From Meee to You - Marc Ambasna-Jones€¦ · 6 My Education Employment Enterprise Meee 2017 Meee 2017 My Education Employment Enterprise 7 Whether it’s online or face-to-face,

From Meee to YouA guide to employmentNine easy steps to finding a job you love

My Education Employment Enterprise 1© Meee 2017

Motivation in S, M, L and XL

What inspires you?

It could be a classic movie or a favourite book; an amazing role model or a successful athlete; a famous quote or just one of those YouTube cute cat videos. The fact is that inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes. The key is learning how to harness it and make it mean something to you. To overcome the barriers to employment – confidence, skills, attitude, aptitude, location and personal circumstances – everyone needs a bit of inspiration to go with all the hard graft.

In this guide, we hope to motivate you to get out there and be inspiring.

Our aim is to help you get a job, be happy and be yourself, so that you can say you’ve ‘been there, done that and got the motivational t-shirt’.

My Education Employment Enterprise My Education Employment Enterprise 32 © Meee 2017© Meee 2017

“Others may question your credentials, your papers, your degrees. Others may look for all kinds of ways to diminish your worth. But what is inside you no one can take from you or tarnish. This is your worth, who you really are, your degree that can go with you wherever you go, that you bring with you the moment you come into a room, that can’t be manipulated or shaken. Without that sense of self, no amount of paper, no pedigree, and no credentials can make you legit. No matter what, you have to feel legit inside first.”

Chris Gardner, author, The Pursuit of Happyness Played by Will Smith in the 2006 movie of the same name.

Did you know? American inventor Thomas Edison, famous for creating the electric lightbulb, held 1093 patents and yet when he was younger his teacher called him a slow learner!

1. Who do you think you are?

Go on, have a go. Write down all the people who are important to you and all the things that fill you with pride; from school days to family life, helping friends to hitting a high note at the pub karaoke. Have you travelled anywhere and experienced the world? Do you cook? Do you read? Do you speak languages or play an instrument? Everything is relevant.

Understanding what makes you tick is important. The problem is that sometimes we are so busy trying to sell ourselves we can lose sight of what we are actually selling.

Next, speak to family and friends and ask for their opinions of what you do and what you’re good at. We can be our own worst critic, so getting a view from someone else can be very valuable.


“We don’t grow into creativity, we grow out of it. Or rather, we get educated out if it.”

Sir Ken Robinson, educationalist and author

2. Take the road less travelled

But what do you really want to do with your life? In Scott Dinsmore’s talk ‘How to find and do work you love’, he provides an insight into how he changed his view of work and ultimately his career.

https://bit.ly/1hEuiBL

“Become a self-expert” he says, “and discover your unique strengths. What are the things that people thank us for?”

So be creative with your approach to work and skills, understand that a personalised programme can help develop new ideas, new paths, new goals and new careers.

Did you know? Buzz Aldrin’s mother’s maiden name was Moon. So was he destined to become an astronaut?


Whether it’s online or face-to-face, how you present yourself is important too. You don’t need to look a million dollars, but being smart and professional is essential. If anything, it removes an excuse not to hire you. Take a good photo and use it as your social profile.

3. The right tools for the job

Every job has its own demands. Before you apply or do anything, think about what makes your skills relevant. By tailoring your CVs and letters to the role, you’ll have a much better chance of success.

There’s plenty of online advice on how to write and design a good CV. University student body Prospects has a good guide with some sound advice and example CVs, or perhaps the BBC’s ‘How to write a successful CV’.

https://bit.ly/1pcexK2

http://www.bbc.in/190Fe98

If you can get online, a LinkedIn profile can help too.

https://www.linkedin.com

It’s basically an online CV that helps you connect to all sorts of people in work, companies and organisations. It may sound obvious, but check your Facebook and Twitter profiles if you have them and remove anything you wouldn’t be happy showing to a prospective employer.


Did you know?Actor Harrison Ford worked as a carpenter for Hollywood stars while dabbling in acting. It led to a meeting with George Lucas who gave him a shot at a role in American Graffiti and eventually Star Wars.

4. Where do I start?

Cover the obvious bases first: job ads, agencies, online job sites and job centres. You’ve got the tools, so use them as much as possible. If they are not immediately working, tweak them. Talk to people, share experiences, get feedback and listen to criticism.

Where possible, attend local or regional events and target businesses. Look-up local trade organisations and chambers of commerce for future events. Most, if not all, are free to attend.

A great site for making contacts is ‘Meetup’.

https://www.meetup.com

It provides access to local and relevant meetups across a range of subject areas. You can pick and choose when you register – and it’s entirely free.


Did you know?Bananas can be helpful in overcoming depression due to high levels of tryptophan, which the body converts to serotonin, the mood-elevating brain neurotransmitter.

5. Get busy living

“A change of work is the best rest,” wrote Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in his Sherlock Holmes novel, ‘The Sign of Four’. The same could be said of our lifestyles too.

It’s easy to become a creature of habit and that can lead us in to ruts. Making small changes to our daily routines and diets can have significant impacts on our wellbeing and outlook on life.

If you are not already doing so, try some exercise. Jogging is free and there are some excellent guides such as the NHS’s ‘Couch to 5K plan’.

http://bit.ly/19M4ClJ

This releases natural chemicals called endorphins, which interact with the brain producing a happy, sometimes euphoric state, reducing stress and warding off anxiety.

Improving diet can also have huge benefits. Mental health charity Mind have produced an excellent guide to healthy eating and its effects on confidence and self-esteem.

http://bit.ly/2tPPD8l

Train your brain by being kind to your body and the positivity will flow.


Did you know? Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Everest worked as a professional bee keeper.

6. Play the game

Finding work can sometimes be a ‘chicken and egg’ situation. You need experience to get a job, but how do you get experience if you can’t get a job? Some sites such as Total Jobs offer advice on how to gain experience.

https://www.totaljobs.com/careers-advice/unemployment-advice/how-to-get-work-experience

Volunteering is a good way to get out, get working, gain experience and meet new people. The Government has a guide with some links while most local areas have a variety of volunteering groups and organisations.

https://bit.ly/1e9GFFQ


Did you know? Gallup found that 63% of employees worldwide were not engaged at work, costing the economy billions.

7. Never stop learning

Whether it’s improving your existing skills or learning new ones, training and education should be a lifelong experience.

The Government offers a guide for adults returning to education while Martin Lewis’s ‘Money Saving Expert’ site provides a great introduction to education loans and grants.

https://bit.ly/2tF2Cte

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com

It’s about strengthening your skills, developing new ones and improving employability. Draw on other people’s experiences and let them draw on yours.


“You might never fail on the scale I did, but some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.”

JK Rowling, author, Harry Potter series

8. There’s no such thing as failure

Resilience is a word that is getting used more and more when it comes to the world of work. Redundancies and job rejections can knock confidence but they can also energise people into trying new things. As Sir Winston Churchill once said, “success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” If you keep trying, sometimes things just happen.

Did you know? Bubble wrap was invented by accident in a garage in New Jersey in 1957. Its inventors were trying to make easy wipe textured wallpaper.


“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate…turn your wounds into wisdom.”

Oprah Winfrey, US businesswoman and TV personality

9. The glass is half full

It’s sometimes difficult to stay on top of things and keep a sense of perspective, especially when looking for work. But using what you have to power your emotions and resolve can have huge benefits. Seeing your world differently and being thankful can boost happiness. There is science to it too. According to Dr Robert Emmons of the University of California, expressing gratitude can increase happiness levels by around 25 percent. His book ‘Thanks! How the science of gratitude can make you happier’ is based on the research of thousands of people across the world.

http://amzn.to/2uOeibE


At the Meee Programme, we provide the tools to help people find their way into employment and feel that work can make a positive difference in their lives.

Our message is: act now, it’s ok to feel fear, you are stronger than you think. Your efforts now will reward you in the future. Or, as we like to say here at Meee, My Effort Equals Employment.

Help is always at hand

A huge problem is that people don’t realise what skills they have. For example, soft skills such as listening, teamwork and confidence in speaking to others are hugely valued by lots of employers – but are often overlooked by the individual. This can lead to a lack of motivation in finding work.

At Meee, we strive to help people at every step on the career ladder rediscover this motivation and regain self-confidence. We provide space and guidance for them to pin down their skills and values and encourage them to see that there are plenty of jobs where these could be applied. After working with them to set personal goals, we’ve been inspired to see many of our course participants begin to look towards their futures with far greater positivity.

In partnership with Jobcentre Plus across Wales we’ve been enabling people to navigate their way through their struggles, gain confidence and step into the world of work. We understand that everyone has a different story to tell and everyone has their own experiences of work, however we all have something in common: we want to feel part of the community and to be proud of our achievements.

If you would like to attend the Meee Programme please ask your work coach at the Jobcentre Plus or contact us at:

0333 567 [email protected]: @Meee_HQFacebook: MeeeHQInstagram: MeeeHQ

Many thanks to Jemima Duncalf for the wonderful illustrations

www.jemimaduncalf.com

Words by Marc Ambasna-Jones, Ink, Jo and Sid.

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From Meee to You - Marc Ambasna-Jones€¦ · 6 My Education Employment Enterprise Meee 2017 Meee 2017 My Education Employment Enterprise 7 Whether it’s online or face-to-face,