What Inspired Me To Be A Care Assistant

GP Nurse and former Care Assistant, Claire Carmichael, discusses what inspired her to work in Social Care, and how she navigated choosing the right career path.

Topics covered in this article

Introduction

I Didn’t Know What I Wanted To Do Until Very Late

I Tried Many Different Jobs Before Care

Nothing Seemed To Satisfy Me

I Got Into Care To Build A Foundation For Nursing

I Fell In Love With Care Immediately

Introduction

Hi everyone.

Welcome back to The Vlog.

My name is Claire Carmichael and I am a General Practice Nurse.

However, when I very first started out, I started out in care homes for the elderly.

And this was back in 2005.

So I just wanted to tell you a little bit more about my history and why I actually took that first step to go and work there.

I Didn’t Know What I Wanted To Do Until Very Late

I wasn't born knowing I wanted to be a Nurse or working in care.

I didn't actually know where I wanted to be in the world until very, very late on in my life.

I failed my GCSEs pretty much.

I got very shocking grades that weren't worth anything.

And that really put me down and really knocked my confidence and my self esteem.

So I didn't really think that I was clever enough to go to college or university or anything like that.

So that's not where my mind wandered.

And I really struggled to think, okay, what am I gonna do after school?

And what am I gonna do?

Obviously, I need to make money.

And yeah, that was my train of thought, anyway.

I had a number of jobs actually.

I've probably had most jobs out there because I went from one to the other, to the other.

Not many people know this.

I Tried Many Different Jobs Before Care

I don't think I've spoken about this before either in previous videos, but my official official very first job I did a day.

I signed up to an agency because it was good money and they would just send you anywhere basically to work.

And my first job was actually officially in a like frozen food factory or cold chain, as I suppose to have frozen and cold chain foods there for a very big supermarket company that shall be not named.

And I was sticking labels on Garmin.

That was my first job.

I would stand at the end of the line, just doing this.

I thought, what is life?

So I left, I lasted a day. I know it was freezing cold.

I just couldn't work there.

And a massive, massive, like, well done and congratulations to anyone that does that job.

It's just not for me, honestly, I could not do it.

So eventually I did go in and I worked with my mum actually, because she worked in hospitality.

So she worked in a hotel at the time.

And she said why don't we get you a job with me working there, I said, okay.

So actually my first like proper job where I lasted more than a day was actually waitressing in a hotel.

And I did banquets and weddings and functions and things like that.

And actually it was okay, but waitressing was probably my least favourite job along with the Garmin slapping.

It's just not for me.

Anyway, compose yourself.

After that, the amount of jobs that I had I've worked in Debenhams.

Actually, I really loved working at Debenhams, other stores are available.

But it was just a Christmas, temporary position.

They didn't keep anyone on afterwards.

I was gutted because I really loved it and I really wanted to stay but they didn't need us after that.

So I was laid off. I know, such a shame.

But then yeah, so I worked in a card shop.

I've worked in factories, I've worked in shops.

I've worked in every type of hospitality, waitressing.

I did reception in a hotel.

I did housekeeping.

I did housekeeping actually for a number of years because that was one of my top favourite jobs of all.

I loved it. I loved going around, making the beds and putting the radio on and dancing to the music of making the beds and just the transformation of making that room clean and sparkly fresh for the next person was just, is really satisfying to me.

I don't know why, but I really loved it.

So I was actually a housekeeper for a few, quite a few years, actually until 2005.

So from about 2000 to 2005, I did all those little jobs.

But even though I loved working as a chambermaid there was just something missing for me.

Nothing Seemed To Satisfy Me

I wasn't going to work and coming home satisfied.

I didn't feel good about my job.

It is, I enjoyed it and enjoyed the people I worked with.

And it was just a nice, happy sort of job but I didn't feel that sense of satisfaction.

And I've been doing it for a few years.

I just thought I need something else, I need change but I don't know what, and I don't know where I wanna go.

I have no clue about my life because I failed my GCSEs and all that.

And I don't know what I do wanna do with my life.

And it was only because I was sat down and I was speaking to my friend and we had this long conversation, and he said to me, do you know what?

I can actually see you as a Nurse, Claire?

And I was like, what? Me, a Nurse, no, don't be silly.

Like you have to be really clever to be a Nurse.

And I've got no brain cells really.

Or that's what I thought at the time.

And, but as he said it, it did, it planted that seed.

And I thought, okay, well, let's just have a look and see what you need to become a Nurse.

I Got Into Care To Build A Foundation For Nursing

So I had to look, I had a little research on the internet and I found a few things.

And the first thing that I found was become a Care Assistant first to sort of ease your way into it and all that jazz.

And I thought, Oh, I never really thought about working in a care home before.

It was something that when I saw it, I thought actually I think I would really love that because some of you may know, may not know, but I was actually brought up by my nan and grandad from age of two until I was 15.

They were my legal guardians.

And I think that's what made me fall in love with care homes because I was brought up by my Nan and Granddad.

So I had that sense of respect and love for them.

So I thought, do you know what?

Let's just try and see.

And I applied to a local care home which was literally walking distance from a house at the time.

I actually had to walk down there and collect the form to fill in.

There was no online applications then.

There was no... I didn't have a CV.

So it was very much a piece of paper that you actually filled in and handed it in.

And then I got my interview and luckily I got it.

And that was my first care home job as a Care Assistant.

And obviously I didn't have GCSEs or anything and they took me on.

But the requirements were that I would do my NVQ with the equivalent GCSEs and stuff to get me up to scratch.

So that's what I did.

So I did the equivalency and I did my NVQ level two in health and social care.

I Fell In Love With Care Immediately

I just fell in love.

I just, as soon as I went through that door, I just thought, wow, this is really weird, scary, but really exciting.

And I think I'm gonna love it.

It was that sort of feeling at the start.

And I made the most amazing friends there and we had the nicest team.

It was, and we had the nicest residence and it was just gorgeous.

It was such a beautiful, beautiful care home.

And I just, yeah, I really, really loved it.

But that is my main reasons why I initially went into care.

It wasn't, you know, Oh my God, I wanna be a Care Assistant.

I wanna be a Nurse for all of my life.

It wasn't like that. It was just one of them things.

And I think back actually sometimes, and I think, if my friend didn't say that, would I be a Nurse now? It's one of them.

And I think, would I? I think I would actually, I think at some point it might've clicked and I thought I would have thought, okay, let's just try this.

I think I was destined for this path.

And yeah, it was a great starting point for me.

Yeah, that's basically my story of how I got into care.

So please leave a comment below if you're working in care.

If you're thinking about working in care.

What are the things that you love?

What are the things that you're looking forward to if you're gonna start a job in care?

What's holding you back if you're not working in care?

And yeah, if there's anything I can do to help or answer any questions, let me know, leave the comments below and I will reply to you.

But for now it's goodbye from me. You can also check the article related to care assistant pay.