Update: Good news for Craig Hardman
"It is a huge relief to know we will be okay."
“I feel like the cat who got all the cream!” a clearly excited Craig Hardman said, when he shared the good news he had received with the Record.
The 46-year old went through a difficult time after he lost his job six months ago, but he refused to give up and can now smile again. “After the initial article was published, I received an overwhelming response from people. I had three to four interviews daily, some of them even resulted in a second and third callback, and out of all of these, only one application was denied,” he said.
Read the initial article here: Where there is a will, there is a way
For the Hardman family, the last six months have been tough, and they were at rock bottom, but now they can look forward to better days ahead. Craig said, “The light at the end of the tunnel is not an oncoming train anymore, but a genuine light of change!”
When he spoke about the call that changed their lives, his smile became just a little broader. “When I went to this specific interview, I had a gut-feeling that this was the one. Within ten minutes, I just knew, and I told the interviewer that it felt as if we were having a strategic meeting,” Craig said.
“I received the call from the company on Friday (20 October) at 11 am, telling me ‘Welcome aboard’ and I just had this huge feeling of relief. I don’t think I have realised as yet that it’s not a dream,” he said with a smile.
According to him, he is still receiving daily messages and prayers from people, as well as companies asking for his CV. “When I receive a message asking for a CV, and I see it is not my field of expertise, I try to put someone who will be able to do the job in touch with the sender. This is my way of saying thank you and paying it forward,” said Craig.
He added that, even when he had to cancel interviews, he still received a lot of support. “Everyone asks me to keep their details should I need them again. Not one of them has been mean or said they can now forget about me because I have a job,” he said.
He said that, even though he will now be joining the workforce again, it does not mean they will be back on their feet immediately. “We are still living on a very tight budget, and it will take approximately three to four months for us to be back on our feet. Our family will also continue offering support, until everything is back to normal,” he said.
And, the prospect of working again, has also made a mark on him – he said that his fiancée told him that he has already changed, and has his sense of humour back. “I must be honest, I am looking forward to early mornings and the Monday blues!” he said, laughing.
Craig said that they are busy re-organising their lives to ensure everything is in place before he has to start working again, and he expressed his heartfelt thanks to each and everyone who helped them to get to this point.
“I just want to say thank you to everyone – family, friends and strangers – for all the messages, prayers and job offers. Thank you for believing in us. And then, a very special thank you to my fiancée, Tarryn. Thank you for believing in me and sticking with me through it all,” he concluded.
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