Amber Trott from Franklin College in Grimsby graduated from the Career Ready programme in 2013, where she interned at the professional training provider CATCH. Ten years on, we caught up with her about her Career Ready journey and beyond.
Amber joined the Career Ready programme keen to go to university, but as the first person in her family to do so, didn’t know where to start.
“I really wanted to go to university but no one in my family had been. I also knew that I was pretty interested in business but had never really been exposed to any careers like that.”
Her Career Ready journey empowered her with the skills and experience she needed to forge her own path with confidence.
“Being on the programme really set me apart from other people my age – having access to the masterclasses, workplace visits, and a mentor helped me loads with things like CV writing and cover letters. It gave me a real head start, so by the time I got to uni I felt more confident when it came to applying for placements.”
A network of support
Amber’s mentor, Nina who works at energy provider Phillips 66, played a big role in supporting her with her university application.
“My mentor, Nina, was great. She really helped me figure out what course I wanted to do at university because I didn’t know what I wanted to specialise in, or what a good uni looked like. Her feedback and advice were really valuable.”
Having the opportunity to attend masterclasses and workplace visits prepared Amber for her paid internship at skills centre CATCH – an experience that helped her find her current career.
“I did my internship at CATCH where I supported the admin function, responding to emails, developing my time management, and managing diaries. I also got to do some events stuff, creating marketing collateral and helping to run events. One of my tasks was to collect feedback on an event and it was actually when I analysed the results that I realised that I really liked research – and it’s what I do now!”
Coming from Grimsby, a small town, Amber wasn’t aware of the career opportunities in business around her – but her internship changed her perspective and opened her eyes to new paths.
“My internship was really important because I didn’t know those kinds of roles existed where I grew up. From what I saw, most of the opportunities were in technical areas like engineering, welding, and fabrication – so it was nice to know that if I wanted to stay local, I could have a career in business or marketing without having to move to a city. I think it’s really important for people in smaller towns to know that they can have a fulfilling career where they are – it shouldn’t just be the people who happen to be lucky enough to be born next to a big city that can get access to certain jobs. You should be able to find something that works for you where you live and have a great career, and where you were born or your family background really shouldn’t inhibit that.”
The impact of Career Ready
Career Ready transformed Amber’s future, and it’s this experience of the programme that inspired her to become a mentor so that she can pass on the support she got – something she still does today.
“I became a Career Ready mentor because I genuinely can’t emphasise enough how much it helped me. It gave me so much confidence at such a young age to believe in myself and I want to give that back.”
Reflecting on her journey overall, Amber highlights the impact the programme had on her future, and in particular, the self-belief it instilled in her to help her in her career.
“The Career Ready programme gave me focus, motivation, and confidence at a young age so I didn’t shy away from opportunities when I got to university or when I started my career. It gave me the confidence to always put my hand up, always get involved and always look for opportunities.”
