Volunteer: Coaching - Smart Works Charity

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*Please be aware that this is a rolling advert. We are not always actively recruiting for this opportunity but will be in touch if your application is of interest/when we next recruit.*

About Smart Works

Smart Works is a dynamic, high profile and fast-growing UK charity that dresses, coaches and empowers unemployed women for success at their job interview. After visiting Smart Works, 69% of clients secure a job within a month.

The Smart Works service is delivered in 11 centres across the UK. Over the past ten years, Smart Works has helped over 35,000 women. It is our mission that any woman who needs our service should be able to find her way to a Smart Works centre. More information about who we are can be found on our website.

Across London Smart Works currently has three centres in Ladbroke Grove, Croydon and Islington. The team are currently recruiting wardrobe volunteers for the South and West London centres.

About the opportunity

Our coaching volunteers equip clients with advice, tips and skills to help them with their next steps towards employment. They mentor our clients and empower them to reach their full potential.

Our coaching volunteers have senior level management experience (HR or recruitment backgrounds are not mandatory). They work directly with our clients to help them prepare for a job interview or support our clients with tangible next steps towards securing an interview if they are currently job searching.

Volunteers can attend to a wide range of exclusive events including VIP preview evenings for pop-up fashion sales, volunteer socials and access to our monthly volunteer forums and training. You will become part of the supportive and buzzing Smart Works community, consisting of 40 staff and over 300 volunteers across our three London centres.

This opportunity would be perfect for anyone who wants to use their skills in interviewing and mentoring to support unemployed women into the workplace.

Key Activities

• Leading 1:1 appointments with clients across London, that focus on their search for employment.
• Supporting our clients by providing excellent advice on their next steps towards employment including (but not limited to) interview skills, job applications and editing a CV or cover letter.
• Mentoring our clients during their coaching appointments, helping them see their potential.
• Being empathetic towards our clients and empowering them to direct the session by asking them what they would like to focus on.

Skills you should have

• Senior management experience and experience of interviewing at different levels.
• Coaching qualifications and/or training are desirable but not essential.
• An excellent listener, with an empathetic nature towards our clients and their backgrounds.
• Comfortable working with volunteers and clients from different backgrounds and respectful of other people's experiences and approaches.
• Work well in a team to ensure our clients have the best experience.
• Someone who is able to work flexibly and go with the flow- the nature of our work means our client schedule often changes at the last minute.
• Passionate about our mission and fashion as a force for good.

Benefits of volunteering

• Using your knowledge and skills to help women feel more confident before they enter the workplace and make a positive difference to the lives of our clients.
• Meeting people from a range of backgrounds and making new friends who have a shared passion for helping others.
• Joining our monthly UK wide virtual volunteer forums to meet individuals across the charity and receive training opportunities to help you learn new skills.
• Early access to our pop-up fashion sales, where we have stock spanning across pre-loved, vintage and designer pieces, all up to 70% off RRP.

How to apply

To apply, please submit an application via our recruitment portal here and we will be in touch if your application is of interest.

Your application should be addressed to Alex Codrington, Smart Works Charity.