Neelam’s Next Chapter

Meet Neelam, a creative and

community-minded young woman who

recently spent some time volunteering

with Yes for Success.

After studying Business Management Studies in India, Neelam spent a year in Abu Dhabi before returning home to work in the banking sector. Six years later, she followed love and made the adventurous leap to live New Zealand.

“Wellington has definitely become a home for me now,” says Neelam, who quickly got

involved in volunteering with various organisations including St Vincent De Paul,

Wellington Hospital, Bhakti Lounge and YFS.

Aside from community work, Neelam likes to explore her artistic side through painting and

building miniatures – “It gives me joy to create something new! Adulting often comes with

worries and stress, but art allows me to let go and relax into a state where my mistakes

are my wins.”

We’d love to congratulate Neelam on her most recent win – landing a fixed term job as a

Marketing Coordinator for Consumer NZ! Read more about Neelam’s journey with YFS

and finding employment below.

How did you hear about YFS?

When my first contract with St. Vincent de Paul finished, I went on Seek and I came

across a work experience volunteer opportunity with Yes for Success, and that’s where I started my journey here.

Why did you come to us for assistance?

I’m pretty new to New Zealand so I wanted to learn about the culture here and get

involved in the community. My goal was to get out of the house, meet some new people, learn more about the community and workplace, and improve my confidence in talking to people from different walks of life.

How did we help you?

I had a really helpful career coaching session with Joelene, whom I met with over Zoom.

There were a lot of questions in my head about how to adjust to the workplace here, but I

could speak to her very comfortably one-on-one and explore these in confidence. She

encouraged me that no question is a silly question!

My interview styling was also great – I am not necessarily a fashionista, but I do love

fashion in my own ways. Irene asked me questions to understand the role I was applying

for and what kind of style I like, and then she did her magic and came up with some very

nice attire which I wore to my interviews.

How did our volunteers make you feel?

The volunteers were approachable and made kind gestures that you don’t always see in a

workplace. In my experience sometimes people can treat an immigrant in a very different

manner, but Yes for Success really made me feel a part of them, and I would say I feel

more confident.

Did our programmes meet your expectations?

Yes for Success provided quite a unique experience – you are literally working in an office

environment but in a volunteering space. You’re getting to meet a lot of people, you’re

developing professionally, and at the same time you’re giving back to the community, so it

really ticked all the boxes for me.

What was the result?

Bringing more confidence, upskilling my existing abilities, and getting directly involved in

the community.

How would you define success?

I would say success is being happy where you are at the moment. You cannot always be

fulfilled 100% of the time, but I feel being kind, gentle-hearted, helping people, or just

doing what makes you feel happy and satisfied would be success.

What advice would you give to others?

Explore as much as you can, and volunteering will teach you a lot!

What’s next, have you set any goals?

My heart is filled with happiness and gratitude at this stage, and I want to feel that every

night when I go to sleep. My goal is to have a positive and happy aura around me, help

others, and foster the kind of thinking where you remember the good things in life!