Vicki kick starts her career and independence at 16

Bunbury, 3 September 2003- When 16 year old Vicki Hastie made the decision to leave school she was nervous but determined to succeed in finding a job. And with the help of her local Job Network provider, Jobfind Centre Bunbury, she launched her career in just a matter of weeks.

Now working as a kitchen hand in the restaurant at a local service station, Vicki is pleased to have a foot in the door to her chosen field of hospitality. She says the free Job Search Training and Job Matching she received at Jobfind were crucial to landing the job.

"I hadn't ever been job-hunting before and didn't know where to start. But at Jobfind I learnt how to search the internet for jobs, write a resume and most importantly, how to act in an interview. When my Jobfind consultant Emma organised an interview for me, I was confident enough to impress the employers and land the job. Without that training I would have been really nervous and don't know how I would have coped", Vicki said.

As part of a $2.5 billion dollar overhaul of the Job Network, new rules mean job seekers like Vickie choose one Job Network Member to work with, so they receive personalised attention and their own job finding 'coach', committed to finding them a job.

Assistance includes free job search training, advice on training and job opportunities, and access to the nation's biggest jobs database. This support proved invaluable for Vicki. Keen to learn new skills and work her way up in the hospitality industry, she now feels more confident about her future.

"A lot of people encouraged me to stay at school, but I really wasn't happy there. But now I have a job I like, money coming in, and responsibility for myself, I'm looking forward to the future rather than worrying about it", she said.

Vicki is just one of many young job seekers whom Jobfind help regularly. Bunbury Jobfind Centre Manager, Veronica Gilbert, says one of the most helpful services young job seekers have embraced is the creation of a vocational profile that is lodged on the Australian Job Search database.

"This profile is matched against job vacancies daily and every match gets sent straight to you by email, SMS or a telephone message bank service, so you're constantly in touch with the latest jobs in the market", she said.

Contact information:
info@jobfindcentre.com.au