You may have noticed a new friendly voice when you call the Career Centre’s advice line? It's Carlos!

With a sector background of 11 years across nursing (AIN), community services (Certificate IV) and hospitality, Carlos is part of the growing and experienced team at carecareers.

He brings hands-on insight and experience in the disability and community care sector and understands how to help and advise you with your next move as a job seeker or employer.

As Carlos puts it, "I want to use my life and work experience, education and training to assist people."

Looking for a role in our sector? Or want to advertise a job in your organisation? Call Carlos or any of the carecareers team on 1300 637 637 or email info@carecareers.com.au if you have questions that need answering. Carlos is never short of a word or….ten!

 

 

 

 

Every day as a Talent Officer with carecareers I speak to job seekers who are entirely new to the disability and community care sector. Their previous jobs may be in the corporate sector, in hospitality, retail or the arts - their reasons for change are as varied as their careers up to this point.

What the majority of these job seekers share in common is that they have little to no professional experience in the community sector, and making that change is universally intimidating.

After many years of maybe working in an office or retail environment, you may have been thinking yourself of giving direct support work, or another type of role in the sector, a try - but where to from here?

While carecareers advertises a vast array of roles, we frequently advise newcomers that when starting out in the sector they may like to consider frontline support positions - these are roles that most of the time involve working with clients one-on-one.

Essential requirements for these type of roles most often include a driver’s licence and a first aid certificate, and, above anything else, a good set of values - empathy, discretion and adaptability.

Even so, while making the change into the sector, with or without the need for qualifications you don’t currently have, making such a big change can feel like a big plunge.

Instead of taking such a big plunge you might want to take a small dip first. Volunteering for an organisation is one way of doing that and it's a great opportunity to get a feel for the work available in the sector. It can also help you achieve a sense of where you may want to go in your disability or community care career.

Making yourself known to an employer as a volunteer is also an advantage - your sense of commitment may strike them when the next job vacancy comes up.

Taking on volunteering opportunities can ease your first steps into an entirely new role without the pressure of formal applications or interviews too. These opportunities can also give you a boost of experience for your resume, broaden your outlook on the type of work that is out there, and your experience may also help you discover skills you didn’t realise you had.

The best advice I’ve been given as a job seeker myself is create your own experience. All too often people I speak to undervalue the experience they’ve had. Callers to carecareers will begin by saying they have no experience in the community sector, but they then go on to mention they’ve been caring for a parent, that they’ve been facilitating community art classes or that they’re an experienced manager.

Knowing what you have to offer an organisation is vital when making an application, and volunteering is a way by which you can discover your own essential qualities.

Irrespective of the career benefits, volunteering can also be a very rewarding experience!

Getting started with volunteering

Try a volunteer job search on the carecareers website first. We have a number of volunteer roles being advertised at the moment from various organisations, including Recreation Rendezvous, Down Syndrome NSW and Eastern Respite & Recreation.

You might also like to read some of the stories in the True Stories section of the carecareers site - many people now working in the sector started off as volunteers.

If we can help you with a volunteering role please contact the Careers Centre - just call 1300 637 637 or you can email info@carecareers.com.au

'Tis the season to be jolly, Tra La La La La! 

The end of another year is nigh and the festive season is upon us. “Yippee!” is the common refrain I’m hearing around the office! What is it that has made you smile or laugh in the past year? Is there something that you would like to share with us as to what makes you get up on a Monday morning? Is it working with one of your clients, camaraderie with your work colleagues or is it that old “no two days are the same” feeling?

Once you've recovered from this weekend, it might be time to start thinking New Years Resolutions. "Learn something new and enjoy life more" - there you have my resolution for 2012! What about you?

A key career decision in the form of a New Year’s resolution might be as simple as this: Get the “Life” part of work/Life balance looked after; learn to relax and see your stress lower; get out for that regular walk and get a boost in energy and maybe you’ll bring a new level of zest and enthusiasm to work. 

Do you become CEO in the next 12 months? Is there a promotion you're after or training options you'd like to pursue. Is it time for a career change?

So what’s your resolution going to be?

From truck drivers in regional NSW to bankers at the top end of town we have heard some great “career changer” stories!

We’d love to know what your story is. Why did you take the plunge? How long did it take to find the role that started it all? What was your motivation? Did you have a family member or friend who you cared for, inspiring you to seek a similar career?

Sharing your story with us gives those outside the sectora powerful insight - warts and all - into what a role in the disability and community care sector is like. We need to hear each others' stories.

So please - Get Writing!

You can read other stories about careers in disability and community care on our True Stories pages, and you can submit your own story here.

Up to 5600 jobs are anticipated to be available between now and 2015 in the disability and community care sector of northern New South Wales.

The sector is expected to boom in the next five years with employers looking to recruit 40,000 people; it is estimated that the number of people needing to access these services in New South Wales will rise to 350 000.

“There are several misconceptions about what it is like to work in this sector, yet most people simply aren’t aware of the benefits including: job security, flexible hours, varied and creative work, and on-the-job training,” says Patrick Maher, Chief Operating Officer of National Disability Services NSW.

To hear more about what working in the disability and community care sector is really like, read True Stories on carecareers.

Alstonville resident Sarah Jurd started working in the disability and community care sector 13 years ago and has held a variety of roles in that time: respite carer, teacher’s aide, support worker in vacation care, and most recently as a speech therapist with Cerebral Palsy Alliance.

“My parents were respite carers so I got involved at a young age because of them. We had a little girl with disabilities who came and lived with us for a while, and I learnt to help her and found that I enjoyed it,” says Jurd.

On the growth in the sector she says, “I have definitely seen an increase in the demand for our services in the last few years.

“There are a lot of children that need a lot of support, and it seems like there are not enough resources to meet that need, even now”.

For those who are considering a career in the sector Jurd says, ”It’s important to remember that clients are people who would like to be independent and just need some support to achieve that.”
 
“One of the benefits of working in the disability sector is that I work as part of a bigger a team no matter what area I’ve worked in; as a speech therapist I work closely with both occupational therapists and physiotherapists to find solutions to problems.

“I love working with the kids and their families; no child is ever the same and each client presents a new challenge for the team,” says Jurd.

“The work is also personally rewarding; I started out working with one family as their Respite Carer about 12 years ago, to support them and their children who have a disability. The family is as much a part of my life now as my own family is, and spending time with the children over the years has been great fun”.

More than 100 positions based in Lismore and the surrounding areas have been advertised through carecareers since its launch 12 months ago. Search for jobs now.

carecareers was developed by NDS to help meet the demand for new workers in the disability and community care sector. Head to carecareers and search for jobs now, or contact our Careers Centre online or by calling the help-line for job seekers on 1300 637 637.