Ashesh Parikh – Life, It Happens!

Ash is a really nice guy who exudes an air of intelligence and competence. As I sat in a café, enjoying a feijoa, pear and elderflower juice while chatting with him, I was struck by his ability to identify and utilise opportunities as he entertained me with his story.

Ash came to New Zealand about ten years ago and became an Authorised Financial Advisor. Life was going well. He had an awesome career that he was great at, his wife came over and they were happy. Ash was doing well for himself and life was going according to plan… right up until Christmas time in 2017.

Around Christmas in 2017, the company that Ash was working for went out of business and he suddenly found himself out of a job. ‘Not to worry’, he thought as he was heavily experienced and was good at what he did. Around the same time, his wife got pregnant and all of that time that Ash was using to look for work suddenly was occupied with preparing for the baby. Ash’s days became filled with scans and doctor’s appointments and he understandably shifted his focus from finding work, to looking after his wife and unborn baby.

Ash blasted through his savings and found himself signing up for the benefit. Ash is a driven and motivated man. He prides himself in being busy and enjoys being able to bring resources to the table. He found that he was not the biggest fan of being on the benefit. Ash found himself frustrated as he wanted to work but didn’t have enough time to look for jobs.

One day, he was chatting with his Case Worker at Work and Income. Ash was directed to a contact centre course at Capital Training. Ash had never heard of Capital Training but was willing to give the course a go, as it was an opportunity that he wanted to explore. Ash is an intelligent guy and was a skilled worker before he signed up at Capital Training. As I sat at the hard-wood table of the café, sun dappling through the window of a surprisingly warm winter’s day, taking notes while Ash spoke, I was really happy (but not surprised) when he began to heap praise on his tutor at Capital Training.

Ash credits his current success (which we will get to, in time) to the staff at Capital Training and in particular, his tutor Jaxs. Jaxs helped Ash to identify and develop his strengths and work on his weaknesses. While he had a lot of experience in the workplace, Ash reckons that Jaxs gave him a lot of perspective into what he lacked in interview skills. At Capital Training, Ash said that he was given the knowledge, tools and opportunity to craft and develop his CV and cover letter building skills. These skills were integral in getting him into the interview process.

Interviewing is something that Ash has always been wary of. He was given the opportunity and moral support to build his communication skills and storytelling abilities so that when it came time to interview; he crushed it. Ash was offered two jobs. One in a contact centre with ANZ (which he had to turn down due to personal circumstances) and one at the Work and Income contact centre, which he took.

For the first time in a year and a half, Ash was working. Not only was he working, he was working in an amazing, supportive place where he was thriving. Ash made lasting friendships at Work and Income and is eternally grateful to them. During his time at Work and Income, he found that his personal circumstances changed which meant he was able to take ANZ up on their offer of employment. Although it wasn’t an easy decision to leave Work and Income, ANZ is perfect for Ash as he has an extensive history working with finances. Ash has been with ANZ for a wee while now and is loving it. He has a job which he loves and that he can see a career path in. He is in a supportive environment where he can grow and develop to become whatever he wants to be.

I sat back as Ash was finishing up his story. It was truly amazing that this man had been in a place where he had the world at his fingertips and then had it all taken away. He lost his path in to the future (career wise) and over time, lost his confidence. This loss of confidence can often lead to a lack of motivation, which can lead to a lengthy stay on the benefit for a lot of people. It is a testament to Ash’s drive for excellence and his courage to try something new, that he managed to pick himself up by his bootstraps, enrol on a course and do what needed to be done to help support himself and his family. Life happened to Ash in a big way, but he didn’t give up and now he is on the path to a great career.

Best of luck to you Ash, and all the best in the future. We know that you are going to do well in your career.