NDIS Participant - Finding and Keeping a Job

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I provided supports to an NDIS participant who was dissatisfied with her disability employment provider

Situation

We connected at a WorkAbility expo where I was exhibiting, and had a long conversation. She explained that she had an employment history that included senior positions, but was looking for a part-time administration role that would enable her to re-enter the workforce while continuing caring for her family. Her disability was stable and she was aware of her abilities and limitations.

Her NDIS plan had no allocation of funds in Finding and Keeping a Job, so she had been referred to a Disability Employment Service (DES) provider. The consultant had rewritten her resume in a format that wasn't achieving results. They were focusing on positions that aligned with her ethnicity and cultural background, rather than her experience and skills.

She was engaging and outgoing, but had lost confidence in her abilities. She was looking for someone  who would listen to her and provide supports that would lead to employment. She contacted me in the months following the WorkAbility expo. We had a long phone conversation during which I completed an intake form.

My Approach

I developed a plan, from which I created a service agreement.  Between us, we developed the following strategy:

• Resume rewrite , using information in previous versions to produce a draft,
• Input from the participant to address gaps and ensure that the information was complete and in a format that employers would notice,
• Templates of cover letters and expression of interest (EOI) letters/emails that she could adapt to each application or EOI,
• Research of advertised positions, and forwarding links for her consideration and decision to proceed,
• Identification of suitable referees,
• Phone conversations with each referee to confirm their willingness to provide a reference,
• Interview technique information,
• Mock interview to ask standard questions and provide feedback on answers,
• Online employment profiles and subscriptions to job mailing lists,
• Other support to answer questions, provide motivation and help overcome obstacles.

The above was delivered 100% remotely, communicating via phone, email, text and messaging services.

The service was delivered by placing the NDIS participant at the front and centre, through a collaborative approach, with the final decision always being hers.

Results

We overcame some initial communication problems and collaborated to produce an outstanding resume. I included her in the process, rather than just rewriting it in a format that suited me. We discussed layout and terminology that she was comfortable using.

She became very motivated and started reaching out to organisations where she wanted to work. I researched advertised positions and forwarded links. She then contacted those of interest. Using this technique, she applied for two positions and was interviewed for both. One position didn't fully align with her requirements, but she mentioned  this in the application letter to see if they would be open to a flexible working arrangement.

She was nervous about her interview. I set up a mock telephone interview, during which I provided guidance and feedback on how she responded to my questions. I included advice about asking questions that were appropriate, and avoiding those that were not. This improved her confidence and she performed well in both interviews. Although she was not successful securing either role, she received positive feedback from both organisations, and was encouraged to apply for future positions. The organisation, where the position didn't align to her requirements, was especially encouraging. The person who called, regarding the interview outcome, was genuinely disappointed and promised to stay in touch to advise of any suitable positions.

We spoke after both calls, during which we discussed each interview, what to learn from the experience and how to move forward. Although disappointed, she felt that she was closer to getting a job than she had been before we started our journey together. She thanked me and I told her that she now had all the tools to find work by herself. I would continue to be available if she ever needed to talk or run an idea by me. I continued to forward links to suitable advertised positions.

Final Outcome 

The person was true to their word and contacted  the participant regarding a permanent part-time job that not only aligned with her requirements, but enabled her to choose the hours she wanted to work. The NDIS Participant is now an employee!