Black Country man’s eventual job search success: ‘After four years of applying, I’m finally in work’
Aundray Gow, from Willenhall, spent four years job-hunting before landing his current role as a retail assistant at a high street footwear store.
He is living, breathing proof that the UK jobs market is currently tough and getting tougher. His story may sound familiar.
He came out of college - Walsall College in his case - aged 18 and ready to enter the workforce.
He fired out CVs left, right and centre in hopeful expectation of job offers.
But would-be employers kept knocking him back with the old adage: “More experience required.”
Undeterred, the 22-year-old returned to college, gaining a CIPD qualification in people practice in a bid to stand out from the pack.
Aundray’s story is all too common in the UK’s worsening jobs market
The job-hunting continued but to no avail.
A few months ago, Aundray signed up as at Walsall-based Starting Point Recruitment as a participant on the government’s Restart scheme, which aims to get people into work.
Finally, after more than 100 unsuccessful applications, he landed his current role at the Walsall outlet of Foot Asylum.
“When I came out of education around I was 18, so I've been applying for jobs from then,” said Aundray.
‘You need more experience’
“With a lot of the jobs I was applying for, the reason I wasn't getting them was because of experience.
“So that made me go back to college to try and further my education, so maybe that could push me forward, but people were still looking for experience that I didn't have.”
Britain’s contracting jobs market, with more candidates going for fewer roles and companies subject to higher National Insurance contribution levies, made a bad situation worse.
With greater competition for vacancies, employers have become pickier and entry-level workers like Aundray have borne the brunt. Repeated rejections took their toll on him personally.
“It was very demoralising to constantly have door shut on me,” he said.
“Then being told it’s because I lacked experience was doubly frustrating. I was left thinking: ‘Until I get a chance to work, I won’t ever be able to build up the experience I don’t yet have.’
They’d just look at my CV and say no
“On most occasions, I would’t even get an interview because employers would take a glance at my CV and just say no. I felt like I was in an impossible situation.”
Things changed after he met up with the team at SPR, whose philosophy is to look at the person, not just their CV.
SPR looks at the person, not just the CV
Professor Paul Cadman, CEO of SPR, said: “Our strategy at SPR is to look at the person in front of us, not the bit of paper that summarises them.
“We look for potential and for positive aptitude that we can develop in order to build jobseekers’ confidence and land them into great jobs.”
It is this person-first strategy that has led to SPR reporting its best year on record. Despite a worsening jobs market, including a national unemployment rate rising to 5.1%, according to the latest ONS data, 2025 was the most successful calendar year in SPR’s 24-year history. It secured jobs for 1,093 people across 2025, up 50% from 730 in 2024.
Behind each number is a personal story
Prof Cadman said: “Behind each one of those numbers is an individual story of hope and, in many cases, newfound purpose and self-confidence as young men and women who were out of work get back into employment, graduates begin their first jobs and military veterans transition from active service to work outside the armed forces.
“Aundray is one of those stories - a brilliant, bright, charismatic young man who is destined for great things. All he needed was someone to give him a break.”
Aundray added: “I joined the Restart programme with SPR, and they got me into Foot Asylum. It’s great to be working. I can feel my confidence rebuilding. I'm hoping things should be looking up for the foreseeable future.”
