Perminder Mann signs up as mentor for NLT and Lancôme careers platform for women

The National Literacy Trust (NLT) has joined with luxury cosmetic brand Lancôme UK to launch an online platform to support young women on the path to employment featuring insights from Bonnier Books c.e.o. Perminder Mann.

The web resource, Words for Work, is designed to help young women secure their first job and reach their full potential in the workplace, featuring advice and insights from a panel of women including Mann.

Other mentors featured on the platform include Lancôme’s global creative director Lisa Eldridge, executive editor and beauty director for Glamour UK Funmi Fetto, make-up artist Rose Gallagher as well as Adrienne Herbert, international TED Speaker, podcast host and brand ambassador.

Through a series of five brief themed videos, the Words For Work mentors address the challenges involved in each step of the process of applying for and starting a new job. Organised in a sequence which mirrors the job application process, the video themes include: My First CV, My First Interview, My First Day, Career Highs and Lows and Work/Life Balance. The site also provides practical guides to each step of the job application process, such as writing a CV or preparing for an interview.

Lancôme and the NLT also hosted a panel discussion for students participating in the programme, which is part of Lancôme’s global Write Her Future initiative. During the event, panellists shared information about their career journeys and took part in a question-and-answer session, to mark the final event in the 2019 Words for Work programme, which the NLT runs to help boost young women’s literacy and leadership skills through teacher-led workshops.

“Applying for a job can be a daunting task for many young women, especially when they're entering the job market for the first time,” says Billie Dunne, the NLT’s senior programme manager. We know that having strong communication skills from writing a good CV to expressing yourself well in an interview can make all the difference. So, we’ve created a collection of materials to help young women at every stage of the process, building the communication skills and confidence they need to succeed.”