With Covid-19 continuing to keep states apart and international travel still a pipe dream at this stage, many facets of the Australian economy are yet to fully fire back up. Unemployment figures released on Thursday by the ABS show another rise in the unemployment rate to 7.1% with a further 13.1% not getting enough hours and seeking more work.
Many of these people are looking for a job and may need support from an employment services provider for the first time. If you have never used MAX or an employment services provider before you may be unsure how exactly our placement consultants help you and your job search.
Julie Pham, one of our consultants from Inala in Queensland is here to help you understand the role placement consultants play in your journey to employment and how their expertise can help you.
It all starts with an interview with your consultant to create a plan to get you employed again. MAX consultants are trained in finding people work and have detailed understanding of Centrelink. They receive ongoing coaching and attend workshops to ensure their knowledge is current and up to date.
An important part of the consultant’s role is to display care and empathy for customers. A core principle in motivating people and supporting them is a belief in equality and that every person we work with deserves respect. These beliefs are what attracts consultants to the industry and what drives them to help you achieve your potential.
“I feel like I learn something new that I can apply to helping my customers every day. The learning curve pushes me to grow and it helps me motivate my customers.”
During your initial interview you and your consultant will identify things you want to work on. That could be upskilling or training programs you may be eligible for to help you re-enter the workforce. This could take the form of coaching with interview techniques or assisting with applications and resumes. It could also mean enrolling you in training or study that can help you meet the needs of employers, the local job market or change industries.
Your consultant and the local office will have connections to local training providers and can help identify which organisation might be right for you. MAX also offers a range of nationally recognised training courses which you can find here.
“Identifying the right role and training needs of every individual customer can be a challenge but helping change the lives of our customers and seeing how thankful they are is a really rewarding part of my job.”
Networking is a such an important part of job-hunting. Thankfully, your consultant has a network of employers they deal with that are always on the look-out for new staff. They will use this network to line-up interviews with businesses that best suit your skillset and experience to find the right fit.
Your consultant will also have links to large national employers across the country. So, if you’ve identified an employer you’d like to work with, it’s worth talking to your consultant to see if we already have a connection.
Job hunting can be challenging, and sometimes you just need some words of encouragement or someone to talk things through. Your consultant isn’t just there to do the paperwork for you! They are invested in empowering you to get a job and support you along that journey. They will continue to check-in even when you land a new gig and are committed to keeping you employed.
“A placement consultant can have such a significant impact on a customer, our job is help them overcome whatever barriers, be they physical or mental, and find the most suitable job for them.”
Our blogs are about helping people seek the information that they need for their steps in the workforce.