Konekt, part of the APM Group, is a private occupation health company that provides services for Australian workers across the country. I am employed as a rehabilitation consultant at the Nerang office in Queensland’s Gold Coast. My daily schedule can vary from week to week depending on how many clients are assigned to me. Clients come from several sources including the Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) and WorkCover (Queensland and New South Wales). The services I provide include worksite assessments, pre-employment tests, functional capacity evaluations and ergonomic assessments. All these tasks are tied with a specific worker to assist with obtaining employment or returning to work. During a typical day, I make phone calls to clients, employers and health providers to ensure my clients are progressing towards achieving their goals.
I was born and raised in Brisbane and graduated from Brisbane Grammar School in 2015. At first, I started university with a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Studies, but during this time, my interest and passion for personal fitness started to grow and six months in, I changed my degree to a Bachelor of Exercise Physiology.
Throughout the degree, I worked in a number of jobs and undertook volunteering opportunities to gain more experience. Some opportunities included working in retail, volunteering in a health services practice as well as completing three university placements.
I also joined the Army Reserve fairly early on in my time studying, to learn new skills and earn cash on the side. Just before my final year of studies, I completed the final training modules to earn a commission from the Royal Military College in Canberra and in January 2020, was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Army Reserve. I was posted as a platoon commander to Bravo Company, 25th/49th Royal Queensland Light Infantry Regiment located in Logan. During the COVID-19 outbreak, my university subjects went online, which gave me the opportunity to volunteer for Operation COVID-19 Assist, supporting the border closures in Southern Queensland for three months in Warwick.
When the class returned to face-to-face, I returned to complete my final six months of study, which included 12 weeks of placements. Towards the end of my final placement, I applied for a role at Konekt and was fortunate to be offered a full-time position on the Gold Coast at the start of 2021.
Yes, of course! I work with many psychologists and occupational therapists. Working for a private occupational health company has been a steep learning curve, but it has introduced me to the corporate world of health care within Australia. I would suggest that if you are curious about a health career in the corporate sector or wish to transition from clinical health care, this would be a great option for you to explore.
Supporting people with their person-centered rehabilitation plan is extremely satisfying. As a rehabilitation consultant, I enjoy the client diversity and specialised treatment that I am able to provide to them. My favourite part of the day is when I get to head out of the office to meet with our clients for ergonomic, pre-employment and worksite assessments along with general client meetings.
There are two sides to every coin. As an exercise physiology student, the university didn’t really expose me to the realities of corporate work – what we learned was more orientated towards clinical treatment. In my current role, I am based in an office environment, which is not how I imagined I would be working based on what we learned at uni. This adjustment can be challenging for those who prefer to be more hands-on however the upside it has gives you the chance to learn a range of business skills and I am able to get out and about often to work directly with my clients and customers.