Pursuit works with jobseekers in Hawkes Bay by outfitting them for interviews and employment and running monthly workshops including interview skills and CV production. With the Digital Wings computers and printer we are able to work more effectively with clients, run our office and enable job seeker clients to type up CV’s and job search online. We have updated our social media platforms to better engage with clients and been able to print off resources for dressing transformations.
We also ran workshops at the Department of Corrections.Working with a small group who are transitioning to life on the outside, we helped them recognise their skills and attributes, then write their own CV’s including a personal statement and details, work and education history and add referees. Overnight the handwritten CV’s were typed up so that each of them had a hard copy and one on USB for the future.
We returned the following day to work on interview skills. Pursuit takes along an outfit for each of them, following the careful instructions clients give about their sizing and colours that suit them. After changing into and admiring their new clothes (they all chose shirts, trousers and ties and looked so smart!) and some interview preparation, they set up mock interview panels.
Everyone took part in an interview for the role of a truck driver. They each took a turn at being on the interview panels as well, to see how it felt being on the other side of the interview. When they are ready for employment PurSuit have offered to refresh their CV’s and interview skills and provide another outfit when they are successful at interview and go on to employment. 71 families have been impacted so far and we have a 61% employment success rate.
