Mujtaba’s path to employment – and how we can help you too

Mujtaba is a married father of six children living in an L&Q home in Leyton, Waltham Forest.

After a period of ill health, he re-entered the workforce in September to work as a housing assistant for his landlord, L&Q.

Originally from Bangladesh, Mujtaba moved to the UK in 1988 for a better life.

Mujtaba has a proven track record of working in customer-facing roles in the not-for-profit sector - from fundraising to support work and daycare.

Mujtaba was working at a hospice for a year until March 2020, when all volunteer roles were paused by his employer.

During this time, he attended multiple courses arranged by L&Q to upskill, boost his confidence, and improve his employment prospects.

He engaged with every e-learning session, getting to grips with the course material and gaining a lot from each experience.

He also received employment support from the Aston Group, one of our development partners, where he learnt interview techniques and benefitted from one-to-one advice.

In early 2021, Mujtaba had a heart attack which left him gravely unwell. He spent six days alone in ICU, a period he describes as 'traumatic and frightening”.

Mujtaba’s recovery was physically and emotionally taxing, but his desire to get back into the workforce gave him something to aim for and a goal to work towards.

As his health showed signs of improvement, the time felt right for Mujtaba to take the first steps on his path to finding a new job.

But after all that he had been through, including being out of work for well over two years, he knew it would be difficult for him to navigate this journey alone.

Many of the roles on offer were also fully office based, a working arrangement which could jeopardise his health.

Mujtaba re-connected with L&Q’s employment support service and was encouraged to apply for a Housing Assistant position by his adviser, Lee.

Given that he had never worked in the sector, Mujtaba was concerned that he lacked the experience needed to be appointed and succeed in the post.

Mentoring and advice from Lee helped Mujtaba craft his CV and supporting statement, identify his transferrable skills and learn tools and techniques to help him through the hiring process.

All that Mujtaba had learnt put him in a pole position and he was offered the job after being successful at the interview.

Lee worked with Mujtaba’s new line manager on a bespoke hybrid model that involves flexible and remote working.

Without this reasonable adjustment, Mujtaba's ongoing health issues would have prevented him from taking up the role and completing the intensive training course.

Suffering with his mental health during the pandemic made Mujtaba realise he wants to “keep (his) mind busy and engaged to avoid depression.”

Employing residents is helping L&Q to shape its service based on lived experience.

“I know what it is like to report a repair or be on the receiving end of a missed appointment", says Mujtaba.

"That makes me well-placed to offer an empathetic and practical solution to residents,” he continues.

Lee Hayday said:

“When it comes to employment support it can’t just be about numbers, it has to be about positive outcomes.

"It also has to be the right job for the resident and a good fit for their skills.

"A job that is sustainable and supports them, not only to pay the rent but to thrive.

"I’m pleased that I was able to help Mujtaba secure the right role for him, and I wish him every success in his career at L&Q.”

Mujtaba was one of the thousands of residents to benefit from our employment support, training and opportunities last year.

Whether you’re worried about redundancy, looking for your first job, returning to work after a break, or taking the next step in your career, we can support you. Visit our website for more information.