Carla's Story

Carla* was experiencing severe sleep deprivation and hallucinations, caused by high stress and depression following a difficult experience in a previous job. At the time, she had been working night shifts and taking on too many hours, which left her feeling overwhelmed and burned out.

When she felt ready to return to work, she was unsuccessful in finding a job, which left her feeling deflated and low. Carla shared that she didn’t feel strong or confident in herself, and wasn’t sure how to approach her job search efficiently. It had been some time since she’d last looked for work, and she found the process had changed significantly.

Bringing skills and experience to the table

Carla brought a strong work history to her search, with experience across hospitality, transport and passenger services, and retail sales. Alongside her strengths, she also identified a pattern she wanted to change, which was her tendency to overwork herself, which had previously led to burnout and had taken a toll on her sleep and mental health.

A great team player and natural leader, Carla supports those around her even outside a formal management role, holding herself and her team to a high standard. She is dedicated, driven, clear about what she wants and does what it takes to get there.

Support that made a difference

While preparing for and looking for work, Carla felt heard and understood by her employment consultant, and learned a lot through the process. She had arrived at Workwise feeling depressed and lost, but grew more confident with each appointment.

Carla has since secured part-time employment. She’s shared how much she values having a job again, and speaks warmly of her new colleagues and the way they look out for one another.

Early into the role, Carla recognised she was slipping back into old patterns of overworking, leading to tiredness and stress. She raised this with her employment consultant, who reinforced the importance of taking breaks, finishing on time and maintaining healthy work boundaries. Taking this on board, Carla now sets alarms for her breaks and a few minutes before the end of her shift, to remind herself to pack up and leave on time. She’s also been encouraging her colleagues to do the same.

Feeling confident at work again, Carla’s next goal is full-time employment. She’s set her sights on a step into traffic management and is currently enrolled in training to get there.

Reflections from Carla’s employment consultant

“I feel really proud of her”, says Carla’s employment consultant.

“It was a real pleasure to witness her journey, from feeling unconfident and a bit scared about looking for work, to being so driven and confident that she’s willing to try something she’s never done before. She’s also shown to be a great advocate for herself and her colleagues, making sure things are fair and sustainable for everyone. She has always showed up to appointments with a good attitude, ready to listen and share, and motivated, even with the highs and lows of looking for employment.”

*Name has been changed to protect privacy.