Lucy
Lucy came to Youth Options wanting to build on her 3 years of employment where she worked in administration roles including for an NDIS plan manager. She had the courage to know she wanted a role that was a better fit for her and engaged our career development capacity building services to build her confidence and skills to achieve this. We were inspired by Lucy’s attention to detail, diligence, customer service skills, and her commitment to dedicate herself to make a valued contribution to her future employers.
We matched her to our career development mentor who developed deep insights into Lucy as a person in order to empower her to build her confidence and skills to identify and successfully apply for roles that aligned to her career aspirations. They did this through personality quizzes, career planning, and refining her interview skills alongside another mentee who was also going through the same process as a shared learning experience.
During this time Lucy was successful in her application for a short-term contract in an administration role at the Hutt Street Centre in the Adelaide CBD. Our service empowered her with the confidence and skills to advocate for an extension of her role which she succeeded in. Her short-term contract was extended, twice, such was the extent to which the organisation valued her work.
Lucy’s self-confidence increased so much so she realised it was time to aim higher and she successfully applied for a full time administration role in the Australian Public Service in Canberra through the Aurora program. Since May 2023 she has been working as a valued member of her team and her manager has praised her work and has indicated they will support the extension of Lucy’s employment beyond the program.
Lucy has identified her role has enabled her to learn valuable project and program management skills, grow in confidence, and she is keen to continue to develop her networking skills professionally and personally.
We are so very proud of Lucy over the 4 months she was in our service and the inspiring example she sets. We wish her every success in her career!
Lucy has this to stay about her experience of her career development mentor:
I love how he believes in me and other clients. He has already shown me what I am capable of doing in the workplace. He makes me believe in myself! He takes the time to get to know me. He already knows so much. I like how he listens and encourages and doesn’t let my disability stop me from achieving what I want in my life, and that includes employment. He is super friendly and approachable and really good with people!