At 23 years old, Kerem knew that having a sustainable job was important, but he didn’t have the encouragement behind him to go after one. At the time, Kerem’s family needed his support, which meant that for Kerem, working was an obligation instead of something he could enjoy.
Joining Asuria’s Workforce Australia Services in July 2022, Kerem became familiar with our Shepperton team, including Asuria Employer Expert Kara, who was eager to help Kerem see that working could be more than a chore, but something fulfilling.
Quite the self-critic, Kerem put his lack of motivation down to laziness. Still, Kara helped him recognise several reasons why he may be uninterested in working. From Kara’s perspective, the main reason was that he had never found a job he enjoyed. In the past, Kerem had worked in the agriculture industry as a fruit picker which he disliked, and as a seasonal job, it was unsustainable for him.
To help Kerem, Kara reminded him to focus on what he could gain from working instead of what he could lose. Kara also encouraged Kerem to remain open-minded about jobs outside of what was familiar, so they decided to look into a completely new area of employment, traffic management.
“Asuria always tried to get me a job, and they pushed me, which was a good thing, and it helped me when I needed it. They were great, and I appreciate them,” said Kerem.
Kara had a strong employer connection with the team at Go Traffic, who happened to have a vacancy available for a job-ready candidate. Kara immediately told Kerem about the opportunity, and to her delight, he was excited to try something new.
After sending in his resume, Kerem was given a phone interview and offered a job. Eager to start, Kerem took the initiative to get all the necessary training and pre-employment checks done for the role, including his white card and Control Traffic with the Stop/Slow Bat.
In October of 2022, Kerem started casual work at Go Traffic, and he hasn’t looked back since.
In his traffic management role, Kerem’s tasks involve setting up for the workday by putting bollards out, loading up trucks, and navigating cars with a stop/slow bat.
“Now, I just don’t want to miss work - it’s fixed my life. Back then, it was boring staying at home and not working, it wasn’t the greatest thing. I’m always keeping myself busy now, which is good,” said Kerem.
Despite being only a few months into the role, Kerem’s managers are super impressed with his work ethic and have already given him a crew to manage on certain days of the week. Looking to the future, Kerem plans to continue working at Go Traffic and hopes to move up in the company as time progresses.
After expressing that he loves his job, Kerem wished to share some wise words with other job seekers in their journey to employment.
“Always keep your head up. I had really bad anxiety and thought I wasn’t good enough to work, but if you start work, love the job, and keep yourself busy, everything will change and eventually get better. You just have to push yourself every day.”
The Asuria Shepperton team is beyond proud of Kerem for his continued growth. We’re looking forward to continuing to support Kerem on his journey, and while he helps slow down traffic, his career only seems to be speeding up!
If you would like support in finding and keeping a job, click here to learn more about Asuria's Workforce Australia Services.
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