As any migrant, Kevin and Minosha faced many challenges to establish their career in Australia until they met ‘Ignite Potential’. After spending 4.5 years in Australia, they moved to Darwin at the end of June 2020 believing that they will have a positive sign in their career.
They came to know about ‘Ignite Potential’ through a friend and participated in the career-building program. In her own words, Minosha said, “The program was amazing. The facilitators not only had tips to follow, but they also shared their career path experiences which helped the participants understand the challenges and opportunities people have gone through. Knowing those were relevant so that the newcomers don’t end up in doing the same”. Minosha continued, “It has made a big difference in our lives in many ways. We got to know a couple of people who really helped us to achieve our goals. A few things that we gained in this program were, how to apply for a job correctly, how our resumes should be, how to do an effective job search and the importance of networking. We modified our resumes and cover letters accordingly, and we directly approached as many companies as possible in Darwin, while following the rules we have learnt in Ignite Potential’s program”.
Edwin Joseph, President of MCNT, welcomes participants in every program and offers any support MCNT can provide. For Minosha, he was an important person she met in this program. “His advice has changed the way I think about getting a job in my field. I could volunteer to an organization in Darwin with Edwin’s help. I am really thankful to Edwin”, Minosha said.
Minosha was delighted to meet Neethi Ashok, a facilitator and mentor of Ignite Potential and a long-time entrepreneur in Darwin. “We are so grateful to ‘Ignite Potential’ who provided us the opportunity to meet such important and successful people,” said Kevin. Minosha added, “Neethi’s advice and friendly discussions always motivated us. Most importantly, the opportunity Neethi Ashok gave me to volunteer in their business has given me quite a big weight to make my profile”.
By revamping their approach, Kevin and Minosha were able to reach their goals. Kevin now works with Bridge Toyota, Darwin as an Accessory Fitter and Minosha works with Telstra as a Business ICT Sales Consultant. The Couple said, “We both believed that direct approach and specified resumes, as well as good cover letters along with networking, will make our job search successful. So, we did not wait until companies called for jobs, we approached companies and requested jobs. That is the way we both got our jobs”.
Sulal Mathai, Chair of Ignite Potential, mentions that COVID 19 has made the first entry to job market difficult for migrants. “In the recent batches we have noticed how desperate our participants are and on the other hand, the number of opportunities has declined” – Says Sulal. “Our platform is helping all to come together and face this challenge together, as social and community support is essential for physical and mental health. We are thankful to the Australian Government for supporting us through ‘Fostering Integration Grant’ in 2020 and the Northern Territory Government for its continued support in 2021 through ‘Multicultural Affairs grant’”.