Having never applied for a Civil Service role before, Salma arrived at her Public Sector training programme with an open-minded attitude and a genuine willingness to learn. She had been unemployed for just over a month and wanted to embark on a career that would secure her long-term future.
Salma had already discussed potential opportunities with her JobCentre Work Coach and, in doing so, had in fact decided that the Work Coach role itself is something she would love to try. Her tutor, Sharon, agreed that this sort of role would be a great fit for her personality and skillset.
Salma understood that the Civil Service application process would be more complex than those she’d tried in the past. However, she already had some knowledge of the STAR Method, and that it had to be followed when writing Behaviours; a key component of the process.
As her training programme began, Salma was able to identify an upcoming opportunity at Duke Street Job Centre. Not only was this a dream location, being right in the city centre, it also meant that she could soon be working in the very same office that she’d been visiting as a customer.
Throughout training, Salma made an outstanding effort, developing her skills and writing Behaviours that were a perfect match to the Work Coach role. She gained a qualification in Business Administration and the confidence to face a potential interview without fear.
Salma was successful! Discovering that, after a little wait, she had secured the Work Coach position and would be soon be working alongside the same Work Coach that referred her!
Having been nervous at the start of training, Salma was keen to share her story to empower others who may doubt their ability to be successful with the Civil Service. Speaking at the Job Shop – our new one stop service for support with applications – Salma had these words of encouragement:
“Before going for this job, I didn’t have a fancy degree or years of experience. It did make me question myself and whether I was good enough to apply. Talking to the staff at Crosby Training made me realise that I didn’t need any of that. I just needed to show up and try my best. I knew that if I didn’t put a limit on myself and believed in the process that they could help me get where I needed to be. I’ve never been so confident before and I can’t wait to start my new job!” – Salma, Public Sector Learner
