Could you tell us a little about yourself and where you live?
My name is Harsha and I live in the Uxbridge area. I came to the UK in 2007. In 2008, I completed an ESOL Entry Level 3 course at Eastcote. After that, I had a son who was born in 2009 and my family responsibilities increased thereafter.
My husband works full-time, so the school drop-offs and pick-ups were mainly my responsibility. I was very busy looking after my family, hence I didn’t have time to focus on my own career.
In 2013, I completed an IT course at Brookfield College in Uxbridge. I always wanted to continue learning, but my family responsibilities were my priority.
I had a daughter in 2014 and was a housewife. I was mainly responsible for her primary schooling. Just last year she started high school, and I became a bit free to focus on myself.
I started thinking about making a career for myself and wanted to start working, particularly in retail.
However, I didn’t know what I should do or where I should start. I thought the first step would be to improve my qualifications, especially my English. I started looking online for courses and support, and that is when I found the Grow programme.
What was happening for you when you first came to Grow, and what made you decide you wanted some support?
When I found Grow in June 2025, I was thinking seriously about starting my career. I wanted to work in retail, such as becoming a Retail Assistant, but I didn’t know anything about how to get started or what I needed to do.
I was also looking for ways to improve my qualifications, especially my English. I found the Grow programme on Google and tried to contact them.
I got an appointment with Sheeja. I went to the appointment with my husband because at that time I wasn’t confident about speaking and explaining about myself or what I wanted to do in the future. My husband explained everything on my behalf.
Sheeja spoke with both of us and explained that I had arrived at the right place. She told me that Grow could help me with my career. She encouraged me to attend the Grow online sessions regularly and explained that, slowly, I would become more knowledgeable about my career path.
I followed her advice and started attending the sessions.
How were you feeling about finding work when you first joined Grow?
When I first joined Grow, I was not very confident about finding work. I didn’t know what I should do or how to start my career.
I was also worried about my English and communicating with other people. I didn’t feel confident speaking about myself, explaining my experience or talking about what I wanted to do in the future, so I didn’t know how to present myself to employers.
At that time, I was hopeful that I could find work, but I needed someone to guide me and show me what steps I should take.
What support have you received from Grow?
I received a lot of support from Grow.
When I started attending the online sessions, I learned many things that were new to me. For example, I learned how to use Zoom and how to have conversations and communicate with other people online.
Grow showed me different types of courses and opportunities. I completed Maths and English courses online because I wanted to improve my qualifications.
My CV was out of date, Kaneez from Grow helped re-design and update my CV, which was very useful because I was finding it difficult to do that by myself.
After that, I started applying for jobs, but I wasn’t getting replies. During one of the online Grow sessions, I asked Liz about this. She explained that if I started volunteering, it could increase my chances of getting a job because I was interested in retail.
I followed her advice and started volunteering at the British Heart Foundation Home Store in December 2025. I also volunteered at Age UK Ruislip later on, where I learned how to use a till because the BHF home store did not allow volunteers to use the till.
Sheeja also explained to me that, although volunteering is unpaid, I was getting valuable experience. Through volunteering, I had the opportunity to speak to different types of customers from various backgrounds and ethnicity and was learning how to deal with different situations, both simple and difficult ones.
Through my volunteering, I gained valuable experience in customer service, communicating with different people and customers, dealing with difficult situations, upselling and working as part of a team.
Grow also helped me learn how to use ChatGPT. I find it very useful for updating my CV, searching for jobs, creating cover letters and preparing for interviews.
The Grow team also did mock interviews with me several times. This helped me practise and prepare myself for real interviews.
What has being part of the Grow programme given you that you might not have had otherwise?
Being part of Grow gave me knowledge, support and encouragement that I didn’t have before.
Before Grow, I didn’t really know where to start. I was looking online by myself, but I didn’t know about the different courses, volunteering opportunities or how I could gain experience for the type of job I wanted.
Grow helped me understand that I could take small steps towards my career.
First, I improved my qualifications. Then I created my CV, started volunteering, gained customer service experience and started applying for jobs.
I also became more comfortable using technology and communicating with other people.
The support and encouragement from the Grow team helped me keep going, especially when I applied for jobs and didn’t receive replies.
Has Grow changed how you see yourself or what you feel you are capable of?
Yes, it has.
When I first came to Grow, I wasn’t confident enough to explain my own situation. I even went to my first appointment with my husband because I wasn’t sure how to speak and explain what I wanted to do.
Slowly, my confidence started to improve.
By attending Grow sessions, doing courses, speaking with other people, volunteering and practising interviews, I became more confident.
My volunteering also showed me that I could learn new skills. I learned how to communicate with different customers, deal with difficult situations, provide customer service, upsell and work as part of a team.
Now I feel more confident about what I can do. I know I still have more to learn, but I feel that I have skills and experience that I can offer an employer.
Congratulations on your new job with Primark! Can you tell us about the job?
Thank you. I am very happy that I have started working as a Retail Assistant at Primark in Uxbridge.
I started in September 2026. It is a part-time weekend position for a three month contract.
My job involves working on the shop floor, helping customers, keeping the department organised, replenishing stock and working as part of a team.
I am learning how everything works in a busy retail environment. Every time I go to Primark, I learn something new.
I am looking forward to gaining more retail experience, improving my customer service skills and learning more about working in a retail environment.
What does getting this job mean to you personally?
Getting this job means a lot to me because it is an important step in my journey back into work after a long time focusing on my family.
When my younger daughter started high school, I started thinking about my own career. At that time, I didn’t know what I should do or whether I would be able to get a job.
Now I have started working in retail, and that has given me more confidence.
I am meeting new people, learning new skills, gaining real work experience and building my customer service experience.
The job is currently fixed-term rather than permanent, but I am very happy that I have been given this opportunity. It is a very important step for me.
Do you think Grow helped you get to the point where you were ready to secure this job? If so, how?
Yes, definitely.
Grow helped me understand what I needed to do step by step.
They helped me improve my qualifications, create my CV and understand how to apply for jobs. When I wasn’t getting replies to my applications, Liz suggested volunteering. That was very helpful because volunteering gave me real customer service and retail experience.
Through the British Heart Foundation and Age UK, I learned how to communicate with different customers, deal with different situations, work as part of a team and use a till.
Grow also helped me prepare for interviews through mock interviews. This helped me feel more prepared when I attended real interviews.
I kept trying to find a job. I continued updating my CV and adding my customer service experience, and I kept applying for different jobs.
Eventually, I got the opportunity to work at Primark.
Looking back to when you first came to Grow, what feels different now?
A lot has changed since I first came to Grow.
When I joined Grow in June 2025, I didn’t know what I should do. I wasn’t confident speaking about myself, my CV was outdated and I didn’t have any work experience.
I started attending Grow sessions and slowly learned new things. I improved my English and Maths, created my CV, started volunteering and gained customer service experience.
I also learned how to use Zoom and ChatGPT and became more confident communicating with people.
Now, just over a year later, I have started my first retail job in the UK at Primark.
When I think about where I was when I first joined Grow and where I am now, I feel very happy and proud. Last year, I didn’t know what I should do, but now I am working, learning new skills and building my career.
What would you say to another woman who was thinking about joining Grow but wasn’t sure whether it could help her?
I would say, give it a try and don’t be afraid to ask for support. It’s good to join as the people are very helpful and things will get easier over time.
When I first went to Grow, I wasn’t confident and I didn’t even feel able to explain my own situation properly. But Sheeja listened to me and explained that I had arrived at the right place.
You don’t have to know everything when you start. Grow can help you understand what steps you can take.
For me, it was about taking one step at a time — improving my qualifications, creating my CV, volunteering, gaining experience, practising interviews and continuing to apply for jobs.
I would also say don’t give up if you don’t get a job straight away. I applied for many jobs and sometimes didn’t receive any reply, but I kept learning, gaining experience and trying.
Is there anything else about your experience with Grow that you would like people to know?
I would like people to know that Grow was not only about helping me find a job. It helped me understand what I could do and gave me the confidence to start building my career.
When I first contacted Grow in June 2025, I didn’t know what I should do, I wasn’t confident speaking for myself, with an outdated CV and lack of any work experience.
With the support from Grow, I took small steps. I improved my qualifications, created my CV, started volunteering, gained customer service experience, practised interviews and continued applying for jobs.
The Grow team encouraged me throughout my journey.
Now I have started working at Primark, and I am very happy about this achievement. My job is fixed term at the moment, but for me, getting this opportunity is a very important milestone.
If I think about myself when I first joined Grow and myself now, there is a big difference. I have more confidence, more knowledge and real work experience.
I hope my experience can encourage other women who have been away from work for a long time or don’t know where to start. You don’t have to do everything at once. You can take small steps, learn new skills and keep moving towards your goals.