I was unemployed for 3 months before joining a Strive Training course. I was made redundant in October and my background is in hospitality. I was with my last employer for more than 11 years and worked in management.

I had registered with the job centre for Universal Credit and I was in bad position during this time looking for jobs. I was assigned to the Civil Service SWAP course and I was a bit sceptical at first as I had not heard about Strive Training before, but everything was clearly explained by the work coach.

I felt down at first prior to course, I had sent more than 30 applications in two weeks with no response. I had also done volunteering work and wanted a change of career.

Initially, I was doubtful about successfully learning remotely, however the timing of my course was great, 9:30-4:30pm with a one hour lunch, so I had time to do other things. The course was done via Zoom and the tutor was helpful. Although I hadn’t ever learnt from home before, it was easy to follow through and a nice change.

The best things about the course was the fact that I received a lot of material and information on the civil service interviews, guidance and other resources which could also be used for other job applications. There was also a webinar presented by someone who works in the Civil Service.  My tutor, Steve, was fantastic! He was organised, dedicated and answered all the queries I had.

Through attending a Strive Training course I regained my confidence regarding applications and CVs and how to tailor my CV to different jobs I apply for. The Employability Plus portal is a great system which I still have access to after the course – it allow you to create different tailored CVs and apply for jobs. Prior to the course I also received a box of chocolates from Strive which was a really nice touch. The course was fully funded which was great, as well as fully accredited – so I received a certificate at the end of the course which is a great addition to my CV.

I would definitely recommend Strive Training to others! I have already recommended Strive to others that are in a similar situation to the one that I was in and to my former colleagues. There is a huge selection of courses to complete with Strive and I have now applied for the Warehousing Level 2 course.

Overall, I am so happy with how everything has gone, I came out of the course feeling really positive with the added bonus of a confidence boost. I now know how to easily tailor my CVs and cover letters and since I have access to the Employability Plus portal it makes job searching much easier too!