I bet you thought you’d seen the last of me. Fortunately for you though, I’m back! Have you missed me? It’s okay, I would too. But enough about me! As you can see by the title of this post, this is another success story. Buckle in whilst I tell you all about our very special, Peter “Big Pete” Tidswell. Like always, we’re going to start at the beginning: What was Pete doing before he started at Think Employment? Much like many of us, due to the COVID-19 pandemic Pete was out of work and constantly applying for jobs. This was going on for a few months until his work coach at the Job Centre recommended he apply for some Kickstart positions. He looked into the Kickstart scheme and thought it sounded like an interesting opportunity (who wouldn’t?) so he started applying. After a few weeks and a few different interviews, he landed the job here at Think Employment without a second thought. (Haha, get it?) So, what exactly was Pete doing here? He was first officially hired as a Customer Service Assistant to begin with. His initial duties were to help our Recruitment team with the recruitment process. He was to ensure we had all of the correct information for the candidates; if we didn’t, then Pete would have to call or email the candidates in order to update the system with the correct details. He would also call them to make sure that they got a referral code for the position they were applying for. This would then allow them to move on to the next step of the recruitment process – Pre-Client or “screening” calls. If you’ve got a sharp memory, you’ll know all about what screening calls entail from Owen’s success story. Doesn’t all this learning sound so fun and interesting? You’ll notice I said Pete’s initial job role was as a Customer Service Assistant; this is because after about a month of helping with the recruitment process, a new opportunity presented itself – being trained to become a Remote Invigilator – and he jumped at the chance. Remote Invigilation is essentially watching people take exams online and making sure they don’t cheat in any way. It also involves uploading proof of exams into the system. Towards the end of Pete’s Kickstart role, he was required to train others in Remote Invigilation and mentor them until they were confident enough to carry it out themselves. This is just one example of how the Kickstart scheme gives you a wide range of skills, from communication and customer service to leadership and mentoring! “What employability skills did Pete learn?” you ask. Fear not, for that’s what I’m about to tell you! During his time at Think Employment Pete watched his confidence and communication skills soar as a result of talking to customers and colleagues on a daily basis. It also increased his time management and problem solving skills as he always needed to be on time to exams, with the ability to quickly find solutions should anything go wrong. But how has all of this impacted Pete’s life? He’d always looked into the administration/customer service field; however he just didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do. Having the opportunity to be a Remote Invigilator has helped him pick a career path he never would’ve thought of before his Kickstart position. The benefits aren’t just external though. Having supportive colleagues has made him feel happier, more valued and more confident. What happened next? You don’t have to shout at me, I’ll enlighten you. Pete’s contract at Think Employment finished, however this has allowed him to pursue his new career path. Due to invigilation training and how much he thoroughly enjoyed the role, he began searching for jobs in that chosen field. He applied for a position at Open Awards, and of course he landed the job! What can I say, the Kickstart scheme swings but never misses. Overall, Pete loved every minute of his Kickstart position; the job, the people, the opportunities and skills he learned along the way. In his own words, “Everything has been amazing.” Pete wouldn’t lie to you; Kickstart really is all it’s cracked up to be after all. Don’t go just yet! If you’re interested in reading more Success Stories, or even more about Kickstart in general, feel free to check out our other blog posts! Hope to see you again soon!
