Mehmet says:

"I joined Social Interest Group as an Engagement and Activities Worker in March 2022. This was the first professional role in my career, as I had finished university the summer before. I graduated from the University of Kent with a degree in Social Sciences. My personal aims aligned with SIG’s values, aims, and theory of change, and I was inspired to start working within this sector and charity. I completed several trainings and grew in confidence through my interactions and the support provided. This led to me building meaningful relationships and having positive outcomes in my service.

I was recognised by a number of leads in SIG due to my hard work and feedback received from my managers and clients at the service. This led to me being supported to step into the Deputy Service Manager role as we mobilised further services in Havering and a second Deputy Service Manager position became available. I was supported in my new role to gain confidence and build key relationships with external partners and internal departments, which I am very grateful for. I continued to grow in my role, supporting the mobilisation of our new services and team during an unsettled phase with many changes in our management team. I was then guided and supported by my Head of Service to apply for the Service Manager role due to the trust and support I had developed in Havering with both internal and external teams.

Since becoming a Service Manager, I have continued to grow in my understanding and skills around management. I have engaged in management training internally and also completed an Emerging Leaders course with Homelessness Link, with the ambition of continuing to develop myself, my service, and the team. I am very grateful to be a part of this charity, but also of the Havering team, which has supported my growth and the journey we have shared together. I would like to thank everyone who has supported me along the way and remain excited for the future.

It’s great to see Mehmet’s journey from graduation to his experience at SIG, developing from Engagement and Activities Worker to Deputy Service Manager, and now Service Manager. If you are passionate about what we do and want to take on a new challenge to support in making a further impact, take a look at our roles and see what appeals to you."