A robot might read your next job application. It may even interview you. So says Job Shop coordinator Rhonnie South.
“There are so many job ads where you read the whole thing and still have no idea what the job actually is or where it’s located. And now, we’re seeing retail chains asking young people to submit a video spiel for their job application,” Ms South says.
“The how-to of applying for work is changing quickly!”
The Job Shop is familiar to hundreds of Eurobodalla’s job seekers and providers. Last year alone it helped almost 300 people into work, picking up a NSW Local Government Excellence Award along the way. Ms South says their secret to success is simple – it’s the human touch that matters.
“We meet people where they are. They come through the door carrying all sorts of experiences. Our role is to remove the barriers, build them up and create conditions that let them succeed,” Ms South says.
“Local knowledge and local support matters. We know our shire’s job market and its employers, and we help people make sense of all that.”
And thanks to a $760,000 NSW Government Active Regional Communities Package grant, the Job Shop will stay open for another three years. The service is free and open to anyone living in Eurobodalla. Ms South says you don’t have to be unemployed or tick any particular checkboxes.
“We’ve helped people aged from 14 years to well into their 70s. Often we help one member of a family, then their older brother, or parent or friend. About half of our clients are already employed but looking for a second job, a better job, more hours or a new career,” she says.
“It’s holistic. We help people tackle everything; from first jobs and career changes to video applications, tricky websites, and resumes that are not doing them justice. We’re really strong on identifying skills and making those skills clear in resumes and applications. We do practice interviews and complete pre-employment checks.”
As recruitment moves online, with employers increasingly using artificial intelligence, video applications, and automated screening, the service also provides its customers with digital help. Ms South says artificial intelligence can be useful but has limits.
“AI tends to produce general statements like ‘excellent customer service skills’. What does that actually mean?” she says.
“Can you recommend menu items, understand dietary requirements or calm an unhappy customer? That’s the useful information an employer needs. “There’s a person behind every application. Our job is to help that person come through.”
Sometimes that means reshaping a corporate resume for the local market. Sometimes it means writing a script and practising how to approach an employer. Sometimes it actually begins by helping someone recognise what they are really capable of.
“We meet people’s effort. We don’t do it for them, we do it with them and they leave with their own resume, certificates and resources. Their job seeking belongs to them.”
The Job Shop also remains flexible in ways rarely seen in larger providers. If fuel costs stop a customer travelling to Moruya, the team can travel to a local library. If someone misses an appointment, there’s no penalty, they can come back when they are ready.
Ms South says the next three years will see more job-relevant upskilling programs as the Job Shop team track vacancies, talk with employers, and work with schools, training providers and community services to spot the gaps in the market.
“We don’t run training for training’s sake. We see a need, provide specific training and connect people with employers for a clear pathway to work – it’s a closed loop. If the aged-care sector needs first-aid qualified staff, we’ll look to put on that training. Similarly, if hospitality needs RSA-qualified workers, we’ll build a pathway for that.”
“Our training is open to people who often miss out under using funding rules, particularly for workers needing extra qualifications to change careers, gain promotions or secure more hours.”
Local businesses – particularly small to medium employers without dedicated human resources staff – also get practical help.
“We’ve built a model for Eurobodalla that works and we’re excited to do it for another three years,” Ms South says.
