Sameeha graduated from university with a clear vision of the career she wanted – working in magazine journalism – but had no idea how to reach her goal. Lacking awareness of different avenues and opportunities, as well as how to make herself stand out from the crowd, meant that she found herself still job searching six months later, leaving her feeling deflated and hopeless. Realising she was in need of guidance, she turned to Making The Leap.
Each aspect of the workshop added to her development in various ways, from meeting other young adults going through the same struggles as her, and presenting to a room full of people every morning, to visiting top corporates and gaining insights into the working world. As well as feeling more confident, she now understood how to shine in work related situations and what it took to be a sought-after candidate.
Afterwards, she quickly secured a work training placement, but after this ended, she soon felt lost again. Sameeha returned to Making The Leap for help, where the team helped her devise a new plan. She was offered a temporary position at the organisation, where she was able to gain valuable work experience and develop her professional skills. This allowed her to continue working on job applications effectively and provided her with the direction she was lacking. She felt hopeful and confident again, and able to get her path on track.
Sameeha hadn’t given up on her original goal. When Making The Leap contacted her about a journalism apprenticeship with The Telegraph, she jumped at the opportunity. With Making The Leap’s support, she began the highly-competitive application process. In the meantime, she undertook a freelance position at a global brand experience agency, whom she had met – and impressed – at a Making The Leap careers fair. Shortly afterwards, Sameeha successfully stood out from hundreds of other candidates, and was offered The Telegraph apprenticeship, where she will also study towards a professional qualification.
‘If I had to sum up my experience of the workshop, I would say that it was a powerful, moving and essential period in my life. It not only re-instilled hope by opening my mind to the ways in which I could access opportunities, but it made me realise that I was good enough to take on any opportunity I set my heart on and that my presence was something of value. It made me acknowledge the essence of my character and the effect that I have on others. This was very much the start of a new mind set for me, through which I began to champion and believe in myself.
Making The Leap has supported me in achieving an incredible amount and it is due to the outstanding staff at the company that I am now on the road to materialising the dreams that I weaved as a young girl.’
