After graduating from London Metropolitan University in December of 2019, I really struggled to find a job. I applied to about 235 jobs (which I tracked using a spreadsheet) before I finally got my current role. Most people always told me that as a Computer Scientist, I would get a job easily, but I found it particularly hard because I had left university with no industry experience. I found Making The Leap through my work coach at my local Jobcentre after I applied for Universal Credit.
My first day was particularly very interesting because it got me out of my comfort zone, as we did a lot of introductions, and I am quite shy.
On another particular day, we were joined by HSBC, where we explored interview prep and the volunteers gave us some practical tips to use in the future. This just so happened to be the day before I had an actual interview for a role at Grant Thornton (GT). I received a lot of feedback from the mistakes I made in the mock interview session, but I felt confident and ready for my interview the next day. For the first time since I started my job search, I felt that I had done the best I could and felt confident that something good would come out of it. So, I am incredibly grateful that the HSBC session with Making The Leap happened shortly before my interview. The practice helped me and saw that I pass my interview, getting a job with GT as a Graduate Software Engineer.
MTL helps so many young people like me, getting them interview-ready and providing them with access to job opportunities. This is what most of us need, especially those who come from less advantaged backgrounds where it’s hard to get your foot in the door after graduating or where there aren’t many networking opportunities with prospective employers.
I had completed several applications to many graduate schemes, but all were unsuccessful. After several rejections, I had lost hope and felt that I was not good enough, leaving me very stressed. However, getting this role helped me gain my confidence back and I no longer felt like a failure. Finding this role was life-changing. MTL’s workshop helped me develop a lot, particularly with the mistakes I had been making during past my interviews and has helped me to learn many new things.
I hope, in the future, to build apps to help solve lots of tech problems, and I also hope to be a freelancer about 4 or 5 years from now.
MTL’s workshop can really help. Give it your all and ask as many questions as possible. It’s okay to make mistakes because, from them, you learn something new. When prospective employers come, ask them questions, interact with them, and take advantage of the mock interview sessions. Always ask for feedback, make plenty of notes, and pay attention as well. I wouldn’t have my current job if I had not attended the workshop (and by extension that particular activity with HSBC). There I made notes, asked for help and they guided me throughout. I used the knowledge I gained from these sessions to ace my interview the next day. This is the most amazing skills workshop and definitely one you should consider.
By Bridget
Bridget and her MTL cohort.
