Following my redundancy from an extensive career in public service, I was considering my options and discovered that Citizens Advice had numerous opportunities in my local area. I decided to volunteer with Citizens Advice to maintain my transferable skills from my previous career and learn about new areas of interest.
Initially, I volunteered as a Gateway Adviser and completed comprehensive training and subsequent mentoring that I found helpful. Alongside this, I returned to part-time work. Citizens Advice and my new employer have been and remain supportive and offer me flexibility in both roles.
Now, I am a Generalist Adviser and help clients with more complex issues, usually face-to-face. My volunteering experience has been both an opportunity and a challenge. I have the opportunity to work with a great team and help local people. The challenge is finding ways to solve people’s problems and make a real positive difference in their lives. Both the opportunity and challenge are what I enjoy most about my role.
I have been volunteering now for seven years. I continue to be impressed by the care and positive attitude all staff and volunteers have towards each other and clients.
– Kevin, Generalist Adviser
