Kristie’s Journey: Embracing Empowerment and Discovering Self-Confidence

Meet Kristie, a 48-year-old woman from Bunbury Western Australia, who faced significant challenges on her journey to employment. Like many others, she needed the right support to overcome barriers and succeed. 

Through referral to uLaunch, Kristie met with Employment Consultant Roberta at the Bunbury office. From the initial meeting, it was clear that Kristie’s biggest hurdle was her lack of confidence, fueled by her anxiety. Roberta knew that addressing this would be the key to Kristie’s success. 

Roberta devised a personalised support plan to rebuild Kristie’s self-esteem. Through coaching and mentoring, Roberta worked to boost Kristie’s confidence and to equip her with the tools needed to re-enter the workforce. This was achieved by practicing job interviews and updating Kristie’s resume. 

As part of the support provided, uLaunch ensured Kristie was open to employment by supporting her to obtain police checks. Roberta also helped Kristie locate her prior employment training records. This enabled Kristie to rediscover her past interests and build upon her existing skills with a clearer sense of direction and purpose for her job search. 

Despite making progress throughout the sessions with Roberta, Kristie was still apprehensive when it came to discussing potential job opportunities. To overcome this, Roberta referred Kristie to Dress for Success for an empowerment day. This proved to be a turning point for her. Read more about the day here.  

The Dress for Success session not only transformed Kristie’s appearance but also her mindset. She gained a newfound confidence and attitude, empowered to move forward with her job search and she even made headlines along the way! 

With brand new outfits, attitude and focus, Kristie felt motivated to find a job. Supported by Roberta, Kristie took a brave step forward and approached the local Smokemart about a Retail Assistant position. Kristie was successful and secured the role! 

Recently achieving 13-weeks of employment, Kristie is thriving in her new role, happily working above her benchmark of 15-hours per week. With ongoing support from Roberta, Kristie is continuously working to improve herself, she thanks uLaunch and the collaboration of Dress for Success for her life-changing experience. 

Kristie now looks forward to another Dress for Success session for an “I got the job” appointment in October 2024. This upcoming session will not only allow Kristie to receive more clothing for employment but will also provide her with the opportunity to socialise and make new connections within her local community.  

uLaunch continues to collaborate with Dress for Success and Kristie’s outcome is a testament to the transformative power of community partnerships. As Kristie works towards the 26-week milestone of employment, her journey is about more than just dressing for success. It underpins empowerment and the importance of instilling confidence to live a strong and inclusive life. 

You could be eligible for help in finding a suitable job from uLaunch Disability Employment Services, just like Kristie.