Zekaris’ story
Aged 24
When Zekarius (Zak) first entered the Sport 4 Life service, his motivation and self-belief were both low. Having recently graduated from university with a degree in sports therapy with no immediate job opportunities, Zak was unsure how to apply his skills.
With nothing to fill his day, Zak soon fell out of a routine, resulting in an unwanted impact on his sleeping pattern and general mental health. Zak spoke about his struggles finding employment and the distractions to his lifestyle with recruitment services and was recommended Sport 4 Life.
After working with his Sport 4 Life mentor to identify his personal and professional goals, Zak created a 6-12 month plan to help him structure his day, mixing professional development with fun activities to help keep him motivated.
Zak’s professional development plan included attending our free employability workshops. These sessions helped bring structure to Zak’s day and help him identify ways to improve his employability. On one occasion, during a three-day employer encounters training, which included an employability workshop, a visit to suited for success and a mock interview at Sport 4 Life UK, Zak truly excelled himself and thoroughly impressed the mock interviewers.
Craig Corrigan, Training Project Manager, said, “Zekarias was a great person to have at the training. He engaged well and was not afraid to get involved or state his opinion.
“Zak looked smart and had a friendly, confident manner. He was initially nervous but settled into the interview well. It was a well-structured interview approach, and he displayed a passion for the role he was interviewing for.”
The continual involvement with Sport 4 Life helped Zak fine-tune his CV and interview technique. Attending the employability workshops identified gaps in his CV and interview conversations which could be filled with regular volunteering. Naturally, with his sports background, Zak was invited to volunteer at our own Sport 4 Life sports sessions.
In addition to this, Zak also completed his First Aid Training, a Sports Leaders Level 1 and Level 2 course and started volunteering with a local football team.
“Sport 4 Life is a great organisation. Since working with them I’ve become more confident and productive. I’ve really come out of my shell.”
As a result of his hard work and determination, Zak secured a role with NCS as Assistant Team Leader, and just before lockdown started a volunteering process with Cancer Research UK – which sadly didn’t go much further due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, Zak is a valued, employed member of our very own Sports Coaches team at Sport 4 Life. His enthusiasm for sport and determination to improve himself professionally made him the perfect candidate for the role. And with all his mock interview experience, he nailed the actual interview!