In April 2019, I found myself unemployed for the first time in my life. I had worked the same job for twelve going on thirteen years, so I was more than a little lost as to what to do next. The job had been in retail and I knew I couldn’t go back to that. I can’t say my experiences working retail were all awful, but where I worked there was an ever-present climate of disregard for staff, and a feeling that you were seen as nothing more than a part of the furnishings. That feeling gets into your bones. It makes you feel like maybe that is all you amount to.
When I went to Intreo Dun Laoghaire to sign-on, I wasn’t certain of what I wanted. I knew I wanted to work somewhere with a better attitude towards its staff, but that was about it. The Case Officer I dealt with was pleasant, but he seemed tired and a bit like he was running on autopilot. I could sense his relief when I was able to provide him with several emails showing I was already searching for work, and his excitement when he saw they were mostly applications for Clerical Officer positions. I left with more advice than I could remember and a printout guide for civil service interviews!
After that, when dealing with Intreo, I decided to always try to stay ahead of what they would ask me to do, and, if not, to always at least appear receptive. For any Case Officer meeting I would make sure to have a few emails showing I was looking for work, even if there wasn’t a job I was particularly interested in. When one of them told me about the Solas eCollege, I gave it a look and started the Digital Marketing course. Something I was glad I did as I have used Solas eCollege quite a bit since, and have become a big enough fan that I wrote about it for a previous ebulletin! (linked here)
After about six weeks, I was sent to the Southside Partnership and met with one of their Employment Guidance Officers. A Case Officer had recommended I looked at level 5 and 6 courses and I had found one in Stillorgan College I liked, but I was nervous of signing up for a nine month commitment. The Employment Guidance Officer pointed out I can still look for work while I do it, sat me down in front of a computer, and gave me a look that said I was enrolling and that was the end of it!
I will eternally be grateful to the Employment Guidance Officer for doing that. Stillorgan College was an amazing experience. My years in retail had taken a lot of my confidence. The teachers and staff in Stillorgan College were all so positive and supportive that I could feel my self-worth come back a little bit more every time I went in. By the time I left I felt like I could achieve anything. I also had a level 5 certificate in Multimedia Production with Games Design with 11 out of 11 Distinctions.
I should mention that it was the Vocational Training Occupational Scheme (which I wrote about linked here) which made going back to education possible.
The plan had been to return to Stillorgan for their level 6 course and skip a few years of a degree, but COVID-19 hit and scuppered that plan. There would be no level 6. I spent the following months in lockdown, no jobs to apply for, and little to do other than play video games. Doing various certificates on the Solas eCollege was the only thing that gave me some semblance of structure during this time.
At some point I stumbled upon the Community Employment(CE) programme, and keeping with my policy of staying ahead of Intreo’s demands, I applied for a Web admin position with the INOU. My thinking at the time was that it would be a bit of experience and, sure, I could still apply for jobs once the Covid restrictions were lifted.
I can’t say I had many expectations when I began in the INOU. They seemed like a worthwhile organisation to work with but I was sceptical about the CE programme. The INOU proved beyond anything I might have imagined. It was a wonderful place to work, and the kindness and commitment of everyone at the INOU is something I will carry with me through the rest of my life. I learned more than I ever expected and ended up staying for two and a half years.
Even though I enjoyed the work and the workplace, there was always an ever present dread that CE would not lead to full-time employment. I kept learning new skills and putting them into practice through my work. I even took on a Springboard Course in the evenings, Digital Media Design Level 7 with DKIT. All the time filling my CV, trying to make myself a better prospect for potential employers.
I managed to secure a number of interviews and although I faced rejection more times than I care to remember, I tried to learn from each one and improve on the next. It was an incredible relief when I eventually succeeded and was offered a job. I had to laugh, but after all my efforts to expand my skillset, and get certifications, it was largely my experience working on the INOU’s eBulletin that got me the job in the Communications Unit of one of the country’s bigger unions!
Looking back, I may have stayed in the INOU forever if there had been an option to move to full-time employment there. In the end I am glad to have left the comfort of the INOU and taken on a new challenge. Although I do miss the place and everyone there, I am happy to join my fellow graduates of the INOU CE programme in being living examples of their great work and an advocate for CE.