YOUNG adults received valuable advice on climbing the career ladder at the Grimsby Telegraph’s first Your Life: Your Future event.
Held at Freshney Place shopping centre, dozens of youngsters between the ages of 16 and 25 benefited from the help available in the Your Life: Your Future pop-up shop.
As well as a range of local employers, who were on-hand to explain the opportunities available at their companies, there were representatives from JobCentre Plus and the Young People’s Support Service.
Job seeker Jacquetta Haines and her daughter Michaela, talk to Alison Hunt, HR adviser at Coldwater
Jacquetta Haines, 24, of Grimsby, who is mum to four-year-old Michaela, attended to find out more about the best way to find employment.
She said: “I’ve been looking for a job for ages now. It’s hard enough finding any vacancies, let alone one that will allow me to care for my daughter, too.
“I don’t mind what kind of work I do, I just want a job.
“It’s been really good today.
“I found out that signing up to a recruitment agency could be the best option for me.”
There were a number of CV-writing workshops throughout the day, manned by Grimsby-based Sustantivo Recruitment.
Attending the first session was Robert Parrott, 23, of Cleethorpes, who worked at Somerfield, in Osborne Street, for four years until the branch closed in December.
He said: “I’ve been out looking for work every day since and it’s very frustrating when you can’t find anything.
“I send out so many letters and copies of my CV and most of the time I don’t even get a reply.
“I wanted to come today to get some guidance on how to make my CV stand out. The more advice I can get the better.”
Also attending the workshop was 16-year-old Alex Barnes, of Keelby, who is already planning for the future ahead of finishing his electrical engineering course at the Grimsby Institute next year.
He said: “I’ve already sent a few copies of my CV out, but haven’t had any success so I wanted to come along and find out how to improve it.
“I think it’s ace to have an event like this where you can get free advice.”
One of the exhibitors on hand to help youngsters yesterday was Alison Hunt, human resources adviser for Coldwater.
“We’ve taken on 80 new members of staff in the past three months but a lot of people don’t realise what jobs are available with us,” she said.
“Today has been a great way for us to tell more about what we do and how to join us.”
Nick Lammin, head of training at Novartis, said: “I think it’s beneficial for people to be able to come along and talk to employees who are actually working for the companies and tell them what it is like.
“We’ve been able to give out lots of advice on the qualifications and training people need to work for Novartis.”
A second Your Life: Your Future advice day, for people aged 25 and over, will take place at Freshney Place next Friday.
