Femi's Letter - MY PROFESSIONAL ASPIRATION

I have always worked as a civil servant with the ministry of Defence. I worked in various departments for seventeen years. I started as an Administrative officer to family support officer and finally an office manager.

While with the ministry, I studied in the Thames valley university, in the evenings for four years. The first two years I had my higher national certificate in business and finance, the last two years, I achieved a postgraduate diploma in management studies. Although this achievement moved me up the ladder within the ministry of defence, however, I was unfulfilled with my academic achievements.

My main ambition is to become a social, worker. After years of procrastination, I ultimately resigned from the ministry of defence in 2006, the decision to go back to the university, which was a welcome relief. I applied for a degree in social work at the university of Northampton, however, I got an offer for a place in a newly designed degree which is named health studies and social welfare, this degree was pioneered in 2006, hence the offer by the university, to many student who applied for social work.

I was convinced by the lecturers then that it is the same qualification as a social work, also the health studies combined with it will make me more versatile, whereby make me employable both in social work and health sector.

One year after completing the degree, it has proved very difficult to get employed, owing to the fact that i am not a fully qualified social worker, neither am i a fully qualified health professional. This has been extremely frustrating. Although, I am currently working as a health carer, obviously, this has not justified my academic achievements.

I decided to seek help from women and work for work or career advice Avril was my contact there, she is a good listener, a warm and approachable person, after my first meeting with Avril, I was convinced that my decision to contact women and work will really worth my while.

I am ever so grateful to Avril at women at work who was incredibly helpful, while I feel completely let down by the employment issues, confused, and almost want to give up, she constantly email me to arrange to see her, setting up targets for me in various areas, from seeking a suitable employments, to acquire relevant modules that will prepare me for the desired profession.

It was success at last during the last meeting after weighing up many options, i.e. What or if there are any model that I can complete to qualify me as a social worker. We browsed the internet, checked with the Open University, eventually; we contact the general council for social work, who advised that they will fund the postgraduate master program in social work.

This information for me was an instant gratification. I intend to enrol next year for September 2011 intake. I am know this is going to be another challenging journey, I am prepare to face the face up to it.