Amanda on the path to her dream job

Amanda (Mandy) lives in the present but can always think about the future. She likes trying different experiences in life and giving things a go.

She is a carer to her 17-year-old son, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s.

Even though her days are busy, right now, she can’t wait to share what she’s learned.

She has 120 hours of work placement to do after completing her Certificate III in Individual Support with Carers Queensland.

“I started the course in June last year and finished it in March this year. I haven’t done my vocational placement though. I can’t do it right now because of
COVID-19,” she says.

“The course was really a support for everyone. We were all carers, we got together, we were learning and we also learned things about each other and about our lives.”

“I was chasing the wrong thing for a while, you know, sometimes you feel lost. And then I found this course and never looked back. I loved it. It made a difference in my life.”

“I really liked my trainer. She was absolutely amazing and also the people attending.”

Amanda is a self-driven person and attending the course was truly a motivation for her.

“Most people lived in Brisbane but I was actually travelling from the Gold Coast.”

“There were about three of us doing the same, every Wednesday, even after finding out that we could actually do the course at the Gold Coast.”

“It would take me over 2.5 hours, door to door, but I put it as a priority in my life. I would focus on that every week. Just to do that, and it was worth it.”

Learning and working have always been a big part of how Amanda expresses herself.

“I feel I pick up on other people’s feelings. I am a compassionate person and very empathetic.”

“I started working when I was 18 as a Recruitment Consultant in England.”

“I used to get people jobs. I’m a people person. I did that like for 25 years and then came to Australia. I stopped working for about a year, when I had my twin boys.”

For more than two years, before coronavirus, she had been doing volunteer work, on and off, with Blue Care.

“I was going to an Aged Care service and I was seeing a lady with an intellectual disability, as a friendly visitor. I would also see another lady with the volunteering program, but right now it’s just on the phone.”

In isolation, she still finds different ways to keep herself busy.

“I go to the gym. I do meditation and swimming. I love swimming, it’s my happy place.

Two years ago, she also created her Dog Walking business.

“I love walking so I walk every day. I walk a dog for a friend in the morning, an elderly lady. I work better having guidelines and deadlines.”

“At the moment it is a bit hard, but the more I’ve got on, the more organised I am.”

After completing her qualification, Amanda says she’s ready to get back into the workplace. She wants to work with the elderly and she is open to new opportunities.

“I go shopping a lot and I see lots of people who might need help. I would like to go around and take them shopping, either elderly people or someone with an intellectual disability. I want to help them.”

Carers Queensland supported Amanda with her work placement through its Registered Training Organisation (RTO) when she finished her course, but onboarding has been placed on hold because of the pandemic.

“I can see myself working in a role. I’d like to work for a nice company and have a nice experience. I can’t wait to start.”