Gemma, single mother of three gains work experience with Fair Start Scotland.

Gemma, is a single mother who had never been in paid work. She had experience working in volunteering roles, but she needed security for her family.

Why Gemma joined Fair Start Scotland

Gemma was keen to find a job that suited her childcare needs. She had never had experience working in secure paid employment and this held her back when applying for roles. Gemma didn’t have a CV strong enough to secure any interviews and she had very low confidence. All of this stopped her getting the roles she wanted and she needed support on where to begin.

How Fair Start Scotland helped

Gemma met her Personal Adviser Gayle, in our Ayr office who started with looking at Gemma’s CV as she didn’t have one strong enough for applications. Gayle started creating a new CV which showed the skills Gemma gained from volunteering and being a full-time mum. She wasn’t aware she could use the transferable skills she had gained from raising her children for her CV.

Gemma had one to one support with applications and interview skills. She was shown what to expect during an interview and how to prepare for all scenarios. Gemma’s confidence was one of her main barriers so Gayle focused on this and tried to get her more confident in herself and her abilities by having one to one meetings and going to a Confidence workshop.

Getting the job

Gemma started a job in March with Balkenna Tearoom which was very challenging as she was cleaning and waitressing in a very busy environment. Gemma used this job as a springboard to get a new job at Star Inn which she enjoyed. However, the employer had to cut her hours which left Gemma unable to stay there -she needed more hours to support her family.

During this time Gemma found it easier and easier to attend interviews as she was becoming more confident. She had two previous jobs that she was able to put on her CV and had gained more experience.

Gemma now has a job, working hours that suit her at Turnberry and is very happy in her new role.

Gayle said: “It’s great that we’ve been able to support her through the process and support her with his travel so she could get to her interviews. We will continue to support Gemma with our in-work support and make sure she’s happy in her role”.