Individual Spotlight: Dougie

Dougie recently retired after 15 years of service. His spotlight is a reflection of his journey throughout employment. Read his interview below:

How long have you been supported by Surrey Choices?

About 15 years. I first had support to find a job which was working at Tesco as a Trolley Porter. I did this for seven years and wanted a change from supermarkets.

What made you want to change your job?

I wanted a new challenge and liked the idea of working in a kitchen. Helping to serve people food and the chance to meet new people during my shifts.

Can you tell us about the role you landed?

I interviewed at The Royal Holloway University, working in The Hub as a Food Assistant and was so proud when I got the job.

Did you need to learn any new skills to help with your career change?

I needed to learn how to travel to work and home. I completed Travel Training on a bus and felt confident to start going on journeys alone.

Did you expect to be staying there for as long as you did?

No! I quickly felt like part of the team. Everyone was really nice and helped me settle into the job. I had job coaching for a while and before I knew it, felt confident enough that I became a Keep In Touch customer and would see EmployAbility every six months for a check in. The years rolled by and it was time to retire.

How did you celebrate retirement?

My team threw a retirement party in the cafe. We had cake, spoke about favourite memories and I felt really happy.

What are your plans now that you have retired?

I would like to do more DJ’ing! I will also see my friends I have worked with. My biggest hope is to go on a holiday abroad and go on an aeroplane.

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