Inspirational career stories

Sometimes getting the job that you want – and the life that you want to lead – may seem almost impossible.

Everyone faces obstacles of one sort or another. For example, maybe you:

left school without qualifications
have been out of work for some time, and are worried that employers won’t want to hire you
have family commitments that make it difficult to train for the career you want
feel unable to change careers, because the job that you want may earn you less money than you are making now
did things in the past that you are not proud of, but now want to move on with your life.

These challenges don’t mean that you cannot reach your career goals. You may just need to take a bit more time to make the changes you want, or approach things in a different way.

How did they do it?

Read some career stories from inspirational people who have faced challenges in their career paths, but have all managed to find their way forward, and get the job they wanted.

Manutai Leaupepe got a Masters while working full time and being mum to nine children

"It was a really hard time. My husband had always been the breadwinner, and now we were reliant on welfare. It was a big drop in wages, and we had to account for every single cent."

Manutai Leaupepe, Tertiary Lecturer

After years in a gang, Fiva Latu decided it was time to move on

"I thought, 'I can’t carry on living like I am'. I had no focus at all, and I could see all my friends weren’t doing very well."

Fiva Latu, Executive Housekeeper

Positive outlook helped Sonya Thomas find a job after being made redundant

"You’re responsible for how you feel about things. Job hunting can be really discouraging, but you’ve just got to do the things you need to do to keep yourself happy and sane."

Sonya Thomas, Marketing and Communications Assistant

Tony Venning left school with no qualifications, and is now a medical physicist

"There was a point in my life that I thought I couldn’t do anything. I thought I was useless at everything. But then I realised that’s not the way it is. I got rid of my self-limiting beliefs. It’s interesting when I reflect back on where I started, then where I am now."

Tony Venning, Medical Physicist