Rebekah's story is testament to what's possible when opportunity meets determination, and how our backgrounds and experience can bring valuable perspective to the workplace.
Having kicked off her APM pathway in 2017, Rebekah started at Konekt/Mission Providence in Mandurah, WA, and at the time she was living in a homeless shelter and had some retail experience under her belt.
"The people who interviewed me saw my current circumstances as a strength as I would be able to relate with our participants in Employment Services and wouldn't feel uncomfortable around them. They showed me that they weren't all talk and were actually ready to hire me despite what I saw as limitations due to my living arrangements."
Rebekah's coworkers were generous and welcoming as they helped her settle into her new role.
"There was one day in the second week where there was a bag of second-hand office clothes on my chair at work. Some people might have felt uneasy about that, but I felt so appreciated and wanted, as someone had gone out of their way to make sure I was comfortable at work."
Konekt's acquisition opened more doors for Rebekah
In 2019, when APM acquired Konekt, Rebekah joined the team on roadshows sharing the great work that Konekt did and was able to envision a future full of opportunity for herself and for APM.
Following changes to the structure at Konekt, Rebekah joined the Contact Centre in Rockingham and was there only a short time before Covid restrictions kicked in around the country.
She remembers the connectedness she felt during that time among her team, despite not seeing each other face-to-face.
"Our leader showed appreciation by sending cupcakes to all of us and we stayed in constant contact with each other, mostly through Teams."
Returning to the office with an opportunity to take the lead
Shortly after everyone started returning to the office in WA, Rebekah landed a role as Senior Client Services Officer and took on the responsibility of leading a team and assisting with training.
Now with a fair amount of APM experience under her belt, Rebekah was approached to assist the Digital & Technology Team on a two-month secondment to help with front-line assistance.
Things moved pretty quickly after that! With a few full-time roles available in the team, she was encouraged to apply and make the move to Digital & Technology permanent.
"After a week of consideration, I decided that moving into Digital & Technology was a step I would like to take, and so I applied for the role."
After 12 short months as an IT Service Desk Agent, Rebekah stepped up into a Service Desk Team Lead role, managing the Service Desk team in WA.
When Digital & Technology undertook a transformation in 2024, Rebekah took on the role of Team Lead for the Service Desk team in the Asia Pacific region as the initial contact point for digital assistance.
Reflecting on her journey and career pathway, and as she's grown and changed with APM, she's certainly found her groove in this role.
"I enjoy the troubleshooting side of my role. Having an issue that I haven't seen before and getting to a solution (where possible!)."
Beginning her APM story under challenging circumstances, Rebekah's career path has been driven by a desire to learn, grow and contribute meaningfully. Along the way, her coworkers and leaders have recognised that her capabilities can open doors - and that trust and belief has paid off.
Rebekah's success at APM has been built on showing up, staying curious and making the most of every opportunity.
"I appreciate the fact that APM and my leaders over the years were able to see my potential even when I couldn't, and were happy to assist me in improving myself and encouraging me to try different things. One of my favourite things about APM is that it's so diverse. You never know what may end up being your path and that (for me) is exciting."
