My name is Matty, I’m 29 and I’m an interior architect by training.

After several years at university, I was delighted when I secured my first job in 2008 in a small architectural practice in Wimbledon. Just eight months later, though, the recession kicked in and – like many architectural assistants around the UK – I was made redundant.

The following two years were really difficult. I was on Jobseeker’s Allowance and applying for every job going, but everywhere I went people would look at my CV and tell me I didn’t have the relevant experience.

I knew I was being discounted for many jobs because people assumed I wouldn’t stay with them when the downturn ended. And they had a point: ultimately my goal is to go back to interior architecture as soon as I can. But it’s not a realistic option right now. Although the recession is technically over, jobs in the sector are still few and far between.

I desperately wanted to explain this to potential employers: to show them I would give them 100 per cent. But for two years, I couldn’t find anyone willing to take the risk. I temped as a researcher and an administrator, but that was it. It was so disheartening.

Things changed in the autumn of 2010. Jobcentre Plus sent me to meet a local organisation called Careers Development Group (CDG), which works with the long-term unemployed. They referred me Call Britannia, explaining that the company is less interested in relevant experience than it is in finding individuals with the right mind-set: people who want to work and show aptitude for telephone-based work following a few simple tests – even if they’ve never worked in a call centre before.

They’re very candid here. They know this is a transitional job for me; I haven’t had to lie about my long-term goals. It’s given me renewed confidence to pitch myself to architectural firms. Even if I have to work on an unpaid basis in my days off from Call Britannia, I’ll do it to keep my skills up-to-date. That way, when the economic climate does improve, so will my chances of getting my ideal job.

In the meantime, I’m happy here and I’ve learnt some valuable skills in call handling, especially around empathy and conflict resolution. They’re skills I can use in any job, and I’m sure they’ll be beneficial in my future career.

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Call Britannia helps people make the break in to working life.