Meet Godwin

Godwin was doing an unrewarding job in retail before joining ECL. Feeling overworked and underappreciated, his mum suggested he follow in her footsteps and think about making a move to care. A year on, and Godwin is flourishing as a Community Care Assistant (CCA)…

I’m so glad I decided to bite the bullet and change career

Godwin Adekolu had been working in the retail sector for many years, but in 2023 he decided the time was right to make a change. Feeling unfulfilled by his previous role, his mum encouraged him to consider a new job in care. As a carer herself, she knew he had a lot to offer and felt that he would find helping others as rewarding as she did.

He says, “Although I’d been successful doing various retail jobs, I knew my heart wasn’t really in it. I wanted to change careers, but with no experience, it was a bit of a daunting prospect. Thankfully, because my mum is a carer I was familiar with the sector and she gave me the confidence I needed to branch out and try something new. I found an advert for a CCA position with ECL while searching care jobs online and decided to go for it.”

Godwin found he was remarkably at ease during his interview, and the recruitment team were more than happy to offer him the opportunity to take on a new challenge away from his retail roots.

“I usually get quite nervous at interviews, but I felt comfortable straight away with ECL,” he says. “Communication from the team was great throughout the application process and everyone has been so welcoming since I started, easing me into the job and providing full training and support.”

“I was surprised but really pleased by how much time is allowed for shadowing in the early days, as I’d been a bit concerned that I may not have the chance to get familiar with every aspect of the role before heading out on my own. I needn’t have worried, there’s always help on hand if you need it,” he adds.

A complete departure from retail, Godwin has learned a raft of new skills since moving to ECL and is enjoying the change. “This is entirely different to anything I’ve done before, but meeting so many interesting people and seeing the progress they make week-on-week is so rewarding. It’s nice knowing I’ve played a part in that.”

A year on, and he says he would recommend ECL to anyone. “ECL has been brilliant to work for,” he says. “The wages are good, the support available is excellent, and I know there are many options for career progression if I want to pursue them. I’ve been made to feel confident in my abilities and comfortable with my team – I’m so glad I decided to bite the bullet and change career. I haven’t looked back since!”