"One-size-fits-all restricts us all!" - Susie's story
Susie studied a Picture Your Future traineeship with The Learning Foundry, which is designed to help learners discover what they’re good at and what they want to do with their career. As part of the traineeship, Susie carried out a work placement at The Regenda Group within the Marketing and Communications Team. It was a match made in heaven! So much so that Susie chose a Junior Content Producer Level 3 Apprenticeship, continuing to work at Regenda and perfecting her design and content skills.
The Liverpool City Region Careers Hub recently hosted an Enterprise Adviser Networking Event, and Susie was invited to be a guest speaker, talking to schools and advisors about how best to support SEND (special educational needs and disability) students in the early stages of their career development.
Here’s what Susie had to say...
“I have ADHD, so being able to talk publicly about this was a BIG deal to me. I want to give back and help people in my position so it’s a privilege to be given a chance to share my experience.
I really struggled in school - I had no support and no diagnosis. Since recognising the lack of support I got in school, and the cookie cutter mould that everyone was expected to fit in, it made me realise that I wasn’t terrible, I just needed to work differently, in a way that suited me as an individual. I want to influence schools and employers to understand that a one-size-fits-all approach restricts us all!
Admittedly, I am not an experienced public speaker. I have been known all throughout my life for being shy and up until a few months ago I still was. I have spoken publicly twice before this, once on the radio where I was shaking with nerves, and the second where I forgot everything I wanted to say and had a real good cry after; confirming my fears about how terrible I was at talking. Apparently though, I’ve got a real talent, so I’m glad I faced my fears and spoke proudly about my experience. I was determined to do this to support people in the same position I'd been in.
So how did I do it? I prepared in multiple different ways. I learnt from my past experiences of speaking that I need to be very prepared and to feel confident in what exactly I’m going to say. Having key points to refer back to was extremely important to keep me on track if I drift off or if I forget - big things associated with ADHD. I looked at public speaking videos and searched the web for tips (thanks Google!) and asked the organiser a lot of details about the event and to look over my plan beforehand to ease my nerves. Personally, I really needed to know what I was going into and what I was going to do. This doesn’t work for everyone, but it works for me.
This event was super important to me (no added pressure at all!) because of my own personal struggles in school. I struggled with finding strategies that work for me. When I was younger, I was in detention every week due to being late or missing homework deadlines, definitely not a sign! I struggled a lot with avoiding conflict, losing my temper, shutting down, manic depression. I had no impulse control, no executive functioning skills. I didn’t know how to regulate my emotions let alone how to speak about them, so no one knew how to help or even what was going on. And given the stigma around mental illness and disability, I didn’t want to talk about it, to admit it or seem a burden, troublesome or less capable. I didn’t see a future for myself, so for this to be my future and to be able to affect some else’s too… yeah, it means a lot to have come this far.
Now, my speech wasn’t perfect, but what’s the point in perfection?! There’s no personality there. I stuttered; I forgot half of what I was going to say (still an improvement!), I panicked... but what a day it was! I got so much feedback after the event, and even though I thought I bombed, everyone had something amazing to say! Someone there had seen me from when I first started my journey with The Learning Foundry on a traineeship to now, and she couldn’t believe how much I’d developed! She remembered me doing mock interviews and enrolling me onto the course I did with The Learning Foundry, going from not being able to speak to being able to go up and speak like that!
To employers and schools - an individual plan is needed for students, SEND or not. Everyone works in a different way and we need to understand and cherish that we are all individuals. I’m so glad I got to speak at this event.
If I were to give anyone the advice I wish I had, I’d say do it your way - find that individual way that works for you. If it works, it works! Make a plan, or don’t… Get advice, get help and support, you don’t have to do this by yourself. Just have fun with what you do. Every talk, every interview, every conversation is an improvement, whether you see it or not. One day you’ll stop and look and see just how far you’ve come. I know its cringey but it’s true.”