The Get Hired programme enabled Victor to take his first steps into work. His career in insurance is off to a flying start, and he has already been promoted twice.

After graduating from university in Barbados, Victor struggled to land his first job. Despite his impressive qualifications and a flurry of applications, he had no luck.

‘Getting a job right out of university is very hard,’ he remembers. ‘I was sharing my CV and resume with all businesses, part time and full time positions and internships. I just wanted a job and a chance. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any calls or follow-ups.’

Then Victor saw an advert for the Get Hired programme. Delivered in Barbados by our partner The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment (MYCE), the programme connects work-ready young people with employers who have live vacancies, setting them up for success with sessions covering workplace expectations and interview preparation including, crucially, plenty of interview practice.

Preparation and confidence

‘The team’s approach in preparing all participants for their interviews was invaluable,’ Victor explains. ‘The mock interviews played a pivotal role in boosting my confidence and motivation for the actual event…The thing I’ve learned about interviews is that you are the product, and you are the salesman – you know yourself best!’

Victor aced his interview and secured his first job as a customer service representative with an international insurance brokerage firm. ‘I honestly felt elated to know that I was the one person they wanted,’ Victor says, ‘and I wanted to show them that I was truly the best decision they made.’

Proving himself

Once Victor got his foot in the door, he was able to show what he was capable of – and his abilities, ambition and hard work were rewarded with two promotions in his first year alone. Victor, 24, is now thriving in his role as an Account Executive, overseeing key client relationships and driving business growth.

Alongside a stable income, which has helped him to fund an MBA in Business Strategy, Victor also highlights the other practical benefits his job has brought, ranging from life and health insurance to savings and pension contributions, setting him up for a secure future.

Victor has also made the most of the career development and travel opportunities which his work has presented. ‘The opportunities locally and internationally have broadened my horizon and really opened my mind to possibilities I hadn’t considered before,’ he explains. ‘This is only the beginning, I look forward to each and every day of this journey.’

Common challenges

With intense competition for limited entry-level positions, and employers often demanding experience for even the most junior roles, Victor stresses that the difficulties he encountered finding his first job are shared by many new graduates in Barbados.

‘While higher education provides graduates with academic knowledge, many lack practical, on-the-job experience,’ he explains. ‘Employers often require candidates to have at least two years or more of working experience, making it difficult for young graduates to meet this criteria. This highlights the importance of internships and job attachments which assist young graduates in gaining experience within the field.’