News | Tuesday, 20th February 2024
Fejiro Orhenomare’s Graduate story
Fejiro Orhenomare, a 2023 Educational Psychology Graduate, discusses their graduate experience as a Behavioural Support Therapist at Vision Beyond Autism.
What did you study at Manchester Met and why?
I studied Educational Psychology (BSc) at Manchester Met. My career goal was to become a child counsellor and although I got an unconditional offer to study counselling at Northampton University, I chose to study in Manchester because of how great the city is and being from Manchester I knew it would be the right decision.
Did you enjoy your time at Manchester Met? What was your favourite part of your experience?
I enjoyed my time at Manchester Met as despite joining during the covid year, there were still a lot of opportunities to socialise and get to know different people. The sports teams are another highlight of my experience as they are a great way of meeting new people and the university competes at a good level across most sports.
What journey did you take whilst looking for a job once finishing University?
Once I graduated, I began applying for jobs straight away and managed to get a job within a month of applying. I had experience working with children with SEND while working for an agency while studying at university. I have worked across a few different sectors as I’ve worked at M&S, McDonald’s and an accounting firm. I’ve faced a few different challenges but one thing that has helped me through is resilience and not being afraid to ask for help as there are always people available to support you.
What is it like working in your field?
I didn’t really have any expectations as I’ve worked with children with autism, but my role is supporting adults with complex autism. I remember feeling overwhelmed when starting the job as I would be supporting adults with more challenging behaviours but I’m now nearly 2 months into my job and I’m glad I didn’t let that put me off.
What does your day-to-day life look like at work?
My days follow a similar structure each week as my clients each have their own routines which they follow to help them manage their days. I work as part of a team but once fully trained I’ll be lone working as part of a team that supports a client. We have training at least once a month where all colleagues from all teams meet up and are delivered a training session by one of the lead BST. This is a similar role in the fact I’m working with people with ASD but I’m working with adults with complex autism, so it is slightly more challenging.
What skills or experience did you learn at Manchester Met that are key to your work life?
A skill I learnt from university that’s key to my work life is the skill of reflection and being able to look back on my day and how I could improve it. With the role I’ve got, that’s all we focus on as I try to reduce my client's challenging behaviour and use ABA to improve their quality of life.
What advice would you give students looking to get into your field of work?
I’d recommend gaining as much experience as possible in any field. I don’t think there’s necessarily a best time to apply for a job but as for where to apply I’d recommend Indeed, LinkedIn and the NHS website if you’re looking for work within the health and social care field. Good work experience I’d recommend is teaching assistant roles and working with children with SEND. Exposing yourself to this field of work will give you core skills for working with anyone with learning needs or disabilities.
‘There are a lot of transferable skills you can gain in a various different sectors, it just depends how you chose to apply them.’
Do you think you could have done anything differently during your course which could have better prepared you for working life after graduation?
I think I could have accessed the careers team more. Although I was able to find a job quite easily once I graduated, I think if I had utilised them more, I could’ve potentially found alternative positions more closely linked to counselling.
Do you feel being a student from an ethnicity other than white affected your University experience or career path?
No not at all.
If you could give one piece of advice for those starting their career journey, what would you say?
Be open to all possibilities and don’t knock anything till you try it. I had no plan of being a teacher but while being a teaching assistant I loved the job and found I was really good at it, so I’d encourage you to push yourself out of your comfort zone.
