Couch, Coffee & Coaching - 6 Months Old!

Couch, Coffee & Coaching Linkedin Support Group for Jobseekers

Celebrating 6 Months of Helping Jobseekers – Kevin Moseley – Leeds. UK

 6 Months old.... Yes - My group is 6 months old this month. The Linkedin group: Couch, Coffee & Coaching – that I created in November 2020 is 6 months old.

 (19) Couch, Coffee & Coaching - A Group Offering Help/Support To Job Seekers - Call Every Monday @19:30 | Groups | LinkedIn

 Mid to late November last year, after much and protracted discussions with my fiancé, Janice, as to any sacrifices (giving up every foreseeable Monday evening) that I/we would have to make etc, I came up with an idea to create a group for those unemployed and really struggling during these/those difficult times.  Being out of work myself, I understood and understand just how hard it is and recognised the need for this.

I wanted it to be, and it has become a place where no one judged anyone.  It was a place where if things were bad, you could have a weep if you wanted without fear and know there were understanding people on the call, but you could also have a bloody good laugh if you needed it. Bad day/week? – There is always someone to listen and be there.  Great day? – The same.  Depressed and feeling low? - Share it and be lifted.  At the end of your line and not got a clue what to do next? Share it.  Desperate? - Share it - someone will always be there to listen and help in some way.

 Couch, Coffee & Coaching was born out of a passion and my deepest desire to help people. To walk alongside and each be part of the same journey that I am on.  

When I conceived the idea of the group, (honest and hand on heart), I thought it would last a couple of weeks and die its death.  However, it has grown and grown and in doing so, we are coming up to nearly 6 months from the very 1st session that we had. 26 weekly sessions have been undertaken as well as some extras over the holiday periods. 

The 1st session where we all started as complete strangers, me armed with a few ideas scribbled on a tatty, dog eared A4 pad (on my knee) that I had and not much else. It finished with so much more. Pages of scribbled, hastily written thoughts and ideas, future endeavours, what people would like and how we could help and support each other though out our periods of unemployment and an agreement to do it again the next week. It finished with a lot of laughs and new connections. 

There was & is the added incentive that if someone in the group has some good/great news, (an interview, job offer or other), I am allowed a bottle or can of my favourite Theakstons Old Peculier beer and I would raise a toast to that person and a wish for their future success.

It is a place where I have been fortunate to be able to get the participation of the most INCREDIBLE people who have offered free coaching sessions during the weekly Monday evening Zoom calls. Experts in their respective fields and subjects such as Interview Prep, HR advice, Interviews, CV's, Cover Letters, Mindfulness, and so, so much more have been covered. We are making things happen for those out of work.

I have spent and still spend a lot of my time on daily telephone and Zoom calls, e-mails, presentations, the Linkedin page, to make the group work and try to keep it fresh and fun. At the same time, do what I can to promote you all in my own way by creating pdf’s with your details and show you off to all my connections.

 It is not all work though on the weekly evening Zoom call and a lot of the time, we just like a catch up and see how each other are? We have a good laugh and give support when and where needed. It is not all about coaching either or the stress of getting a job.  Many times, the calls go completely off on track and we may discuss dinner, drinks, careers, computer programs, gardening, connections, holiday plans, anything and everything. But you know something, that’s fine. 

 I have lost track of the amount of people that attend this on a weekly basis and to be honest, each have become more like friends, rather than connections.  Connections become friends that we can depend upon, call, message, support each other and be supported by.

 My sole interest and motivation for this group has been to do all I possibly can to help everyone that joins. Nothing more. Then, (as a group) do all we can to remove the Linkedin green banner and get each person back into work again. I am delighted to confirm that with the help of the coaches and each other, circa 24 - 25 have gone on to jobs this year alone.

 It has had its ups – and downs.  Christmas day/New Year’s Day is hard for some and even more-so, when we were all locked down and unable to visit our friends and family/ children/ grandchildren / parents etc. For those that could – even from a distance, once they had left, they returned to the emptiness and silence of their homes. 

 I recognised that we could do something, and, on both days, I created/hosted a Zoom call for an hour (6-7pm), just in case anyone wanted to talk. I was joined by some of the regulars and others who were alone, and we finished feeling as though we had done something amazing by doing this. Christmas is to be with loved ones and friends, and we made that happen in our small way. However, I never actually closed the call and left it open for an extra hour, just in case (well you never know do you who may need some company and want to talk), whilst my fiancé and I watched a movie.

Mid way through that 2nd hour (7-8pm), I was joined by someone not connected, who was extremely low.  He reached out just in case the line was open and we spoke for a considerable period and discussed just how desperate he was. No work. No hope. Nothing. 

He sent me his CV whilst we talked and once finished, I spent most of the night working on this and more, as well as his profile etc.  I returned his new updated CV at 4am Boxing Day morning and I did the best I could possibly do (with his help) and he duly applied for some roles on the following Monday. Three days later, an interview and on the 4th of January 2021 came a job offer! He started work on the 11th and turned his life around. He later told me on a further call, that very Christmas Day evening, he was suicidal and knew he had missed the hour I had booked. To get someone from the group there and to go that extra mile and talk, well, it changed his life. Now, he has a good job, steady income and was last week promoted and doing really well. This is about helping others and changing lives.

Had the group not been created, it would never have been able to touch so many lives on a daily basis. I have promised and maintain that, if I EVER get a job, I WILL continue with this group, to support everyone and get that green banner off the profile photo of as many as I possibly can. For what it costs me every month financially and the time and hours put into it – it is worth it. Sometimes it is tight, but I will never let the group down.

As the group comes up to its 6-month anniversary, I am so grateful to everyone who has joined, coached, guided, been there, listened, cajoled, teased, mentally wiped the tears away, hugged, laughed, supported and been part of this little slice of heaven we created. 

I know it does not have the power of the bigger groups, but it was never set out to be like that. It was set out to be small, unique and personal and help everyone it possibly could. It has reached places including India, all over the UK, Norway, Dallas, New York, Canada, Singapore, Portugal, Spain, Germany etc.

One person who deserves so much thanks is my incredible fiancé, Janice. She has supported me during the dark days and also, the hours and hours of calls I have undertaken with coaches, connections and also duly hosted meetings myself. The times when people reached out for help on the phone (even when I was driving) etc and we stopped what we were doing, to ensure they had someone to talk to.  The nights she went to bed and I continued on the laptop working away on a profile / CV (or other) well into the early hours. There is and has been a lot of paperwork created and completed to get to where we are, and she has been there every single step of this journey.

However, this is about you all who have attended every week, made me laugh and been there to support others and who without, this would not have happened.

I myself, have sadly been unemployed for over 12 months now. Members of the group have told me multiple times that I need to start promoting myself and really concentrating on me.   I am not sure what the best way of doing this, but I do hope that everyone can see that what I do, is done with all my heart. It is done with extensive experience and an exciting career in various sectors in Customer Service and Operational Management. It is done with knowledge, a want to drive improvements, efficiency, automation, business excellence, change and create an incredible Customer Service experience as a manager or any other suitable role. 

That is that box duly ticked for you all – but I do welcome any future help!

I have no idea what the next six months and more will bring, but I know that what ever it does, the group will be there to continue what it does best. That is:

Support job seekers and those unemployed all over the world, like you and hopefully, in doing so, get you and I back into full time work as soon as possible.

 To everyone that has supported, been there, helped, assisted, guided, coached, listened and more – thank you for the most wonderful 6 months. I cannot wait to see you in work and will continue to do all I can to get you there. In the meantime, see you next Monday evening – same time, call details will be in the posts I put out.

Here is to the next 6 months and more.

Kevin Moseley (Kev)

With you all, every step of our journey back into employment - together.

 M: 0747 0824 516

E: kevin.moseley0509@outlook.com

Customer Service Manager / Operations Manager