Shining through the darkness
Workplaces are always in need of rays of sunshine that spread good vibes and are friendly to everyone they meet, sunny rays that have overcome hardships and are determined to make the most out of life. That sunny ray in the Edge Employment Solutions Subiaco office is Melissa (or Mel as she is known).
The vibrant 37 year old works as an Administrative Assistant here at Edge, a job that she absolutely loves coming into work for each day.
“Not many people get up everyday and get excited for work!” Mel says.
Mel’s employment background has mainly focused on administrative work. It’s work that she’s enjoyed, but has previously struggled with at the same time. So much so, that it had an affect on her mental health, with family members noticing that she was showing signs of depression and anxiety.
“Mum noticed that I had depression and anxiety. I said to her that I was fine,” Mel says. “However, at the same time I was working at a job, and the anxiety flared up. From there, I went to the GP and was officially diagnosed with depression and anxiety.”
With this newfound diagnosis, Mel at the time had lost her job and was living off Centrelink payments. Unemployed and having completed the mandatory job hunt for several weeks, Centrelink gave her a call and informed her about Edge.
“Centrelink rang me and said that because of my depression, they needed to put me in another employment search category, a category were I needed to see an Employment Support Services Provider,” Mel says. “I was sent to see Edge at their Joondalup office and they signed me up straight away.”
Mel recalls walking into Edge for her first employment consultant meeting as a “scary and anxious experience.” Those feelings soon changed when she was paired with an Employment Consultant who worked with her in finding a relevant job. Based on her experience, Mel was offered a position as administrative assistant at the Edge’s Subiaco branch in November 2017.
Since then, Mel has gone from strength to strength in not just her work but also in her personal life. She states that her anxiety and confidence levels have improved dramatically.
“I was bullied when I was younger,” Mel says. “It’s nice to be here because I can grow and I can be myself.”
“It’s just great being able to talk to everyone and not let anything happen to my anxiety. Everyone is just so lovely.”
She also credits her improvements to that of her Job Coordinator Michelle Kruger.
“Michelle is my rock,” she says. “ “If I’m anxious about something, I can chat with Michelle and she can sit with me if I need any training.”
“I can also chat with any of the other Job Consultants or Employment Consultants about any problems that arise.”
Out of work, you will usually find Mel watching some sort of sports game. Her favourite sport is the AFL where she is an avid West Coast Eagles supporter. During AFL season, you will find Mel at every West Coast Eagles home game. It’s a devotion that Mel is passionate about and one that brings her so much happiness.
“When I go to the game, I have my parents on one side or if they’re not there a family member comes and sits with me,” she exclaims. “I just love the atmosphere. I just love being there.”
With her love and passion for the West Coast Eagles and the development of her confidence, improvement in her anxiety and depression, Mel is a wonderful example of Edge’s purpose of changing lives through the power of employment. It’s why our mission is to provide employment services that create better outcomes for both job seekers and employers. No matter the challenge, Edge supports its clients every step of the way. And we will continue to do so.
If you want to learn more about how Edge can help you, please contact us.