When Zeph left school early at the age of 16, he never expected to be working as cabin crew with Jetstar Airways just three years later. Now, both he and his family are excited about his future in the aviation industry. “My family are very proud of my achievements so far. They are excited to see me in a role I am passionate about,” says 19-year-old Zeph.
Exploring new career options
In May 2021, Zeph started working with his employment consultant, Javey Assad, at Jobfind Airport West. Zeph had three years’ work experience in the food industry but was motivated to build a career with longevity and needed help exploring his career options. As he was also new to the area, he was keen to understand local opportunities.
COVID-19 lockdowns meant Zeph and Javey communicated by phone before eventually meeting face-to-face as restrictions eased at the end of 2021. “Throughout lockdowns, we were still able to support him to achieve an accredited qualification in customer service and renew his security licence and police check,” says Javey.
Zeph’s job search activities led him to some irregular security work, but it wasn’t satisfying.
After digging deep to explore Zeph’s interests, Javey noticed that Zeph lit up when he was talking about travelling. “It was a passion of his, so we explored current opportunities in the aviation industry,” explains Javey.
Reaching for the goal
With Javey’s encouragement, Zeph applied for a cabin crew position, knowing it was notoriously competitive. “Zeph is smart and motivated to get into a job where he can work hard and keep progressing. With his customer service qualification and experience, I was confident he had a chance of getting into the program,” says Javey.
After a highly competitive application process, Zeph made it through to be one of only 35 people in his intake. Another eight weeks of intense training followed, culminating in Zeph starting work as cabin crew in April 2022.
“The training was an arduous but fulfilling process. I learned a lot from it, and I am eager to put it all into practice,” reports Zeph.
Ongoing support
Javey kept in regular contact with Zeph throughout his training period: “He’d call me or come into the office for his appointment, and I could tell it was a tough process. But I kept encouraging him to persist.”
Jobfind was able to provide financial assistance from the jobactive Employment Fund to support Zeph to purchase a laptop and uniform for his training.
And as Zeph settles into his new career, he continues to stay in touch with Javey.
“He called me after his first day to tell me he loved it. He had a lot of fun,” beams Javey.
Off to a flying start
After a few domestic flights, Zeph will soon travel internationally. The future is already looking brighter for the young aviation enthusiast who is determined to keep learning and moving up the ranks.
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with Jetstar and to be able to gain skills and experience in the airline industry,” says Zeph.
To see if Jobfind can help you on your journey to a job, contact us at info@jobfind.com.au
