Has your atWork Australia Job Coach suggested you attend the Jobs Now program as a part of your employment journey with atWork Australia?
Jobs Now is a tailored support program to assist clients to find sustainable employment. Jobs Now sessions provide a space for you to create a brilliant résumé or practice your interview skills. Clients can also meet other clients and share tips and support.
Here is an inside perspective on what you can expect from the program. While each session is tailored to the group participating, this is a general example of what you may expect.
Over the past several weeks, atWork Australia hosted four sessions of the Jobs Now program, with a total of nine clients from the Maroondah region. All clients participated throughout different/multiple sessions of the program depending on what areas they needed assistance with most.
Session One – Résumés and Cover Letters
In the first session, our Job Coach taught clients how to write effective résumés and cover letters. “Together we each filled out a résumé template and discussed as a group what transferrable skills we have, and what we should include on the résumé, to make it appealing and easy to read for the employer,” said the Job Coach.
After everyone was confident with how to write résumés, the group moved on to cover letters.
They discussed what a cover letter is and how to tailor one based off a job ad. They later put all of their knowledge into practice and looked at a few different job ads and discussed how they could turn the job descriptions into an effective cover letter.
After the completion of the session, “The clients took home with them a completed typed up résumé which they will then use for the remainder of the jobs now sessions and a cover letter template which they each practised completing and tailoring for different jobs.”
Session Two – Job Searching; Online, Instore and Reverse Marketing
With their newly created résumé and cover letter templates the group discussed the next stage of the job seeking process – job searching. atWork Australia’s Job Coach, ran the group through how to create a SEEK account if they didn’t have one already.
“We also discussed as a group other ways to search for work and spoke about what to do to create a great first impression if the client is handing in a résumé instore. We discussed reverse marketing and the best way to promote themselves or seek employment using multiple avenues.”
The group then completed five job searches and practiced writing cover letters for each application.
Upon the completion of session two, the group were asked to attend session three in ‘interview clothing’ so they can discuss personal presentation and interview clothing.
Session Three – Interviews and Marketing You
As the clients entered the session, the Job Coach noticed a massive shift in the confidence and the attitudes of everyone. All of their hard work in the previous sessions has made a noticeable difference in everyone.
Within this session, they discussed all things job interviews and how to make the most out of them. The Job Coach invited along fellow atWork Australia Employment Engagement Consultants to share all their top tips, tricks and advice on how to nail an interview. The Employment Engagement Consultants also ran the attendees through some mock interview questions.
Upon the completion of session three, the team spoke about available vacancies and the clients were given the opportunity to speak to the Employment Engagement Consultants about any questions they may have about the current positions and request if they wanted to be referred to any of the advertisements.
Session Four – Financial Success and Goal Setting
And just like that, it came time to complete the final session, which focussed on financial success, goal setting and what happens after you secure employment.
“I taught the clients about budgeting and organising their finances once they start working. We discussed what they would need to bring with them on their first day, how to create a great first impression and what the best habits and routines to make when it comes to starting to get back into the workforce.”
The group also discussed setting ‘Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time bound (SMART) goals’ and the power of setting goals.
Everyone also completed a pop quiz at the end of the day which recapped everything they have learnt in all four sessions. “This was a fun and friendly way to include a little bit of friendly competition with the clients that attended.”
As it was the last session within the program, the Job Coach presented everyone with their certificates of completion as well as a goodie bag and a card with questions they may like to ask employers at the end of an interview.
The Job Coach states “I am so proud to have watched these clients grow and see their confidence increase over the last four weeks. They started off very shy and nervous and walked out of each session with a smile on their face and taking with them something they have learnt to help them, help themselves. The progress that has been made overall is so wonderful.”