William was an unemployed jobseeker with a BA and MA in Fashion who had some of his career goals in mind. Williams was referred to Restart Scheme Blue by Groundworks in Birmingham. Restart Scheme Blue, delivered by Serco, offers graduate participants tailored support to navigate the competitive job market, with the ultimate goal of helping them secure sustainable employment within three months.

As part of the Restart Scheme Blue onboarding, William was introduced to Anne Whitworth, a Professional Mentor at Serco. Their initial meeting, held via Microsoft Teams, served to assess mutual suitability for the programme. The discussion covered William’s current job-search strategies, challenges he was facing, and the commitment required to fully engage with Restart Scheme Blue. Both William and Anne agreed the programme aligned well with his goals, and they established a shared commitment to securing a role within the three-month timeframe.

During their first meeting, the first of eight available sessions, Anne and William performed a comprehensive review of the employment market. Together, they refined William’s job focus, identifying key employers, optimising his profiles on relevant job boards, and targeting specialist recruitment agencies.

William said: “I had the pleasure of working with Anne as I embarked on the next chapter of my career after a period of self-employment. From the very beginning, I was consistently impressed by her professionalism, deep industry knowledge, and unwavering commitment to supporting me throughout the entire process.”

One of the first improvements involved revamping William’s CV and Cover Letter. Anne guided William through best practices for tailoring these documents to each application, ensuring he stood out to potential employers. In parallel, Anne introduced a job search tracker - a tool to organise and prioritise job applications, follow-ups, and results.

Anne said:“I often see job trackers as a game changer for job hunters, and this was certainly evident with William, who quickly adapted my template to suit his working style. Having everything organised in one place allowed us to consistently monitor and adjust the strategy, ultimately leading to greater success.”

Weekly meetings allowed for regular progress checks and strategy adjustments. Anne and William worked together on LinkedIn profile optimisation, researched new agencies, and reviewed tailored applications before submission. The sessions were structured yet flexible, adapting to William’s evolving needs.

William said:“Anne has a unique ability to challenge you (in the best possible way) to take the leaps you need, while always remaining empathetic and understanding. She was a steady source of support through all the highs and lows that come with being in the job market.”

As William remained active in his job search, sessions transitioned to each fortnight. At this stage, Anne encouraged William to increase his volume of applications, which soon led to a significant rise in interview invitations. To prepare William for interviews, Anne focused on enhancing his already strong skills. She arranged a mock interview with fellow Serco mentor Fiona Beaumont to simulate a real-life interview experience for a particularly promising opportunity.

Anne recalled: “Having worked with William for some weeks, I could see his confidence was growing. His natural inquisitiveness and determination were shining through. I was thrilled to hear that William received excellent feedback on his interviews, particularly on the presentations he creatively produced and delivered.”

William’s hard work paid off when he received multiple job offers. After careful consideration and discussions with Anne, he accepted a Product Manager role at a well-known global e-commerce organisation. 

William’s success story demonstrates the power of tailored mentoring, a structured job-search strategy, and the value of resilience and adaptability. Restart Scheme Blue through the dedication of mentors like Anne Whitworth, proves that with the right support and mindset, career goals can be achieved even within challenging markets.

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