My career journey with MedHealth

I worked as an Occupational Therapist in South Africa for 13 years before moving to Perth in 2011. After a short stint as a stay-at-home mother, I saw a WorkFocus sign in the city and decided to seek out full-time work. I walked in the front door with my two children and noticed the man at reception was a wheelchair user, and I immediately knew I wanted to be a part of this inclusive organisation. I said to him “I’m an OT from South Africa and I’m looking for a job here”. The friendly receptionist called his manager, and a few days later I accepted a role with WorkFocus Australia.

I later enquired about more work flexibility to help with the school pick-up times. The JobAccess Team were part of the same family of businesses and were right next door. They needed an experienced OT to work school hours, so I was encouraged to apply. It was the perfect job for a working mother, and I loved it! I soon became Team Leader and then Client Support Manager of the JobAccess program.

During this time, I was also completing my MBA. I was lucky to have my manager, Daniel Valiente Riedl, mentor me through my MBA and provide opportunities to use my skills and training.

Following my MBA, I knew I wanted to progress to the next step in my career and I was considering a number of external opportunities, but a tearoom conversation changed my fate. When a colleague discovered my intentions, she quickly helped identify a need for me to stay and lead the atWork Australia/JobAccess tender project.

The tender project was phenomenal, but I was soon approached by Ability Action Australia for a Business Partner role. I am so grateful they allowed me to complete the tender project then move across to this growing and exciting NDIS division.

I am now the Ability Action Australia Regional Manager for Western Australia and South Australia. Since first walking through the front doors, MedHealth could not have offered me more opportunities in my career.

Changing career paths

I like to challenge myself, and the chance to progress my career in a profession that I love. I was always excited about moving into different roles. I am also very impressed with all the different business induction processes. This makes it so much easier when you are transitioning within MedHealth.

The challenges

It’s ok to not know everything. Many people moving internally put an unrealistic expectation on themselves that they should really know a lot more about their new role and working environment. The key is to feel comfortable about feeling uncomfortable. You will learn from others what you don’t know.

Inspirational leadership

I think my enthusiasm and love of my job are great qualities. I love being an OT, but I also love just being part of the healthcare profession to help others improve their quality of life. I am a strong leader that inspires good clinical quality of work and enjoyment. I love nothing more than mentoring young therapists and watching them grow into fabulous clinicians.