Mahera Hussain found herself unable to find suitable work, so enrolled on a 12 week Prince's Trust programme at Barking & Dagenham College.
She’s now secured her first full time job since leaving school at a children’s charity.
“After university, I felt a little lost and didn’t really know what I wanted to do, so applied for International Citizen Service (ICS) just because I love to travel and experience new cultures, but at the same time I wanted to make a difference and give back to the world. I worked as a sales assistant for a luxury shoe brand before doing ICS, I liked working there, but at the same time I knew I didn’t want to be working in retail for the rest of my life. I ended up doing my ICS placement in a small rural market town in Ghana. It was a big adjustment as I went from working in luxury retail to seeing barely clothed children running around in the streets of the poorest parts of Ghana.”
When she got back, Mahera focused on trying to secure a career working within a charity. She volunteered at two charities, doing social media and blogs for one and helping out in ESOL classes for women at the other.
At the same time as her voluntary work, she enrolled on the Prince's Trust programme at Barking & Dagenham College. The course included a variety of activities and projects aimed at helping people secure employment, including a two week work placement which Mahera completed at a PR and marketing agency. Shortly before finishing the course Mahera said:
“I’ve found my Prince's Trust team leaders to be great mentors. I’ve also had opportunities to build on skills that will help me find employment in the near future. After completing the course, I’m hoping to find a paid internship at a charity and then hopefully a full time job in the charity sector.”
Not long after completing her course, Mahera was delighted to be offered full time work at a children’s literacy charity.
