A former fast food worker has a new career in tech after using vacation time to transform her career opportunities.
Charlotte Wilkins, of Cheetham Hill, started working at McDonald’s as a 16-year-old student, performing years of early starts and late endings in some of the busiest branches in the country.
She spent her first five years with the company in the McDonald’s St Ann’s branch before moving to the Manchester Arena branch, which has since closed.
She started working at the Piccadilly Gardens venue as of 2015, but in March 2020, when the country rolled out its first statewide lockdown, Charlotte was fired from her job as shift supervisor.
Determined to make the most of her free time, Charlotte decided to find a new job.
After gaining new skills in lockdown, she now works as an associate solution engineer at a cloud tech company, Matillion.
Charlotte is now an Associate Solution Engineer with a cloud tech company
(Image: STEVE ALLEN)
Leaving McDonald’s in Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester city center changed the 28-year-old’s life.
“Probably one of the biggest differences between working at McDonald’s and my new tech job is that I have weekends off and work the same hours every week,” she says.
“At McDonald’s, I had a mix of 5am to night shifts where I finished work at 3am.
“(Now) everyone I work with has the same days off and I don’t get any messages on my day off.
“It feels like I can really switch off on my days off and not be asked about things at work.
“I can now plan things in my life, I’ve joined a netball team, I have a better sleep pattern, and I can finally get my nails done without removing them for work because I no longer work with food!”
Charlotte started her job at the age of 16 and worked her way up to becoming a shift supervisor
Charlotte started her new job by searching for adult technology courses online and applying for the Prince’s Trust and Generation Amazon Web Services Re / Start course, which helps people develop skills for the tech industry.
She found work just a week after completing the 12 week course and started her new position in January.
“When I went on vacation, I didn’t really have a structure in my life,” she says.
“I thought this was a time to take classes and find a new career.
“I enjoyed my job at McDonald’s, but I knew I didn’t want to do that for the rest of my life.”
Charlotte Wilkins, 28, used her vacation time to learn new skills
(Image: STEVE ALLEN)
The Prince’s Trust is committed to providing the skills, support and experience young people need to be successful in life.
They are forming a groundbreaking new partnership with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to help young people from across the region get by today and prepare for tomorrow.
By offering free courses and tailored support, they help 11-30 year olds build their skills and confidence so they can take their next step towards work, education or training.
You can learn more through their website.
