Helen Myland is delighted with her new job with McDonald’s after making the most of the opportunity to upskill and get into good routines during her time at Think Employment
At the start of 2019, Helen Myland came to Think Employment to update her skills while she was unemployed. The former office worker initially wanted to improve her IT skills because she knew that in the time she’d been out of work, computers and digital software would have advanced beyond her existing knowledge. After completing Level 1 and Level 2 in the subject, Helen also used her time at Think Employment to complete vocational qualifications in Business Administration and Customer Service to further boost her CV and improve her all-round job prospects.
In June, Helen was one of several learners selected to attend a ‘Meet The Employer’ session with McDonald’s with a view to going on a work trial. After impressing them during her trial and coming through the interview, Helen was offered a permanent position at the St John’s Shopping Centre McDonald’s in July. Now a month into the role, Helen is really enjoying her new job and putting into action a number of new skills she learned at Think Employment.
“Working for McDonald’s has certainly opened my eyes because I didn’t realise what a good employer they are! I certainly don’t feel as though I’m just a number here,” Helen told us.
“If you have an issue, all the managers are very approachable, and I think that helps make employees feel happy in their work.”
Although most of her past experience was in an office environment, and traditional 9-5 hours, Helen is enjoying working different shifts and even the odd late night!
“The thing I think I like the most about the role is that I can do different working hours,” she explained.
“With a standard 9-5 office job, you don’t usually get that choice. But here, you get your shifts a week in advance and if you don’t want to work on a particular day, you can advertise it internally so someone else can pick it up – and visa versa.”
“Personally I don’t mind working late, as long as I’m okay for transport getting home!”
Of all the skills she learned during her time at Think Employment, the customer service skills are the ones she uses most often in her new job. However, there was a stage when it looked unlikely that Helen was even going to do the course… until she spoke to our Local Engagement Manager Sabrina.
“I wasn’t sure at first because, in my head, customer service is when you are working on the phone all day and I didn’t want to do that!
“But after Sabrina explained that customer service skills are used in all kinds of jobs, I signed up for the course.”
“We [McDonald’s staff] all use those skills everyday now. Whether you’re on the shop floor, like I am, or behind the counter serving people, we are the first people who come in contact with customers.”
In just a few months at Think Employment, Helen updated her IT skills, gained vocational qualifications which gave her the opportunity of a work trial with McDonald’s and then found a job that suited her needs. But what does Helen put this success down to? Getting into good routines while she was out of work.
“I got into good routines for returning to work while I was going into the centre every day. That was always on my mind,” she said.
“Going into the centre and doing my learning got me out the house everyday and I was keen to make the most of the opportunity I had to improve my chances of finding work.”
