Angelo, a barber, is once more able to use his in-depth skills and experience as a hairdresser two years after taking a break to fight cancer.
From Werribee, Angelo, 58, owned and operated his own hairdressing studio for 30 years before being diagnosed with the blood cancer, lymphoma. Because of his ill-health, Angelo was forced to close his business in 2018, and although he’s now in remission, he struggled to find employment again.
Late in 2019, he made contact with atWork Australia’s Werribee office for help with marketing himself to employers. After meeting with Angelo, his Job Coach Megan could see that highlighting his experience in a new resume and cover letter would be ideal first steps.
“Angelo wasn’t used to looking for work because he’d always been self-employed. All he really needed was a helping hand in marketing himself because his skills and experience spoke for themselves,” she said.
Once they’d developed professional job search materials, Angelo hand-delivered them to potential employers, including a local hairdresser. When he hadn’t heard back from them, Megan offered to accompany him to the salon to follow up on his application.
After speaking with the owner and mentioning the assistance atWork Australia could offer, including a wage subsidy, Angelo was pleased to be offered a job trial at the salon. With all his knowledge as a hairdresser, it wasn’t long before Angelo was offered a permanent part-time job there.
Angelo was relieved and happy with the outcome.
“Megan was so helpful and nice to me, I couldn’t have done it without her,” he says.
Are you looking for work or know someone who is? We can help you, just like we helped Angelo. Contact atWork Australia today on 1800 959 138 or email contactDES@atworkaustralia.com.au to get started.