Rose finds job stability through youth program

Rose moved home to Brisbane to improve her job prospects and reset her life. Then, like thousands of other young Australians, she found herself in a job market impacted by COVID-19.

Determined to find work, the former New Zealand resident saw the Ready for Work program on social media and instantly knew this was the support she needed to restart her life in Australia.

“When we first met Rose, she lacked confidence, job search skills and local networks so was daunted about how to find work,” Employment Coach, Lisa Bowers said.

“Yet she showed a maturity that impressed me and was very engaged in the program.”

Determined to become the best version of herself, Rose took on all constructive feedback throughout the program and found the mentoring sessions highly valuable.

“Lisa was a huge help,” Rose said.

“I learned I needed different cover letters for each job. She also helped me find the jobs, gave me options outside of the normal nine to five hours, and we studied interview questions together which helped me a lot.”

Developing new skills and confidence

Within a few weeks of starting the program, the young job seeker found a renewed sense of self-confidence. A polished resume, improved communication and new job search skills meant Rose was now ready to find work.

“What I loved about Rose was her determination and independence,” Lisa said.

“She engaged well with others in the program, so I knew she would be a great fit for the customer service role at IKEA. Rose was very keen to apply.

“We coached her through the online application so her resume stood out from the crowd and then provided one-to-one mentoring to support Rose through the interview process.”

Job success

Rose felt “amazing” and “excited” after the interview that landed her the position with IKEA. This role has Rose contributing to the product and service needs of customers in her local store.

“I am so grateful for all the help provided by Lisa,” Rose said.

“I now have some sort of stability and can do a lot more of the things I want to.”

Rose has since referred a friend to the Ready for Work program and looks forward to expanding her skills and experience in retail customer service.

Are you under 24, out of school and ready to work?

Join our next READY FOR WORK program. Throughout this program, you will be assisted to:
• Build strong peer support networks
• Develop social and leadership skills
• Increase employability skills
• Improve confidence and motivation to work.

Contact us today to find out more.