Serious health issues weren’t going to hold Faye Robertson back from achieving her dream job.
Since leaving school Faye, aged 20, found that she was increasingly feeling unwell and tired. She’d started training, with the aim of becoming a painter and decorator. When doctors revealed she was suffering from kidney failure and would need a transplant, Faye had no choice but to shelve her career plans and concentrate on her health.
Fast forward to 2021 and a kidney transplant later, Faye is physically fit, healthy and, with sheer determination and some help from the ABZWorks team, has secured an apprenticeship with Aberdeen City Council – in her dream role of painter and decorator.
Challenges
Health challenges, combined with the pandemic and having to shield knocked Faye’s confidence. But, refusing to be beaten, she approached the team and asked for help. Employability keyworker Linzi worked with Faye to build her confidence, self-belief, and to improve her interview skills.
Faye never missed a meeting with Linzi, even on days when she didn’t feel great. As they worked together, Faye’s shyness began to fade away and her confidence grew. Faye began to talk more, and even began speaking positively about herself.
She accessed ITA funding for her CSCS green card, and despite being nervous as the only female in the group, took part in a one-day training course to completing her Health and Safety Level 1. “I felt quite intimidated as it was a group of all men, however the trainer was very welcoming and was encouraging of me,” she said.
The interview
Within a few months of joining ABZWorks, Faye had secured an interview for her apprenticeship, and the prospect was terrifying. But three mock interviews later, the big day arrived, and she impressed the interviewers.
“When I first heard about mock interviews, I was nervous and anxious. I didn’t really want to do them, but then I finally got over the anxiety and pushed myself to do it. After the first one it boosted my confidence and I actually wanted to do more. After that, I did two more. The mock interviews really helped me to prepare for a remote interview, and to know to expect and understand behaviour type interview questions,” Faye said.
“Before the interview I was worried and started to doubt myself that I was not prepared enough. When the interview started, I felt straight away comfortable as the first question I was prepared for and from then on felt confident in my answers given. As soon as the interview had finished, I phoned Linzi and told her I had smashed the interview. The interviewer had said I had answered some of the following questions already in my previous answers as I had studied and research for ages which helped me answer questions in detail.
“I couldn’t believe it, I was so excited. This time last year I could not see my future, thinking I could die and now suddenly I have been offered my dream job.”
Growing confidence
Faye has come so far in very little time and has developed her confidence, self-esteem, and most of all believes in herself and what she is capable of is far more than she ever thought.
“I feel like this has built my confidence not just in interview skills but in life like I can make my own phone calls to doctors, have the confidence to order food or go into a shop and speak to a cashier. “My future before looked quite different but now I see my future in painter and decorator and being fully qualification, I feel more relaxed now I have job security and relieved that I don’t have to apply for jobs and get knock backs. I know I can’t change what happened in the last couple of years, but I feel I’ve grown more resilient, stronger physically and mentally and I believe in myself more. I still have moments where I will be worried about my health, but I don’t let it affect me and I am able to carry on living and thinking about how my future will be. I can see ahead.”