Work is so much more than a pay check for the job seekers Samantha looks after – and for Samantha herself.
Witnessing job seekers grow, work hard, and change for the better is all part of why she loves her job as an employment consultant.
“I do what I do because I love watching people go to work” Samantha said.
“I love that journey of when they first come in the door and they’re a little bit down and not sure what to do and they might not believe they’re worthy – and to see them shine.”
One of the people Samantha has helped into work is a gentleman called Darren, who overcame long-term unemployment and re-started his career in an unexpected place – McDonalds!
Samantha helped Darren widen his job search, giving him suggestions and feedback to give him the best chance of success.
“When he now opens the door to our office, he just greets everyone, and it makes me smile” Samantha said.
But that’s not all it takes, she acknowledges.
“As an employment consultant, we need to be resilient and tough, but we need to be compassionate and kind and caring.”
“Our job seekers are generally very vulnerable, and they’ve been through a lot.”
“So, you need to be kind, but also sometimes (give) a little bit of tough love” Samantha added.
With the ups and downs that can come with any role, they’re very much part of being an employment consultant.
To help her get through, Samantha has taken great strength from being part of a supportive team at APM.
Everyone needs a support network, especially the people in support roles.
The unified and caring environment Samantha is part of helps enable better lives for her and her teammates, just like they do for others every day at work.