Client Stories
Many clients referred to us may have experienced long-term unemployment, have a history of ex-offending, drug abuse, homelessness, poverty and many other life challenges. This results in low self-esteem and confidence that becomes a barrier to finding employment. Looking and feeling the part for an interview is a step towards succeeding in finding that crucial job and getting their life back on track...
From a deep dark world of drugs, crime, prison, addiction and homelessness spanning over 15 years, 51 year old Colmin is now ready to leave that life behind and start a new life clean, sober and employed...
Meet Colmin
Birmingham born Colmin started his life as a talented singer/musician and was attracted to the life of money, drugs and crime in his early 20s. Living in America for a while he got into the deep dark world of drugs and crime and did a long stretch of 4 years in an American prison before being transferred to a UK prison for another 2 years 6 months. While in prison he learnt skills in refrigeration repairs.
Colmin shared a bit about his journey during his appointment at Suited for Success…
A functioning addict
“When I came out of prison I went to college for a bit, got my qualifications and got a 9 – 5 job straight away doing refrigeration repairs. But I wanted to make more money and drugs came back into my life again. I bought some crack cocaine drugs to sell but my conscious wouldn't let me go back into selling it, so I ended up trying the drugs myself and that was the start of my addiction to crack cocaine.
“I was a functioning addict for a while and still kept my 9-5 job during the day and taking drugs at the weekend until I started taking drugs every day and it took over my life. My marriage at the time broke down and I became isolated from all my friends and family.
Hitting rock bottom
“As a last resort, my brother paid for me to go into a rehab in Weston-super-mare. After leaving the rehab I was clean for just 3 months then started using again. I went back into the world of crime to make more money to pay for my habit which included a drugs trafficking offence where I swallowed 61 balloons of crack cocaine and three burst in my stomach.
"Fortunately I was taken off the flight I was on and rushed to a hospital where I nearly died. I woke up in the hospital and I thought this is my second chance to start again. I still struggled with addiction and had several different 9 - 5 jobs.
"One day I just got up and thought that I needed to escape from this life. I ended up registering as homeless and self-referred to a hostel in Birmingham city centre. I’ve been living in the hostel for several months and have been clean 50 days, attending NA meetings and looking for jobs. I wanted to get myself back into work but I had no clothes. I was looking on the internet and saw Suited for Success where I got the help I needed with interview clothes.
Looking forward
"Looking ahead my future looks bright. I now appreciate the little things. I just want to be a normal person now. I want to show my family that I’m on the right path and I want to give back to help other people in the grip of drug addiction."
Job interview success
After being helped by Suited for Success Colmin was successful in an interview and got a job back in refrigeration repairs. Feeding back after his interview the business manager said Colmin was well 'suited' for the job:
“The manager said I oozed confidence at the interview. I’ve got the experience and I charmed the pants off him, so he said I would work well with the customers. I felt so confident in the interview because of the suit you gave me.
"I felt well dressed, I felt good. I looked the part, felt the part so acted the part. When the interviewer looked at me he didn’t see someone who came out of the gutter.
Thank you so much Suited for Success.”
Watch Colmin's Suited for Success transformation in the video on the right and listen to him talk about making a new start in his life also listen to an interview with Colmin on the BBC Radio WM Breakfast Show.
