Maybe the most helpful thing is just being there

Isaac and Cristian share how they unpacked what the right job for Isaac was, and how they went about building the self esteem, skills and timeline to get him there.

Isaac, jobseeker, Melbourne

I’ve actually lost count as to how employment agencies I’ve been with over the years, but most of them weren’t doing much for me. And then I finally came to CoAct / SkillsPlus and Cristian became my employment consultant. I’ve felt really comfortable there. I guess it’s that they’re different – they really care about you as a person.

Once when I wasn’t feeling very good about myself, Cristian took me out for lunch and we discussed things. I thought that was really genuine of him. He told me he knows how I’m feeling because he’s been there too.

He’s helped me go over basic things – resume, cover letter – that kind of stuff. But maybe the most helpful thing is just being there. I can call him up and talk to him if I need, and he’s there to listen. I feel like you don’t get that from other employment agencies.

I was always under the impression that I would take any job. But Cristian said that there’s no point in that because you don’t want to just find any old job that will only last a couple of weeks. You want to find something you’ll be comfortable in, long term.

So, this new position is a role in a government department so I feel it’s going to be more permanent, secure. It’s a business traineeship for the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation.

I’ll be doing a lot of administrative data entry and probably a fair bit of inbound phone calls. I’m really good with computers and that kind of stuff and have experience of outbound cold calling. Inbound calls are going to be much better though, because people are calling you for a specific reason. They’re going to know who you are.

There might be a chance that I could do one or two days working from home as well which is fantastic. I have a decent set up here.

Longer term, I’d like to be able to support myself financially. Currently, I’m on Centrelink benefits and still living at home with my Mum. One day, I’d like to be able to move out. That’s years away, but something I’d like to work towards.

If I had a message for others, I’d say – keep a positive attitude, try and get your mind off things by doing something you enjoy. Think to yourself it’ll get better. Keep trying and don’t give up.

Cristian, employment consultant, CoAct / SkillsPlus

When Isaac came to us, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with himself. So, our plan, first up, was to find out what he wanted to do. I focused on more long-term as opposed to the short game – a career path for his future.

We started thinking about different directions that he’d like to go in – his likes, what he’s good at.

He’s got his own website where he publishes reviews, so that’s the place I wanted to start. But at the same time, he needed money straight away. I started to look into apprenticeships and traineeships, and stepping stones towards the big goal.

Now he has a career path and job security. His new position has good training, learning and development opportunities, and there’s still an income. Isaac can still move towards his dreams of becoming financially independent.

Isaac has a very bright future. There’s so much room for growth in his role.

Since Isaac signed up with CoAct / SkillsPlus, he’s grown in tremendous amounts as a person. He doesn’t realise how much. He was very timid, to begin with, and wasn’t sure he wanted to do. Now he’s a lot more confident in himself.

He speaks with a lot more power. When we first did a little mock interview, he broke out into a rash. He felt very uncomfortable with it. After we practiced a few times, thought about the little questions and answers, he began to feel much more confident.

He’s a completely different man than the man I met a few months ago.

Our relationship is founded on empathy and understanding. As consultants, we’ve got to humanise ourselves. And we have to respect our customers, not just treat them like a number.

If you need support finding the right job and are living with a mental health condition, illness, injury or disability, give us a call on 1800 226 228 or register online.