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The future is bright for Karen
‘Opportunity – if it knocks don’t knock it back.’ This is one thing Karen has learnt during her five year journey back to work after injury.
In 2003 Karen was working at a post office when she sustained a serious neck injury. Her ability to do her work suffered and 
her job didn’t last. In the same year Karen and her husband separated. She suddenly found herself a single mother with three children, unemployed and enduring pain from her injury.
Karen suffered not only physically, but emotionally and mentally. ‘My head wasn’t right for a long time. I didn’t know what to do. I kept asking myself, “When is this going to be over?”’
After years without a job Karen knew she had to get back to work. She had a Job Capacity Assessment and was referred to CRS Australia.
‘We sent Karen to a physiotherapist to get her strength and stamina back and worked on her motivation which had suffered after being out of the workforce for so long,‘ says CRS Australia Employment Services Consultant, Anna.
Karen had worked in the post office since she was 21 and didn’t know if she could do anything else. She was interested in computers, so CRS Australia helped her enroll in a Certificate III in networking, security and systems. She also volunteered at a local not-for-profit organisation that refurbished and recycled computers.
'There were many times in these last couple of years when I've felt really good about myself when previously this didn't happen.'Karen, IT Infrastructure Officer
In 2007 a computing job was advertised at Centrelink’s National Support Office. Feeling a sense of renewed determination she put her mind to getting the job.
‘CRS Australia helped me with the selection criteria. I hadn’t done an interview for 20-odd years so they helped me with interview techniques,’ she said.
Karen got the job and since starting at Centrelink has risen through the ranks quickly.
Karen says, ‘There were many times in these last couple of years when I’ve felt really good about myself when previously this didn’t happen. These days I’m taking anything that’s available to me and learning as much as I possibly can. This is my future.’