South Eastern Regional College student finds Purr-fect job with Steps 2 Success

Niamh Thomas-Molloy, 22, from Saul, has found the purr-fect job at Castle Vets thanks to support from the Steps 2 Success programme at South Eastern Regional College’s (SERC) Downpatrick Campus. The programme is run in conjunction with Reed in Partnership and supported by the Department for Communities.

Niamh said, “Before I signed up to Steps 2 Success, I had been searching for jobs through all the usual routes but had not had much luck securing full time employment and had been unemployed for a full year.

“The Steps 2 Success programme helped me to focus my efforts by taking a closer look at what I wanted to do and applying a more specific criteria for these kinds of jobs.  I had lots of one-to-one sessions with my Employment Adviser, Gillian who was fantastic. We were able to talk about more specific job roles that would be suitable for myself – so rather than myself having to change to fit roles, we looked for roles that would be a good match for me.

“The interview skills training, with tutor Maria, helped me prepare for certain situations where I was able to respond to questions with key words which would help me shine through as a candidate.  For someone looking for a job this was priceless information, helping me focus on what I should say, what was relevant and what to avoid.

She added, “The programme helped me stay focussed and motivated and I was always learning new things that I wouldn’t have known in order to prepare for interviews.   It meant that I was more confident going through the whole interview process.

Finally, she said, “Steps 2 Success is hugely beneficial to anyone who is looking for a job.  Having someone support you in building your CV, interview skills, keeping you motivated and giving you encouragement is incredible.   It helped me secure a brilliant job, local to where I live – I am working with the public and as part of a great team at Castle Vets.”