Darcy is a trainee in our Brisbane hub with ambitions to one day become a motivational speaker.
And he’s the perfect person for the job.
He has an uncanny ability to bring out the best in people, helping his colleagues at Jigsaw to achieve their greatest potential. Now, he wants to make it his career, inspiring others to advocate for themselves and to go after their own goals.
“I would love to get a job in motivational speaking, or I’d love to work with kids. I’ve also been told I’m a great writer, so down the track, I would like to do some writing when I’ve got enough life experience to turn my writing skills into something that could be of use,” said Darcy.
Darcy’s passion for helping others is evident at Jigsaw.
He constantly strives to learn about his fellow trainees, how they best work and learn, and how he can collaborate with them to positively contribute to their professional development.
“At Jigsaw, I’m learning how to work as a team and how to work with a variety of different people with different backgrounds and different personalities.
“I’ve realised working here that there is no one size that fits all, but it’s about negotiating what is the best way to get my work done for the day and also be mindful of the person sitting next to me, and how they like to do their best work,” said Darcy.
Darcy’s awareness of his team dynamics positions him as a natural leader, so it’s no surprise that his trainer, Buxton, seizes every opportunity to help Darcy refine his leadership skills.
“I’ve been building my leadership skills at Jigsaw. Sometimes Buxton asks me to teach a new trainee on their first day and I find that an interesting challenge but a positive one. It is a privilege because Buxton trusts me to do that,” said Darcy.
Darcy’s work involves digitising documents and quality control for various businesses. This requires him to switch between tasks and contracts, providing opportunities for Darcy to build on his ability to be flexible and adaptable. What Darcy has learned about his own potential through this work has surprised him.
“I’ve learned I’m a lot more flexible than I thought I was. I didn’t know how flexible I could be in terms of working with other people with disability and different variants of disability. Also, I’ve been surprised about how much workload I can put on myself,” said Darcy.
Flexibility has helped Darcy not only in his work at Jigsaw but also in his daily life, providing him with increased resilience to challenges and change. It’s shaped his attitude towards hardship and will be another asset to Darcy in a career as a motivational speaker.
“I’ve had a lot of hardships in my life, but through my openness and flexibility, I’ve been able to overcome a lot of those challenges, whether they’re mental or physical. I’ve been able to get past whatever obstacle I face, and focus on the present or look towards the future,” said Darcy.
As for Darcy’s future, he’s fully embracing the opportunity to shape it in his own way and has proactively sought work experience in sectors he’s passionate about
He’s worked with the advocacy and research group Child Unlimited – a network of clinicians, researchers, and families working towards better healthcare for children and young adults who have a chronic health condition or disability. He’s also volunteered in aged care.
Not only has Darcy proactively sought work experience in sectors he’s passionate about, he’s also ensured that his trainer, Buxton, is on board with whatever is next in Darcy’s journey to mainstream employment.
While Darcy feels well-supported in his pursuit of mainstream employment, he does have some advice for businesses interested in creating an inclusive workforce for people with disability.
“Businesses should focus on the positives of having someone with a disability included in their team, rather than what they have to do as management to accept us as part of their workforce,” said Darcy.