Convoy Community is dedicated to taking loneliness out of job hunting and can help with the fully funded spaces available on their The Road to Work programme.
With 30 spaces open in Thames Valley (Berkshire) Convoy Communities, they are particularly looking to reach out and support people who are feeling isolated, suffering with their mental health, or struggling with their job hunt. Whether you’ve been unemployed for a little while, have recently been made redundant, or you’re trying to break into the workforce for the first time, they’re here to help.
Convoy says: “We know that the market is tough at the moment. It can be challenging to find a new job at the best of times, but during a global pandemic? Not having to go this journey alone can make a big difference.”
Enter Convoy Community
Convoy takes loneliness out of the job search and harnesses the power of communities to support each other. By helping maintain motivation, momentum, and mental health, the Convoy Community helps turn seekers into finders.
The Convoy Model
Built and developed from lived experience, there are a few components to the Convoy Model that create the space for accountability, hope and reassurance, and inspiration and motivation. It’s the combination of them together that makes the magic.
The daily stand-up – creating accountability
This is the magic ingredient in Convoy. A daily 5-minute meeting that creates the space for accountability, which is key to maintaining momentum and motivation. Members are grouped into accountability groups of three; meeting every weekday, they take 1-2 minutes each to share how their job search is going, answering two questions:
• What did you do yesterday to support your job search?
• What will you do today to help your job search?
Weekly review – boosting hope and providing reassurance
Once a week, Convoy members meet virtually for 40-60 mins to review the week. Job coaches lead these sessions and create space for hope and reassurance to flourish.
Because everyone is sharing their wins and losses, they realise they’re not alone in getting rejected for roles, sharing the “It’s not just me!” feeling. Plus, they get reassurance from hearing others ’wins’ and experience that “It could be me!” feeling.
Weekly guest speakers – providing inspiration, education, and motivation
Once a week, all members of Convoy are invited to a Guest Speaker session on various topics. We’ve had discussions on blockchain, breaking through what holds us back and psychometric testing. We may also discuss practical skills, like making your LinkedIn profile stand out, or creating better cover letters.
In addition, these sessions are also an opportunity to connect with the broader Convoy Community and build on their networks. Research has shown that 80% of roles aren’t filled by direct applications but through networks and connections.
Why was the Convoy Community created?
Convoy’s founder, Christopher Ross, created the Convoy Community out of his own job-hunting experience. After being made redundant from his role at the start of the pandemic in March 2020, Christopher found the search for a job isolating. He found the outplacement support helpful, but felt more was needed to bring balance and structure to the job of searching for his next job.
So, drawing on elements from Agile ways of working and project management techniques, he created the support for job seekers he felt he was missing. From here, the Convoy Community has grown, and over the last 18 months, has connected with over 350 people, supporting them with their job hunt, creation of their own businesses or settling into a new role.
How to connect and secure your space
Whether you need support, or someone you know does, Convoy is a community of people travelling in the same direction. Whatever stage you are in your career, Convoy can support you in your job hunt goals, connecting you with a like-minded community all going through the same challenges as you.
If you’d like to know more about Convoy Community, please check out the website convoycommunity.com. And to register your interest in a place, please complete the form: convoycommunity.com/trtweoi
If you have any questions, you can drop us an email here: [email protected]
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