Practice pays off: how Aqsa found a great job

Recently Navitas Skilled Futures (NSF) student Aqsa received exciting news. In June, she secured her very first paid employment in Australia as a Court Officer with the Department of Communities and Justice at Liverpool Local Court.

In her first few weeks in her new job, Aqsa realised how interesting the work was going to be. “You are never bored,” she said. “Sometimes I work in the office, sometimes in the courtroom.  We help witnesses take the oath, help guide the defendants where they need to go, and help the magistrates with the files. There is always something different to do.”

Best of all, says Aqsa, is how she feels part of a team. “You are doing everything with the team – it’s all teamwork.” 

Building confidence through the AMEP 

Aqsa credits the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) at Navitas Skilled Futures for building her skills and confidence to a level where she was able to find satisfying paid work.  The AMEP is funded by the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs. 

She arrived in Australia from Pakistan in 2018 and initially focused on settling her young family into the community. Once her children had begun school, she turned to her own personal development and enrolled at NSF’s Liverpool college. 

With support from the NSF teachers, she improved her English skills, and in particular her ability to understand spoken English. This is very important in her new job. “My job is all about listening to others,” she said.  

“My teachers were a big support. The consistently encouraged me. They were very patient, even when I had to ask questions repeatedly.'”

Aqsa, AMEP Liverpool client

Learning job-seeking and interview skills 

Aqsa is particularly thankful for the job-seeking and interview skills she learned through NSF. “My teachers were a big support,” she said. “They consistently encouraged me. They were very patient, even when I had to ask questions repeatedly.” 

They taught Aqsa all the steps in looking for a job and helped her practice responding to job advertisements.  “The NSF teachers showed us examples of resume templates, as well as application emails. I learned that it is important to write different resumes for different jobs, depending on what is required” she said. 

Aqsa built her confidence through both virtual and face-to-face practice job interviews with her teachers. “We did mock interviews, and the teachers gave examples of how to answer likely questions.” 

When she attended the actual interview for her new job, she found many of the questions she was asked were the same as those her teachers had asked in the mock interview. “I was very well prepared for the real interview,” she remembers. 

Aqsa and her husband moved to Australia so their children could have a better future. With both she and her husband in jobs they enjoy, she is looking forward building her career and her new life in Australia. 

Find out more about the Adult Migrant English Program at Navitas Skilled Futures by calling 1300 798 111.