Winning attitude gets father of three recognised for tourism award

Bunbury, June 10 2004 - As a 48 year old Indigenous Australian job seeker who was initially down on his luck, Gerry Taylor made a life-changing decision and moved to the Northern Territory to try his hand in the hospitality industry. His friendly attitude, passion for work and outstanding service has now resulted in being recognised by the Central Australian Tourism Industry's tourism award for outstanding customer service – and Gerry couldn't be happier.

After two years unemployed and a year spent on the dole, Gerry Taylor felt he was quickly running out of luck and job opportunities until he walked into Jobfind Bunbury for help six months ago.

With the aid of his case manager and the Bunbury Jobfind office, Gerry signed up for a full-time job as a public area cleaner in the Northern Territory to get his foot in the door of the hospitality industry. It turned out to be the smartest decision he ever made.

“Jobfind helped fund my airfares to fly from Bunbury to the Northern Territory so I could get to the interview and secure the job. Jobfind also helped me to brush up my interview and presentation skills while updating my resume to increase my chances of getting the job.

“Then I took the plunge to leave everything behind in West Australia including my kids, to work in the Northern Territory, but it turned out to be the best decision I ever made. Not only have I developed new skills and a promising career – my kids have also come up to visit me and gained work experience with the Ayres Rock Camping Grounds at the same time. It truly has been a wonderful experience”, says Gerry.

Six months later after securing employment, Gerry was promoted to Yardsperson where he was placed in charge of providing customer service and acted as a general handyman. His helpful attitude and friendly manner put everyone at ease, and culminated in being nominated for the tourism award in April which he won this month.

“As a mature-age Indigenous Australian, I feel like I'm sending out a very positive message that anything can be achieved if you set your mind to it. I think the most important lesson learned has been to be persistent and optimistic.

“Before I came to Jobfind, I faced rejection after rejection and was always being told I was ‘too old' to work. For two years I had a string of unstable casual jobs and even went on the dole for a year. Now I have been recognised for my positive attitude, respect for others and willingness to help – I am extremely proud of my achievement – and would never have guessed two years ago that my friendly attitude could be so rewarding in the end”, says Gerry.

According to Centre Manager of Bunbury Jobfind Centres, Veronica Gilbert, the hardest process for most mature-age job seekers is overcoming poor self-esteem and lack of self confidence.

“The job hunting process can be very daunting. We encourage mature-age job seekers to work out a plan to get back into the game, and help them to overcome personal barriers to employment”, says Ms Gilbert.

“It's encouraging to see the tourism industry, particularly the Ayres Rock Camping Grounds, recognising the value a mature-age person can bring to an organisation. Not only do these quality candidates possess a strong work ethic but their experience, knowledge and know-how can really make a difference to the workplace”, says Ms Gilbert.

Contact information:
info@jobfindcentre.com.au