It all started fresh out of high school — young, hopeful, and wildly unprepared for the strange world of job applications.

I was ready to land my first real job.
Employers, however, weren’t quite as ready for me.

---

The Rejections Came Hard and Fast

• “You don’t have enough experience.”
• “You’re too young.” (Wow, age discrimination — but make it teen edition.)
• “Come back when you’ve done literally anything else first.”

I was disappointed, unmotivated, and honestly, pretty over it.

---

Then Something Shifted

Instead of giving up, I got curious.
I started treating job applications like a puzzle — something I could figure out with a bit of experimenting.

• I tweaked my résumé and cover letter formats
• Tried different wording, layouts, and even fonts
• Treated it like A/B testing (before I even knew what that was)

I wasn’t lying on my applications — just refining them. Trying to figure out what actually worked.

---

And Then… It Started Working

One day: ding — an interview.
Then another.
Then a recruiter messaged me asking if they could use my résumé template for their other candidates. (Still flattered, by the way.)

That moment made me realise… maybe I was onto something.

---

From Rejected Jobseeker to Coaching Others

What started as my own experiment turned into something more:

• I helped friends write their first job applications
• Supported classmates in crafting stronger résumés
• Coached people through interview preparation

And it worked. For them.

That’s when I knew this wasn’t just a phase — it was a passion.
Helping people go from confused and rejected to confident and interview-ready lit something up in me.

---

Why I Became a Next Steps Coach

Over time, I formalised my support into something bigger:
I became a Next Steps Coach — helping young adults and first-time jobseekers figure out their career paths, land interviews, and start building confidence in the world of work.

All those early rejections?
They gave me insight, empathy, and a practical toolkit I now use to support others.

Who knew rejection could be the beginning of something so useful?

---

Need Help With Your Job Search?

Whether you’re:

• A young adult applying for your first job
• Struggling to write a résumé that stands out
• Unsure what direction to take next

…I’ve been there — and I’d love to help.