WYWM showed me... a better work/life balance. This has been essential in me getting my spark back."
- Samantha Gillison
Meet Samantha
Samantha is a former Metropolitan Police officer who left the force after nearly seven years. At 24, Samantha was diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, a neurological disorder that affects many systems in the body.
After her diagnosis, Samantha's bosses advised that she couldn't be an 'operational' officer. This was devastating because she was young, ambitious, and up until her diagnosis, had led a pretty active lifestyle.
Samantha's boss's attention shifted to what she couldn't do rather than what she could do. Her self-worth and confidence were crushed as a result of this type of thinking.
Samantha’s journey
Samantha was introduced to WYWM after receiving career counselling from Astriid, a not for profit organisation that helps people with disabilities find inclusive, meaningful employment. Once her natural interests in technology were identified, she was encouraged to connect with WYWM to pursue a career in the IT industry.
WYWM's partnership with Astriid enlightened Samantha to the concept of looking for work that promoted a healthy work/life balance.
Finding work/life balance
Samantha signed up to WYWM's Potential platform and completed the psychometric and aptitude tests. Her personality traits and learning styles were accurately described in the results. Next, she applied for a Squad role supporting a WYWM Client. Samantha didn't believe she was a viable candidate. She was concerned that her lack of relevant work experience, IT skills, and need for flexible employment would be a barrier to her getting a job.
Samantha's application was successful and it was not long before she accepted a role with Northrop Grumman, to undertake training as a Full Stack Application Developer in Java.
What does the future hold?
Samantha accepted a role with Northrop Grumman, the global defence and aerospace technology company, as Full Stack Application Developer (Java). She is eager to tell people where she works and what she does for a living. Samantha wakes up ready to start her computer and is optimistic about her future career prospects. "Life is too short to feel trapped by what you do, given that we spend the majority of our time working." Samantha encourages people to contact WithYouWithMe to learn more about how they can assist others in finding meaningful, stable work.
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