Alison has lived with chronic pain and chronic fatigue for many years, which made it difficult for her to remain in full-time employment. She was previously working in HR and training before becoming a freelance training consultant, but the demands of the work weren’t compatible with her physical health needs. Her symptoms meant that she had to cease working, and she found herself out of employment for 10 years.
However, in recent years she has felt ready to begin exploring new opportunities – as long as these were manageable alongside managing her chronic ill health. She began to look online for organisations who might be able to help her find creative and sustainable work, and soon discovered Astriid. She signed up as a candidate seeking work, and after a period of time, candidate co-ordinator Trish found some recruitment positions that seemed as though they might be a good match. Although these roles were a good fit for Alison’s skillset and previous experience, she realised that ideally, she wanted lower-level work that she could forget about at the end of the day. After discussing this with the team, it wasn’t long before another opportunity came her way.
As soon as Alison read the job description for this role, she knew it was perfect for her. She has always enjoyed poetry and creative writing, and the role was advertising an admin position for a poetry course consultancy – specialising in haiku and other short forms of poetry. The role involved around 4.5 hours of work per week, with very flexible hours, which meant that she would have a lot of control over when she chose to work. On all counts, it seemed to be a match made in heaven, and Alison readily accepted the opportunity!
Since beginning her role, she has praised the owners of the company, Karen and Alan, for their knowledge of chronic illness. Their understanding means that she can comfortably discuss any adjustments and requirements, meaning that she can give her best to her work and that the partnership is mutually beneficial. Now that Alison no longer has to push herself and make herself unwell just to get through her work, she has found it much easier to establish a sustainable routine, and is particularly enjoying working as part of a team again.
Alison is extremely grateful to Astriid for their support in helping to match her with creative and sustainable work that brings her a sense of fulfilment. The process has also had a positive effect on her confidence levels, and she is very much enjoying using her problem-solving and consultancy skills in a field she’s passionate about. We’re so proud to be part of Alison’s story and to have helped her discover her ideal role!
Here at Astriid, we match talented people with long-term illnesses with meaningful employment opportunities. We work with employers to make sure that they can meet candidates’ needs, and help candidates through all stages of their ‘work ready’ journey. You can find out more and sign up as a candidate or an employer by visiting our website!