Jon – Care Assistant

After 30 years working in the retail industry (for the Spar convenience store group), in 2018 Jon was ready for a change. When his wife suggested caring it made sense to Jon. When he was young his mum was a warden of a sheltered housing scheme, so he was used to being around elderly people. And as his parents got older, he also cared for them. 

So, early in 2019 Jon applied to Caremark Kirklees, and become a Carer. He has quickly become one of the franchise’s best carers, popular with both staff and customers and always willing to go the extra mile. He says: 

“Retail and caring may seem like two entirely different jobs, but there are actually some similarities, the main one being customer service. Whether you are selling a tin of baked beans, or serving someone lunch, it’s effectively the same and both jobs involve interacting with people.

Jon, 47, believes his age has helped him adjust quickly to his new job. “Because I am closer to the age of people we provide care for I can talk to them about things they know, such as music from the 1950s or 60s, or even when you used to eat tripe and beef dripping.

“The best advice I can give to someone thinking about a change in career is to give care a go. Effectively, you are getting paid to go into people’s houses to talk to them and do the things that enable them to remain in their home – there’s not much better than that in my view.”