Career nurse Wendy was always sure of her career. Until she wasn’t.
“I took a break from nursing when I had my two kids, Wendy explained. “I always thought I’d go back. Unfortunately, because I had been out of nursing for ten years, my registrations were no longer valid.
“In order for me to go back to nursing, I would have to go and do a full undergraduate degree again. It was disappointing because I had a lot of experience and post-graduate qualifications. Going back wasn’t an option. I was disheartened. I really wasn't sure what I was going to do.”
Having recently moved to Phillip Island and being unsure as to what was available locally. a friend suggested that she volunteer at the Phillip Island Community and Learning (PICAL) Centre Learn Local.
“I didn’t know if I was going to look for work in a different field, or retrain. It was a critical time for me to work out what I was going to do.”
For Wendy, Learn Local was a lighthouse, helping her find her way.
“While I was volunteering at PICAL, a Careers Session came along. It was two days of updating your resume, looking at transferable skills, discovering local options for employment and understanding what employers are looking for. Having the support of local women who genuinely had your best interests at heart helped me so much.”
The program included a presentation from the Skills and Jobs Centres, a government-funded initiative that provides careers and training advice to help people on their jobs pathway.
“I followed up with the Skills and Jobs Centre a few weeks later, to have a chat about what my individual options were – if I wanted to go back to study, where I would start, or what a different career might look like,” Wendy said.
“They gave me a lot of advice, which was so reassuring - changing careers in my 40s was intimidating! I came from a generation where you went to university, got a qualification and then that’s what you do for the rest of your career. The Skills and Jobs Centre were able to say ‘there are options. Don’t panic!’ and that really helped me take the leap into something new.”
In an unexpected turn of events, Wendy’s volunteering led her to see that what she was really great at was helping other people like her find their way.
“I had started volunteering with the Marketing Manager of PICAL. She was teaching me a few things and realized I loved it. She was looking to retire and asked if I would be interested in working for PICAL. Learn Local had given me the confidence to try something new. I decided to dive in. I haven’t looked back.”
“I hit ‘pause’ on my career when I started my family. When I came back to press ‘play’ my job was gone. My Learn Local experience gave me the confidence to take on a new job in a new industry. I haven’t looked back.”
