I was housed recently after having troubles with my housing for a long time. It's the first time in 15 years that I've had a stable base to call my own. Now that I have the foundations, I want to build on this by finding a good job and up-skilling myself so that I have the tools to sustain it.
Since the age of 18 I've worked in the hospitality industry, in roles where accommodation has often been provided as part of the role. 3 years ago I decided that I wanted a change from that line of work and started to look for other opportunities. I suffer from some social anxiety so always put myself in roles where others could easily ignore me. There came a point where I wanted to challenge myself and break free from that. The change meant that I lost my accommodation. I slept rough sporadically as well as staying on friend's sofas and at the airport. When the pandemic began, I got put in a hotel and from that point onwards I started to get the support I needed.
I'm quite open to the type of job I'd like to do and I'd be really happy with a 9-5 role. Stability is the main thing I'm searching for. Doing some security and construction training is really exciting as for the first time, I'll have some qualifications behind me that will really open up my options.
Once I get into work I'm going to be putting away most of the money from my first pay cheque and start building a safety net for myself. The financial security I'll have means so much to me.