Jaz's Story. Traineeship Worries Turn to Strengths and Opportunities

Jaz's Story.

Meet Jaz, a wonderful BGT Jobs + Training Ballarat Trainee who wanted to share her story about completing her Traineeship at BGT. Although Jaz was initially nervous about taking on a new role and study, she completed her Certificate III in Business on time and with flying colours, despite the difficulties of COVID and lockdowns getting in the way.

Read Jaz's full story below and be inspired to take on a traineeship with BGT today.

What were you doing before BGT? 
Living in Queensland after leaving Ballarat and leaving highschool in Year 11. I worked at a café over the two years I was in Queensland, as well as a childcare centre as a junior educator for about a year.   I then moved back to Ballarat and after working 6 days a week I decided to take a break before I started looking for a job.  Two of my friends here in Ballarat were completing traineeships in Ballarat through Vic Roads and loved working with BGT and doing their traineeships, so I decided to look into it. 

At the time, I had some savings when I moved home but I needed to find some work and a way to make money now I was back in Ballarat. I didn’t mind what industry I found work in, I just wanted to do something where I could earn some money but also learn some new skills. The thing that was the most interesting part of doing a BGT traineeship was that you don’t have to do any of the training in your own time. The training is all a part of the hours that you do as ‘work’. This was a great way to both work and get a qualification at the end. This is really great for people who might feel time poor or not know how to manage study and work. A traineeship is both in one! 

Why did you choose BGT? 
I heard good things from my friends, and then met with some of the consultants at BGT. I met with Julie, Anita and Troy, and after the first interview I felt really at ease. BGT tell you what questions they’ll ask, the take a lot of the stress away, tell you what to wear and make you feel really comfortable. BGT felt like a really welcoming place. 

What steps did you take to get in touch with BGT?
I was given Julies number and after we had spoken, I decided to have a look over the BGT website and understand a little more about what a traineeship was. A traineeship is a little tricky to understand, but after talking to Julie and having a look at the website I understood the process and figure out how it all worked.  
I understood that as a trainee BGT was my employer, but that I would work for another business while completing my training. That was a bit intimidating as I didn’t understand how it worked.  

​As a trainee, your contract is with BGT, and then you would have a host employer where you go to work and be in the industry. BGT handles all of the complicated things like organising superannuation, payment, workplace health and safety. This means that your host organisation can spend all their time training you, working with you, supporting you and helping. That means that I get to know the role and the team in a way that hopefully they might keep me on in the end. I did interview for a few positions that BGT recommended me for, but ended up working as the Receptionist at BGT which was an amazing opportunity. 

Were you nervous about starting?
I was terrified! I was so nervous as I hadn’t worked in three months and it was so different to anything I had ever done before. It was completely out of my comfort zone. I’d never done anything corporate. As I was working at the BGT reception, I already knew some of the staff and the consultants which made me feel much more at ease! Having a few familiar faces, and knowing I could go to somebody for help was so helpful. Everyone made me feel so welcome.  This is the great thing about BGT. They check in with you. They call you on your first day, before and after you go and check in with you so you feel supported. I had no idea what the work would be. I was so nervous about what to wear having never been in a corporate environment without a uniform. Julie provided me with all the information on what to wear and what to get. BGT also supplied me with clothing so that I was ready. 
What was your first day like at BGT? 
It was really good! It was nothing like I thought it would be. For the first week I shadowed someone else and it gave me the chance to get comfortable. Everyone I met was so kind and welcoming.  In the first few weeks, it’s just about learning the job. You don’t start taking on responsibilities for a week or two, or after all of the paperwork is complete. Once you ease into work and find out about the role, you might get stressed about your other responsibilities, but you’ve had the time to watch and learn. 
What was something that you thought might happen, but didn't?
I thought the job would be a lot harder. I thought I’d never be able to get my head around things, or learn the processes, or what to do.  Hudson, who I shadowed, reminded me that in my role on Reception at BGT you just had to experience it and learn as you go, and it would all come together in time. No two days were ever the same.  
What was your week like, generally? 
I worked Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, and did my three hours of study on a Friday afternoon when I felt like my concentration was at its best. I could choose when to do my study in my hours.  In my role, I was dealing with walk in clients, diverting calls between departments, taking phone calls, doing my training and helping the team. I really loved going to visit the Industry Skills Centre on a Wednesday. It was a great way to break up my week, and I loved visiting another department and helping them. 

What were your three biggest successes?  

1. Completing! It was a huge achievement. By the end, I felt very comfortable in the role and felt I could do anything.  

1. Forming relationships with people. I really enjoyed getting to know people who were my colleagues and also my friends. 

1. Getting hired and continuing on at BGT after my traineeship finished! I got a job after I completed and I am so proud of that. 

​ What were the biggest lessons you learned? 
I can do anything. I left school early and I thought I couldn’t really do anything like working in a corporate environment. Doing this traineeship really changed my mind on that. Getting the job at BGT was an amazing stepping stone and taught me that I am capable of anything. To always have a positive attitude. Even if the person you’re talking to isn’t having a great day, just having that positive attitude to them means that it won’t get to you as much. It won’t ruin your day. I also feel like I have improved my time management, computer skills and communication skills. 

What was something challenging that you took on and grew from? 
My jobs beforehand were casual, so there was a lot more variety in my days. Having my hours always be 9 – 5, it took me a while to get the balance right. It was a big change and it took me a while to get used to it. The whole day is work, so I found it tricky to make time for appointments, friends and family. I was able to use my leave entitlements as a full time worker, like annual leave, and the team were really flexible to help me cover any time I needed off. As I’d only been a casual worker before, when you don’t work you don’t get paid so this was an amazing difference. ​

How did it feel to look back on your traineeship?  
I’m glad I stuck it out! It was really difficult to complete my traineeship during the lockdowns of 2021. I tried my best to help other departments but there wasn’t a reception as we were working from home and I did think maybe I should look for something else where I am working more but it was a tough time for everyone. It was really hard not being able to work. I’m really glad I stuck with it as the support at BGT was just amazing and the silver lining is walking away with my traineeship and amazing experiences working at BGT. 
What is your proudest achievement from your traineeship? 
Securing a job at the end of my traineeship. I had to show them what I could do and prove my worth, and the BGT team were really supportive of me. Troy and Julie interviewed me and it was a really wonderful experience because we knew each other so well. It reminded me of my first interview with Julie and Sue and how kind everyone had been along the way. 
What are you doing now that you have finished?  
I’m now the Employment Services Administration Officer at BGT. I love it. It feels like a good step for me. While I was in reception, I started doing a lot of work for the Employment Services team so I was really comfortable. I wasn’t learning a whole new job in my new role which was really comforting. 

What are three things you would tell someone wanting to start a traineeship at BGT? 

1. A traineeship is a really good idea for someone who might be anxious about interviews, might be doubting themselves or if this is your first job as there is so much support available through the whole process. 

1. A traineeship is also great for those that might be struggling with time (people with young kids) who can study and learn at the same time. 

1. There are so many opportunities BGT provide through their traineeships! There’s everything from administration to dental assistants that you can do as a trainee. If BGT doesn’t have a job opening that aligns with what you’re after, BGT will go out into the industry and find opportunities that might work for you. Any opportunity that you want, BGT can help you find it for you. 

 Any last words of advice? 
Remember that BGT can help you with all of the searching and finding. If you go through BGT as part of their trainee process, they will keep putting you forward for opportunities. I did two interviews before finding a position at BGT, but they would have kept going for me if I was unsuccessful. They really help you through the job searching process without you having to constantly be hunting for jobs, re-writing your resume and doing all the running around.  ​