When you live in a small farming town finding good work can be difficult, but when you are a single Mum of two young children, one with special needs, it can feel like it’s near impossible.
Linda is from the tiny town of Narrikup, about 35kms north of Albany, where job roles to suit Linda’s skill set and family circumstances were extremely limited.
Having not had stable employment since 2005, Linda lacked confidence in herself and was living with depression, often compounded by her employment situation.
Linda was working as a house cleaner once or twice a week, but it was not fulfilling the financial needs of raising two children.
Linda approached the Albany office of atWork Australia for support and guidance in finding sustainable work.
Linda was introduced to Wendy, an experienced Job Coach with atWork Australia. They met regularly, discussing the options available to Linda plus what she was looking for in a role.
Wendy encouraged Linda to attend Jobs Now sessions to help her prepare for interviews, and they worked together on applications. Linda was happy with cleaning roles and felt she wanted to continue in that area.
As Linda gained confidence, Wendy felt it was time to approach a local services company who provide cleaners, gardeners and handypersons for local businesses and the public.
The company promptly interviewed Linda and were happy to offer her a work trial as a cleaner.
Linda was thrilled and excited that she would now be able to provide for herself and her family. The company are also incredibly happy to have Linda.
“Linda is a pleasure to work with, bringing her attention to detail to every project. Her communication and people skills are excellent. We love having her as part of our team.”
In fact, Linda’s employers were so happy with Linda she has recently been promoted to Cleaning Supervisor and now looks after training new employees amongst her other duties.
Linda is also grateful to atWork Australia for their support in the early stages of her employment, helping her with essential work clothing and fuel cards to help get her to and from her new workplace.
“I am very happy to have had support and understanding from Wendy, I appreciate all of her help in getting me this job which I love,” says Linda.
atWork Australia are here to support Australian’s living with disability, injury or health condition (including mental health condition) to find good work. To see how we can help you or someone you know find meaningful work, call 1300 080 856 or enquire online today.