After a difficult period after leaving college my plan A of getting into journalist were shattered and there was no plan B.

I moved out of home and got myself a flat but my confidence was low and I didn’t know what to do with the rest of my life.

Out of the blue I got a phone call from Inland Revenue offering me a three week temp role doing office admin duties. My auntie worked there and she put my name forward when they were looking for staff. I think it really helped that it happened that way as at that stage I don’t think my confidence would have let me present myself well enough had it come to a formal interview.

I started on 15th October 2001 and I was very excited. It was my first paid job. The work was boring. I was moving files about and putting letters in envelopes but it got me out of my flat and got me interested in the world again. I asked lots of questions and I was keen and eager. There was quite a large group of us that started that day and we were all young people and having that social interaction again helped with my confidence.

Three weeks was extended to four weeks, which was extended again by another four weeks and before I knew it I’d been there six months. They only kept a handful of us on that long so I must have been doing something right.