"Now I am working in my chosen field I believe in myself again, and I have the confidence to ask for help when I need it.”
When Abdul, 28, received information about Ingeus’ Pathways to Work programme in the post, he had been on health benefits for almost 12 months due to vision problems resulting from a brain haemorrhage he suffered as a teenager.
When Abdul met his Ingeus advisor, Tessa, he told her that he was keen to re-enter the workforce as an IT tutor or a network engineer but felt that potential employers were discriminating against him due to his vision problems. Abdul was also unsure how the move from benefits into employment would affect him financially, so Tessa conducted some calculations to show him that he would be financially better-off in work.
Tessa determined that, while Abdul was able to secure interviews, he was unable to turn them into concrete job offers and, over time, this had left him with little confidence about his prospects. To address this issue, Tessa arranged for Abdul to undertake mock interviews with other Ingeus advisors so he could learn how to adjust his responses to different interview situations.
Ingeus’ in-house health psychologist also taught Abdul some self-realisation techniques to improve his self-confidence and overall outlook. Tessa assisted Abdul to develop tailored cover letters to accompany his CV, and encouraged him to make use of the free computers, newspapers and phones at Ingeus to search and apply for work.
Abdul recommenced his search for work with renewed vigour and his efforts paid off when he was offered a part-time role as an IT Technician at a local college. Abdul is delighted to be working in IT once again and is confident that he can achieve his next goal of working in a full-time role while continuing his technical studies.
Abdul says: “Ingeus helped me to learn more about myself and attain my dream job. Now I am working in my chosen field I believe in myself again, and I have the confidence to ask for help when I need it.”