Meet Job Coach Chris Paduano who has been in his role for two years and works primarily out of the atWork Australia’s Melbourne CBD office. An avid supporter of his beloved AFL footy team Richmond, a boxer and a film enthusiast, he has a strong focus on work life balance.
Chris hails from a sales background to which he applies many of the acquired skills from this field to communicate effectively with clients and employers to ultimately guide negotiations to a mutually beneficial outcome. He said, “We get to spend a lot of our time meeting with people and talking, something that I enjoy about the role.”
One of his most noteworthy outcomes was with a South Melbourne client who was living with significant mental health concerns and displayed little confidence that he could find employment. He had been working with the client for several months, keeping them motivated, positive and informed on current vacancies and their suitability to other client’s barriers.
In collaboration with some of Chris’s colleagues in his region, the client was able to land a job in their preferred field. Chris’s aptitude for teamwork and good communication saw his client’s job searching efforts come to fruition. Chris said, “My client started at the height of Melbourne’s 1st COVID-19 lock-down but still works there today and has really grown into the role.”
According to Chris, the client was understandably nervous, particularly that they hadn’t worked for quite some time but with positive reinforcement and clear and honest communication, they were able to become a reliable employee.
His client was duly thankful and excited to commence regardless of their initial hesitance. When asked about how he felt when his client was offered the job, Chris replied, “I was really happy for them, they had taken on all my advice from our meetings, they attended appointments on time, likewise, taken every remote servicing call. It was well deserved.”
One of Chris’s most memorable placements was his first. It was a woman in her 60’s who didn’t think she would work ever again, Chris found her a job and told her the good news while she was out at Victoria’s bucolic Lake Eildon.
Chris is known by his peers as a technically competent Job Coach and has acted as a sounding board for his peers.
Chris has seen quite a lot already in his time as an atWork Australia Job Coach and has certainly ‘cut his teeth’ in a role that means more to him than just a job. Chris said, “Finding the right role for clients that might have lost the confidence to do so themselves is very rewarding. Seeing how much they can change and improve in the right environment.”
His humble response to receiving compliments exemplifies Chris’s dedication to atWork Australia. He said that, “A pleasant reaction to his call is enough of a compliment as it shows that there is a mutual client and Job Coach respect and acknowledgement.”
To find out more about our post placement support services, or to register for Disability Employment Services, call us today on 1300 080 856, or register your interest online.