Real life story: Emma
Meet Emma
Emma is a ground handling and airport operations expert. Emma was forced to leave her recent airport role when COVID-19 started to take effect and she contacted Aviation Action for support.
HOW DID YOU GET IN CONTACT WITH AVIATION ACTION?
A colleague in a similar boat to me had recommended that I register for support, having lost my job due to COVID-19. Asking for help doesn’t come naturally to me, and so luckily signing up was a straightforward process. I completed a quick form on the website’s ‘Get Help’ page with some basic contact information and just enough context to help them assess how they can support me. I was contacted the next day, and shortly after that my coaching and support relationships started.
WHAT SUPPORT WAS OFFERED TO YOU?
I have been very fortunate in receiving both coaching and psychological support − it sounds scary but it really isn’t; both have helped me immensely during what has been a difficult time. They’ve helped me to structure a positive daily routine with work suddenly being out of the equation, CV/interview tips including tackling pre-interview anxiety, advice on wellbeing and mindfulness, and someone to talk to both personally and professionally. I consider myself a positive person generally, but during a stressful and uncertain time it can be difficult for us to draw from our own ‘psychological toolkit’. Sometimes we need a little extra support and that’s okay!
WAS THERE OTHER SUPPORT AVAILABLE?
Certainly. From day one the charity maintained that they are there if there’s anything else I might need on top of my support. They genuinely wanted to make a difference, and I think a lot of thought went into who I was paired with. They also host free seminars with industry professionals, covering a range of relevant topics such as your rights regarding redundancies, wellbeing, transferable skills, interview tips and more.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AVIATION ACTION?
Absolutely, yes! I wrongly had limited expectations, but I’m so glad I put my stubbornness aside and reached out. Not only have they helped me with CV and interviews, the support has truly surpassed this and actually helped me to develop myself mentally. Having only worked in aviation I felt lost. I lacked hope about the future, and I found applying for alternative jobs daunting and a generally negative experience; I lacked confidence outside of the industry. Compare that with now: I’m so much more comfortable and hopeful about the future. I can appreciate my transferable skills, and I’m an awful lot kinder to myself. I’ve been offered a job in finance after much rejection, and, while it isn’t my dream job, I can certainly see success in how far I’ve come mentally. I urge anyone that thinks they might benefit from support to just reach out. It’s been a revolutionary experience for me, and I’m incredibly grateful.
