interested in working here.

Now, there are some aspects of your interview right from the very start that you need to understand. One is, you need to have really good eye contact. Look your interviewer in the eye when you speak to them. This will help you to look and feel friendly and confident. You need to ensure that your body language makes a great impression. Shake your interviewer’s hand when you meet them; when you sit down, make sure that you sit upright, you sit straight – don’t cross your arms. It’s really important that you are enthusiastic and genuinely ready to start work and they need to see that. So, I’m just going to show you how you might start your interview.

Mrs Brook: Hi Mr Kirkby, I’m Mrs Brook.

John: Hi there. Really, really nice to meet you. I’m so looking forward to the interview.

Mrs Brook: Great, would you like to come with me?

John: So, how long have you worked here?

Mrs Brook: About eight years now.

John: Wow, yeah. Have you enjoyed it?

Mrs Brook: Oh, it’s absolutely fantastic. I love working here.

John: Yeah, it was interesting when I looked on the website, it was great to see the social responsibility that the company do and the work that you guys do volunteering outside of work.

Mrs Brook: It’s great, isn’t it?

John: So, we’re all ready to go – I’m in! I’ve made a great first impression. Now to answer some questions. The exercises that you’re going to do next are going to get you ready for answering the questions that you will face in your interview. Well done. You’re already well on your way to getting that job you’ve always wanted. Enjoy the interview stage!

Mrs Brook: So let’s get started. Can you tell me why you applied for this job?

Charles: The reason I like interviewing people is because I look at these people as the future of my business.

Daniel: If we offer an interview to someone, we’re obviously showing that we’re keen and willing to meet this person, so they’ve gone through the first process of us liking their CV, so the next stage is coming to see us.

Julie: That is a huge, huge positive because they want things to work out, they’ve actually spotted somebody who they think potentially can fill a gap in their organisation and who will fit. So it’s a huge confidence boost, take it positively.

Charles: You may be very, very nervous but so is the person interviewing you often! They’re desperate to find somebody to work and they just want to find the right person.

Daniel: I guess, no matter how confident you are, there’s always going to be a bit of nerves. But I think if you’ve got an interview, you’re nearly there.

Julie: Be friendly when you walk through the door. The first impressions really count.

Charles: So I would recommend strongly that they dress smartly, that they smile at the interview, that they’ve done their research and they’ve found out a little bit about the company.

Julie: And there’s nothing more refreshing than someone who sits in front of you and actually tells you what you do, because they’ve done the research on the website.

Daniel: I don’t expect you to know everything about our business, but I think it’s just common courtesy to have a look of us up online or find out a little about the company – even pop in and have a coffee, you know, find out, look at the staff, look at what we do.

Julie: People are looking for that little bit extra that somebody’s got. And it could just be that little bit of research that someone’s done on the organisation and the enthusiasm that comes through that makes the difference in getting the job.

Cheryl: I start a job very shortly, I’m looking forward to it. So yeah, been a single mum, been at home. Obviously doing a CV, job interviews and everything was quite nerving because I’ve been at home on my own. And then walking into an interview, obviously sat there really nervous but, obviously at the outcome of it, I actually got a job, which is really, really good!

Everyone: Fantastic! Well done!

Carrie: I haven’t got a job yet, but I feel better to look about at the jobs I want, and I feel I’m more confident to go in there and give a good interview.

Laura: It just really put me off, just applying for jobs — the fact that I would have to go in and present myself in person. I think one thing you’ve got to think about with interviews, and one thing we looked at in job club, was how to walk into a room!

Carrie: Yeah, with confidence.

Laura: Yeah, and we had the option of having coaching, individual coaching after the session so that we could get dressed up, and we would walk in with our Job Coach as the interviewer So we could do that and we could just plan for it and just take it step by step, which was really helpful.

Carrie: Has anyone ever said that you’ve got to imagine the people that are interviewing you without any sort of clothes on or anything? To make you feel sort of comfortable!

(Everybody laughs)

Julie: So when you do arrive to your new job, don’t worry. You’re there to enjoy yourself. Don’t worry about asking questions and, actually, the best thing to do is ask questions.

Daniel: I think that’s it, just enjoy your job! Enjoy your colleagues, get involved, show willingness.

Charles: A good employee is someone who turns up to work on time. Who turns up every day, is honest when they turn up, is pleasant to the people that they’re working with, and to the customers if there are – if it is a customer facing role as well, they’re pleasant to them.

Daniel: We’re always looking for someone that wants to go the extra mile, that wants to learn, that wants to have initiative, that wants to build on their common sense. I think they’re really important keys to any business really.

Charles: I really love people who have, what I would call, a teachable spirit. That means that even sometimes when you know something, you’re still willing to listen and to learn at every opportunity.

Julie: So don’t beat yourself up if you don’t know everything on day one. You have a really steep learning curve, but it’ll be fun if you put all the effort into it. Make some friends, and make sure you’ve got that support around you to help you through it.

Charles: I’m looking for people who are enthusiastic, and can show commitment because we can pretty much teach them everything else.

John: Hi job club members! Let me just begin by congratulating you, as this is your final session in your Steps to employment course. Well done for sticking with us, for committing to it, attending every session and playing your part. In today’s final session – and in some ways the most important – we are going to look at what it means to be work ready. Once you’ve achieved your goal of getting a job, you will want to keep it, and today, you will learn the principles of team work, take a look at what makes a great employee, and prepare for the move back into work.
Enjoy your last step in your Steps to employment course.

Cheryl: One thing with job club is I’ve managed to find a job! Which is brilliant. Feeling confident because I start in a couple of weeks, so being with job club, it’s given me the confidence, the skills, that I can take forward into my new job.

Carrie: Do you feel prepared?

Cheryl: Yeah, I feel prepared, so yeah, I’m really excited about starting work and being at the job club has kind of given me that boost.

Laura: Well I think the job club’s really helped me because, before I started job club, I wouldn’t even look at jobs, I was so run down by the whole process, and I didn’t know where I was going. I was totally lost, and then through job club, I found what I wanted to do. I’ve now gone into the workplace for the first time in several years, and just been able to walk into a room and go, ​‘I’m your new girl!’ Now, I feel like I cracked it. I walked in, I was confident.

Carrie: Is that because of the skills we used?

Laura: Yeah, and to ask questions. The amount of times you just think, ​‘Oh, they’re not going to like me if I keep pestering them’. But really you’re there to do a job. It’s seems silly now that I was so low down that I couldn’t even go, ​‘What am I actually doing?’

Carrie: Given me the motivation to keep going and keep looking. Even though I haven’t found anything yet, I know that I will.

Cheryl: Starting job club, every week I’ve gone, I’ve felt more and more confident. I’ve been able to achieve more than I suspected that I would achieve, and the main thing coming out of it is that I will be in full-time employment.

Dean: You’re never too old. If you’re willing to work, there’s always a job out there for you. Might take time to find it but there will be something at the end of the day. So, I’ll just keep looking and it’ll come one day.

Sawdatou: My first day at work, I was a bit nervous but I was expecting, like, it’s a new place, with new people but they were very welcoming and they also explained the things they wanted me to do and I was very happy to start.

Dean: Thanks to CAP, they showed me a different route to find jobs and I’m on the path!

John: Well done! That’s it! You’ve learned so much. You began by uncovering your motivation to ensure you knew exactly why you were willing to put all this effort in to finding a job. Secondly, you overcame the obstacles holding you back, putting you in a stronger position to move forward with your job search. You’ve set some ​‘MAD’ goals to stay focused on what’s important.

Next, you discovered your strengths, equipping you with the confidence and the tools to promote yourself for a job. Step four was when you got to know employers so that you now understand what they are looking for.

Step five was taking this knowledge and using it to create a striking CV, highlighting your skills and qualities. You practised some great interview techniques in step six. During this final step, you have thought about some great ways to settle into a new job successfully.

Once you are successful at finding a job, don’t forget the bonus step: make sure you celebrate! It’s not always going to happen the first time you apply for a job, but remember to keep applying everything you have learned. Stay involved in your CAP job club, which is here to help you find work and encourage you to keep going.

I’d like to thank the church and the job club team for hosting the CAP job club. I hope you’ve been welcomed and encouraged, and have met some really nice people. At CAP, we’d love you to find out a little bit more about the church and how you could get involved. Please speak with your Job Coach.

Let me finish by saying ​‘well done’! Thank you for joining me and your job club coaches on the Steps to employment course. It’s been great to have you along with us.

Steven: Please send in the first interviewee please. Excuse me, he’s late? He was supposed to be here five minutes ago. Another ten minutes? That’s unfortunate. I guess we’ll have to wait for him.

Oh, he’s arrived? Yes please, send him in.

Hi Gareth, my name is Steven.

Gareth: You alright? Yeah?

Steven: Yeah, I’m good. Good to have you here. Um, thank you for coming.

Gareth: Yeah, yeah.

Steven: First question, why would you like to work for us?

Gareth: Um… (sighs) Well my mum said that I need to get a job. So, uh… The job centre is on my back as well so I just thought I’d, um, you know, make some applications and stuff. You know, yeah. Yeah, so that’s why um, that’s why I want the job. I just need some money. Be nice to have a bit of money so I can go to my mates’ and stuff, you know? Yeah, yeah.

Steven: Can you tell me about your past experiences?

Gareth: Uh, um… I’ve done some stuff before, yeah, um… I used to work in another, used to work in another, retail takeout place. Yeah, I used to put together meals and stuff. Um… Yeah, nothing too hard, is it? It’s an easy job, isn’t it? You know, yeah.

Steven: Can you give me an example of when you’ve worked in a team?

Gareth: Uh… Sorry. Um… I don’t know. Um… Well, another place I worked, you know, we (phone chimes) we all had to work together. So, um, you know, I’d, I’d put stuff in the fryer and then they’d put it in the boxes and stuff, and then the next guy would look at the order, make sure it went to the right person, so… Um, yeah, I’ve got a bit of experience doing that. Yeah.

Steven: Do you have any questions for us?

Gareth: Um, how much is the wage?

Steven: That’s on the job description. It’s minimum wage.

Gareth: Do I have to work weekends?

Steven: That was also on the job description, yes, we work weekends.

Gareth: Alright, okay.

Steven: So I think we’re done here. Thank you, Gareth.

Gareth: Yeah, yeah, yeah, fine. Yeah, no problem.

Steven: Cheers.

Gareth: Alright, okay.

Steven: Bye, bye.

Gareth: Alright then, see you later.

Steven: Bye bye now.

Steven: Hi Gareth. Welcome, my name’s Steven. Please do come on in and take a seat.

(Gareth chatters enthusiastically)

Steven: Good to see you too.

(Gareth continues to chatter enthusiastically)

Steven: So Gareth-

Gareth: Right, cool.

Steven: Tell me, why would you like to work for us?

Gareth: Oh, uh, yeah… (clears throat) Well I um, yeah, I really want to work for you ​’cause yeah, you know, yeah, you’ve got loads of stores all over the place and you do really good sandwiches. So, yeah, I’d really like to work for you. And I’ll tell you why. ​‘Cause, you know, I have a lot of friends who eat at sandwich places and they really, really talk highly of you and this one time we went to another place that does sandwiches and it wasn’t as good as yours and yeah when we tried it, we were like, ​‘Oh, that’s not as good as their sandwiches!’ The meatball one particularly wasn’t very, very nice. But anyway, they had this really nice sauce with it, which I think was maybe a little better than yours but actually the meatballs weren’t as good. So yeah, so that sandwich wasn’t as good. Yeah. Yeah but that’s why I want to work for you ​’cause yeah, ​’cause your sandwiches are really, really good and yeah there’s loads of stores, so there’d be loads of places for me to work. So that would be great, yeah.

Steven: Okay, can you tell me about any previous experience you have?

Gareth: Um… (clears throat) Experience? You know, I used to work, I used to work for another family-run business that did sandwiches and breakfast and things like that and I worked on the sandwich bay for ages and, uh, they uh, they… well, it wasn’t run very well and the boss wasn’t very, very nice and me and her didn’t really get on, so yeah, it came to a point where I… I… oh we don’t need to talk about it, we don’t need to talk about that.

But yeah they did a lot of sandwiches so I’ve had a lot of experience making sandwiches lot of experience making breakfasts and dealing with customers and doing the tills and ordering stock and preparing stock and doing yeah all the stuff you need to do. Yeah, yeah, I’ve done all that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I worked there for four weeks. Yeah, so I’ve done all of that, it’s really good. Really, really good.

Steven: Okay, that’s all really good stuff. And can you tell me about a time where you’ve worked as a team?

Gareth: Oh, um, yeah, so, working in a team. There was a couple of us who used to make the breakfasts. So I’d do all the bacon, and Tina, she would do all of the, uh, the mushrooms and tomatoes and then there was, uh, Julie outside and she would do the bread and she would do, she would do the beans, and yeah, so I’d do my bit and then I’d pass it on to her and then she would pass it on to her and then we’d give it to the customer so that was how we would work in a team.

But sometimes we would all have to do our own bit and do our own thing. So this one time where a customer came in and I was on the till. I wasn’t making the sandwiches, I was on the till. And so we were serving her and we were talking and she was telling me about, about sandwiches at this other place and how they’ve got more bacon in it, so I was telling her like, you know, we have two slices of bacon in a sandwich, we don’t need more than two but she was saying… no, it wasn’t that there was more than two sandwiches, sorry, more than two slices of bacon in the sandwich. They were thicker, much better bacon. So, yeah, so we had a conversation about that and so we thought that maybe we might need to get bigger, thicker bacon. But that was the boss’ decision and she isn’t very nice. So she wanted to keep it cheap so she was like, ​‘No we don’t need it, we don’t need more bacon’. So yeah, so we didn’t really get more bacon. Yeah, but working as a team. Yeah, we would all work together to make sandwiches. Yeah, that’s what we’d do.

Steven: Okay, thank you for your time today, do you have any questions for us?

Gareth: When can I start? You know, I’m free now. I haven’t worked for a little while so I could, I could start work tomorrow.

Steven: We’ll be in touch.

Gareth: No? Okay. Okay. Well, thank you. Thank you very much for your questions. Yeah, when will I hear from you?

Steven: Next week.

Gareth: Next week? Okay. Okay. Okay, alright.

(Gareth chatters enthusiastically)

Steven: Hi Gareth, my name is Steven.

Gareth: Hi Steven. Pleasure to meet you, thank you for having me today.

Steven: Thank you very much. Take a seat.

Gareth: Yes, thank you.

Steven: So Gareth, tell me, why would you like to work for us?

Gareth: Yeah so um, I‘ve always wanted to work for a company that is known for the way that it values both its customers and its staff and I know that you and your business have been doing that for over 50 years. I’ve seen that you’re a world leader within this area. That you make some of the best sandwiches in the world and you’re well known for particularly your meatball marinara.

So I’m a big fan of you as a brand and I’ve seen the way that you treat your staff and I would love to work somewhere that not only provides quality and is very careful about its product and cares about its customers but I would also like to work somewhere where I will be able to build my own career and build my own prospects within a company that’s known around the globe such as yours.

Steven: Can you tell me about any experience you might have in relation to this role?

Gareth: My past experiences include working in quite similar industries in the past. Um, I’ve worked for a number of your rival companies. So I understand the care and detail needed for each and every single sandwich to not only replicate the quality that you require, but also that the sandwiches are cared for and the customers enjoy them. So, um, my past experiences include working front of house, proofing bread, um… creating sandwiches.

I’ve also worked the tills, I’ve done stock take, I’ve done open and closing stores, I’ve done that all through working for this other sandwich company that I can’t name. (Gareth chuckles) But, yeah, so um, I have a lot of experience working in a similar industry and I understand everything it takes that you would require for someone to be able to do this well.

Your um, keen eye for detail is a particular thing that I think sets you guys apart and uh, my experience has been to make every single sandwich look, feel, and taste the same, and keep that quality up. I’ve also got experience of upselling, so while working the tills particularly, when selling a sandwich, not only offering them a drink or maybe a snack to go with it. But also just taking advantage of any offers that are available at the time as well so that we maximise the income for the business but also give the customer everything that they might not have thought of. So yeah.

Steven: Good experience! Tell me about working in a team.

Gareth: Working in a team, so yeah, so while working in the previous store where I worked, we would often have to, um, obviously do normal day-to-day tasks, but often there would be times where maybe a staff member had been caught off guard by something or was maybe going a little slower than normal, so we would always try and pick up, um, the slack for each other. I would often be found doing extra cleaning tasks and extra things around the other staff as they’re working just so that we’re all working together as a team and that we show that, that not one person is above getting their hands dirty and cleaning. So I know that cleanliness is an important part of this kind of business. We need to be really good with our food hygiene and so, yeah. I have the qualifications for that so I would often find myself, if I ever had any downtime to clean around the store, when I get an opportunity to, but also just to help other staff members whenever they are struggling.

So a particular example, for instance, we had a gentleman who was working in our store who had to change his gloves quite often for our vegan and vegetarian customers and sometimes that would take up some time. Particularly if you have a vegetarian and a meat sandwich
and then a vegetarian and a meat. So sometimes when he was having to change his gloves I would be able to come over and just take a sandwich and move it on to the next part and continue with the salad, maybe toast it and just give him an opportunity to, to do that, and then it made it easier for him to be able to keep on track with particularly the vegetarian sandwiches as we have a lot of vegetarian customers in the store that I worked.

And I know that you guys are valued for your care about vegetarian and vegan options. So I know that it’s quite important. So I would help him out with that, um, and he really appreciated it because it meant that he was able to keep the sandwiches going, he was able to keep the customer flow going and it really built team together.

Steven: Thank you. Any questions for us?

Gareth: Yeah, thank you. I’ve really enjoyed today, thank you for having me. If I had one question for you, it would be why do you like working for this company?

Steven: Because I get to see young men come in here and build careers. And I love that.

Gareth: And that’s fantastic! Yeah, it’s great to hear something like that, that’s what I’m hoping for myself. I want to build a career here and to be able to be valued as a staff member, but also to be able to value the people that we serve as well so thank you, sir. Thank you for your time. Yeah, I really appreciate it. Thank you.