Employee Testimonial: Jesse

How did I start?

Before RAQ, I was working in a role where I was constantly referring people out to external support. But I had a realisation that I wanted to be the person directly providing that support. I took my resume out to the market, and a FDRP role at RAQ was the first job I saw.

The training I received through RAQ in that role was the launchpad for my whole career. Since starting with them I‘ve managed a family relationship centre, worked in Child Protection, worked in the Family Child Commission and now I’m a Program Manager with multiple programs I oversee. Getting that training, and doing that role, was a huge opportunity for me.

Why RAQ?

One thing that makes RAQ stand out is the amount of investment in the development of its professionals. The amount of time and money that is put into training, conferences, supervision and upskilling is substantial. It is so much better than other organisations I’ve worked for. And the results of that investment are obvious.

People come in to RAQ at one level and they leave at a much higher level. You might stay for one year, or you might stay for ten years, but you’re always better when you leave. You’ve got far more under your belt. Your resume explodes because RAQ makes sure that when you get here, you don’t stay where you started. You grow and get better and better.

Why Virtual Services?

The clinical supervision I have received over the years has been absolutely top-quality. This type of supervision costs a fortune, and I’ve got it for free as part of my work. Being able to sit with someone and understand the difficulties and challenges of my work and reframe them into something productive has been invaluable for me.

I’ve also always loved the challenge of working with clients. There’s something really satisfying about helping people negotiate a dispute they consider unresolvable. It’s the kind of role where you can pass families in the shopping centre and you may have worked with them, you never know. You might be partially responsible for a child having a weekend with their mother or father. I find that very rewarding.

What have I learned?

• Reflect: RAQ taught me to see myself as a professional where part of my job is to continue to develop, and continue to learn. Taking a bit of time after every interaction reflect on what I could learn has become essential to my identity as a professional.
• Practice your empathy: I feel you don’t learn empathy, but you do practice it. RAQ has helped me practice empathy in a really challenging environment and see it make a humungous difference in clients’ lives.
• Think big picture: There is so much opportunity at RAQ all the time. At the drop of a hat sometimes, you can say ‘oh, I want to do something differently’ and then poof, it appears. It’s not only easy to survive here, it’s easy to thrive.