A new initiative aims to help disadvantaged young people understand the realities of different job roles and gain the confidence to apply for them.

Day of Wrk provides a series of authentic “day in the life” stories by people from diverse backgrounds across various industries - including marketing, teaching and journalism - who explain what their jobs are really like and what they actually do.

Launched by Plaistow man Zakir Hasan last month, the website also champions ethnic minorities by highlighting the achievements of people from these backgrounds.

The 23-year-old, who works as an account manager at advertising agency FCB Inferno, said studies have shown people are less likely to apply for jobs due to a lack of understanding of what the roles involve.

He said this is more likely to affect disadvantaged young people who lack connections in various industries.

“Day of Wrk was born out of my younger sister asking me what I actually do for my job - to her, it was sitting at my laptop in my room for hours on end every day,” Mr Hasan said.

“It made me realise that despite there being hundreds of job roles, there’s a severe lack of understanding of the day-to-day, and this is a massive barrier to entry which impacts diversity and society as a whole.

“I would not be in the role that I am in if I did not speak to my best friend Eve, a creative, about what life at an advertising agency was like.

"I hope that Day of Wrk acts as this vital source of information for those that lack those connections.”

There are currently more than 35 "day in the life" accounts on the website.

Each contributor also answers five set questions around their job and career path.

The stories share a common theme of wanting to inspire the next generation and feature people who are breaking barriers in their industries.

They include primary school teacher Emmanuel Awoyelu, who told Day of Wrk: “There weren’t many black teachers to look up to, so I decided that I needed to become what I didn’t have."

Visit dayofwrk.com to find out more, read the stories or submit a post.