In 2019, Mt Gambier local and mum Rebecca was struggling with the stresses and pressure of finding a job. Living with anxiety and depression, tasks as simple as making a phone call were proving difficult.
Rebecca’s initial job provider wasn’t helping her achieve her goals, so Rebecca headed to her local WISE office after a recommendation from her brother’s friend.
Due to her mental health at the time, she struggled searching for work right away, so her WISE Employment Consultant, Leigh, suggested completing a six-month course in the meantime.
By September 2019, Rebecca had completed her Certificate III in Customer Engagement to establish her people skills and build confidence in day-to-day work tasks.
Rebecca then participated in Esher House at WISE – a program informed by cutting-edge studies in psychology and human behaviour. Esher House focuses on building resilience and positive thinking, helping guide people into sustainable employment while improving productivity and general wellbeing.
In February 2020, Rebecca was working back of house as a cleaner, but unfortunately, the role only lasted a month and was cut short due to COVID-19 lockdowns.
During the pandemic period, Rebecca had a lot of spare time to think and reassess her career goals. That’s when she had a lightbulb moment and decided to be proactive in working toward her dream goal of becoming a veterinary nurse.
“Besides owning and loving my pets, I had no work experience with animals but wanted to give it a go,” explains Rebecca.
She undertook a series of subjects and welfare courses to become a veterinary assistant including animal health care and certificates in animal diseases, animal conservation and animal first aid. At the same time, Rebecca also started volunteering at the South East Animal Welfare League on a regular basis.
Whilst shopping for pet food one day, Rebecca saw a sign in a family-owned centre that was seeking floor staff. She went straight to WISE and sat down with her Employment Consultant Leigh and together they drafted a resume so she could apply for the job.
At the end of October 2020, Rebecca started working in a part-time capacity at Gambier Pet & Aquarium Centre, and by April 2021, she had built her capacity to 15 hours per week .
Day to day, Rebecca supports and serves customers at the centre, cares for the animals, cleans the displays and helps with any product enquiries.
“Given Rebecca was someone who found it difficult to control her emotions, she’s now quite confident. She always has a smile on her face. Bec used to find phone calls and one-to-one contact so difficult, and now she can do it with her eyes closed,” said Leigh.
Juggling motherhood alongside the management of her anxiety and depression made it initially difficult to return to work, but the pathways presented by WISE set her up for success in the long-term.
“WISE really took their time with me. New experiences at the time were very daunting and set me backwards. They knew this and didn’t throw me into work straight away – which I’ll always be grateful for,” reflects Rebecca.
The role at the pet centre means, Rebecca has many opportunities for customer engagement.
“This time two years ago, I wouldn’t have made a phone call. Now I talk on the phone to different people every day!” laughs Rebecca.
Rebecca still volunteers at the South East Animal Welfare League two days a week whilst balancing her part-time work.
She reflects that it’s definitely nice to have financial security, but says it’s the feeling of having something to look forward to every day when she wakes up that is the real benefit. The job and volunteering roles give her purpose, particularly relating to her interest in animals, and have made a positive impact on her life.
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