“I’ve come in to try something new and something a bit more challenging for me,”
15 December 2012
By Kathleen Calderwood
The Morning Bulletin
Regardless of age, gender or experience, job interviews are something that everyone dreads.
Yesterday a group of indigenous people went through that experience after a week of honing their communication, teamwork and interviewing skills.
The workshop, run through Epic Employment Service and Diversity Dimensions, helped people from the long-term unemployed to those looking for a career change or re-entering the workforce, prepare themselves for an interview with Masters, part of the Woolworths Limited brand, as well as improve their professional skills.
This week figures were released showing that 1000 more people in Central Queensland were without work than the same time last year. Marilyn Young spent years working for Queensland Health, but now wants a career change.
“I’ve come in to try something new and something a bit more challenging for me,” she said. “And just to change some characteristics about myself and gain new knowledge and some more skills.
I’m really up for anything at this time, whatever comes at me I’ll have a go at it.”
Ms Young said it was important for anyone struggling with unemployment or their career choice to look to the future. “With health I can easily find a job in that area but because it’s not what I want to do at the moment that’s where it gets a bit hard, whether opportunities are available or not,” she said.
“(I just like to) to encourage other indigenous people to have a vision for themselves because when they don’t have a vision they don’t know what to go for. Without that vision they have nothing, if they have a vision they can motivate themselves to reach that goal.”
Samuel Carroll has been living in Rockhampton for two months since moving from Cairns.
After working with and mentoring indigenous kids, he seized the opportunity to forge a long-term career for himself. “I guess the only way to go in is just be yourself, there’s nothing right or wrong about yourself.”