Since 2014, Ana had been looking after her family as a stay-at-home mum. Ana wanted to return to the workforce to help pay bills and provide for her five children, but felt uncertain about finding a job with no resume or recent work experience.
In April 2022, Ana was introduced to Asuria’s ParentsNext services and began attending the Asuria Melton office for her appointments. Connecting with Support Mentor Lissa, Ana shared her journey so far and her goals for the future. Lissa learned that Ana gave some of her time each week to help at the local church as a food volunteer, which sparked her interest in looking for similar paid work in the hospitality industry.
The enthusiasm was clear, but Ana needed practical support to help her become job-ready. Lissa assisted Ana in developing a resume, where she highlighted Ana’s skills in a hospitality-based role. Throughout this process, Lissa coached Ana through preparing to speak about her skills to employers in an interview or a cold-calling scenario.
Once Lissa felt that Ana was ready to look for work, they started to reach out to restaurants in the local area that would be a good fit. Through Lissa’s encouragement, Ana took copies of her new resume and diligently handed them out to restaurants in Melton. Within just one day of her efforts, a Manager from the Japanese Restaurant ‘Okami’ called Ana to ask her for an interview.
As soon as she received the call, Ana rang Lissa to share the good news and ask for advice. Lissa set up an appointment dedicated to interview preparation. During this session, they practiced any potential questions Ana might be asked, with Lissa refining her answers to ensure she had the best chance at a successful interview.
Ana attended the interview with Okami and made a strong impression that led to her being offered the part-time role of a Waitress. Set to start in February 2023, Asuria provided Ana with work clothing and shoes to ensure she had everything she needed.
Starting employment with a steady fifteen hours each week, with the potential to increase her hours, Ana is ecstatic to have the opportunity to provide for her family and work towards a more independent future.
Lissa shared, “I am very proud of Ana. She is a wonderful, caring mother who is so focused on improving her kids’ lives. From a person who thought she would never be able to get a job as she had been out of work for many years looking after her family, Ana’s confidence has grown. I can see Ana is so much happier and is doing a great job in learning new skills with her employment. I am so happy to have been there to help Ana move forward and be part of her journey through Asuria’s ParentsNext program.”
When asked how the ParentsNext program changed her life, Ana commented, “I feel like I’ve started again. I’m feeling happy, feeling alive again and free. I have my independence back by returning to the workforce. I am so happy I found this employment and thank you to my Support Mentor Lissa for all the time she spent doing my resume, helping with the practice interviews, and just being there for support. I look forward to seeing what the future holds with this employment opportunity and will keep learning what I need to do for my job each day.”
If you’re a parent wanting support to help you reach your career-driven or family-focused goals, click here to learn more about Asuria’s ParentsNext Services.
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