As a child, I was always asked to help other children. I remember helping children in my class at school, helping relatives, even my parents. Relatives would tell me that I’d make a good teacher, without explanation.
I started my career working in call centres and ad hoc temporary work through recruitment agencies. I graduated from my BA Hons Business Studies Degree in 2008, the same year that the global financial crisis occurred. I couldn’t obtain a graduate job or any permanent job, so luckily, I asked my manager at Hays Recruitment Corporate Banking, whether I could go full-time in the company. I had a recruitment resourcer position, where I interviewed prospective candidates.
This job was in Leicester, East Midlands, and due to my living situation, I was commuting daily by train from Birmingham, West Midlands. I knew Hays Recruitment had a branch in Birmingham City Centre. So, I put in an application to move. I moved to Hays Education Recruitment and recruited staff for schools, from receptionists right up to assistant head teachers.
I spent every day reading CVs belonging prospective candidates in the education sector. It was inspiring to see the trajectory of people’s careers. I saw the qualifications that people had, and how they started in the education sector.
The year was now 2010, and I started to have issues in the office where I was working. The office manager asked me to attend a meeting, where they informed me that I had failed my probation. I was immediately confused and asked for clarification. The manager explained I hadn’t achieved my objectives.
My first question was, what objectives? My second question was, what probation? I was then informed I would have a follow-up performance meeting. So, before attending that performance meeting, my family advised me to obtain union or legal support. I asked if I could bring a representative into the meeting and was asked to attend an informal meeting. I was then told there was no need to bring in a representative. I informed the office manager that I have not failed objectives, as I was never set any. I hadn’t failed probation as I’d worked in the Leicester office for 2 years.
Suddenly, the previous issues brought to my attention went away, and I got sent to the Coventry office to work during that summer. Some of you will know the irony of being sent to Coventry. I realised that I needed to move on from this position. I wondered about making a move into teaching. My sister sent me a link to a course, a level 4 preparing to teach in the lifelong learning sector course being advertised at Bournville College, now part South and City Birmingham.
I attended evening classes after work, I learned the basics of teaching, completed a microteach on introduction to speaking Mandarin, and obtained this qualification. I knew the qualifications needed to qualify to work as a teacher in England. So, I applied to study the PGCE at Birmingham City University, I chose the post-compulsory training and education sector, and the rest is history.
Melissa Education 