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RAY STAGG
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Current Occupation:
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Sales Administration
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What do you actually do?:
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Sell glass and service sales contracts for Pilkington Glass
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Impairment Level:
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T6 Incomplete
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Occupation pre-injury/Illness:
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Self-employed glazier
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Why did you get back to work?
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To pay the bills, social reasons, and to be productive.
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Tips for getting back to work:
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Use your networks.
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RICHARD SCAIFE
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Current Occupation:
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Call centre - Taxi Dispatcher
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What do you actually do?:
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Work in a small call centre environment
and manage a computer software and phone system to dispatch taxi to clients.
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Impairment Level:
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Guillian Barre
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Occupation pre-Injury/Illness:
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Unemployed journalist
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Why did you want to get back to work?:
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Something to do and earn some money that would enable me to be free of
Work & Income and the Invalids Benefit.
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Tips for getting back to work:
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Persistence!
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BRENDAN UNCLES
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Current Occupation:
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Brent Smith Trailer Ltd - Engineering hand
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What do you actually do?:
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Assist around the workshop with
equipment maintenance, light engineering work
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Impairment Level:
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T7 Incomplete Para
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Occupation pre-Injury/Illness:
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Brent Smith Trailer Ltd - Engineering hand
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Why did you want to get back to work?:
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I have my whole life ahead of me and I’m keen to work because that is what living
a normal life is all about.
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Tips for getting back to work:
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Patience, persistence and keep in contact with your employer.
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JASON DUNCAN
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Current Occupation:
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Total Stock Crates Fielding Ltd - welder
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What do you actually do?:
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Assist with the welding and building of stock crates
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Impairment Level:
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L3 Incomplete Para
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Occupation pre-Injury/Illness:
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Total Stock Crates Fielding Ltd - welder
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Why did you want to get back to work?:
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I felt valued in my work, I enjoyed the team I worked with and enjoyed the job
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Tips for getting back to work:
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Maintain a good relationship with your employer during your inpatient stay.
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ANDREW WILCE
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Current Occupation:
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Regional Sales Representative for EuroTech
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What do you actually do?:
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Maintain positive and productive sales relationships with clients
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Impairment Level:
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L3 Incomplete Para
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Occupation pre-Injury/Illness:
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Pilot
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Why did you want to get back to work?:
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Financial independence and to be productive in a job I enjoy.
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DOUG BOOTH
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Current Occupation:
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RNZAF Aircraft Technician
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What do you actually do?:
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Responsible for the management and maintenance of
the Historical Flight aircraft
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Impairment Level:
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L1 Incomplete Para
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Occupation pre-Injury/Illness:
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RNZAF Aircraft Technician
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Why did you want to get back to work?:
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It’s what I do - its what I enjoy, and
I want to keep active and doing something
productive with life.
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Tips for getting back to work:
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Maintain good communication with your employer and ease back into
work gradually over a period of 2-3 months.
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HUNTER DARRY
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Current Occupation:
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Sales Manager for Donaghys Industries Ltd.
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What do you actually do?:
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Impairment Level:
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C3 Incomplete
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Occupation pre-Injury/Illness:
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Sales Manager
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Why did you want to get back to work?:
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It’s what I do and it provides a focus and balance to life.
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Tips for getting back to work:
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Continue good communication with your employer.
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ABBY GAINES
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Current Occupation:
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Barista
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What do you actually do?:
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Make great coffee of course!!
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Impairment Level:
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L5 Incomplete Para
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Occupation pre-Injury/Illness:
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Barista
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Why did you want to get back to work?:
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To earn money, to meet people and to be independent.
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AMANDA JACKSON
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Current Occupation:
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Nurse Maude Care Planner
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What do you actually do?:
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Coordinate carer provision
throughout Christchurch for people
requiring caregivers
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Impairment Level:
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C6/7 Complete Tetraplegia
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Occupation pre-Injury/Illness:
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Barista/Café worker
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Why did you want to get back to work?:
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For further independence.
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Tips for getting back to work:
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Ease back into work gradually.
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HENK VERMEER
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Current Occupation:
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Self Employed Poultry Farmer,
Stillwater,
Greymouth. (see: http://www.geocities.com/vermeers_freerange/)
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What do you actually do?:
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Farming over 250 chickens for organic free
range eggs and for meat. Also grazing some
beef cattle.
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Impairment Level:
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T5/6 - incomplete
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Occupation pre-Injury/Illness:
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Relief dairy milker and worked at the Tegel
chicken plant
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Why did you want to get back to work?:
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I went back to work 1 year after my accident
mainly because I can't sit still and I always
need to be doing something. Also I know it's
a lot healthier to be doing things and I
wanted the money!
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Tips for getting back to work:
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You need to kick yourself up the bum to get
started because no one else is going to do it
for you.
Starting out in your own business involves
getting a plan together and then very good
budgeting and cost controlling.
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CHRIS HAM
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Current Occupation:
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Owner/Manager,
Telecommunications Business,
Blenheim
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What do you actually do?:
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Selling phones and phone systems. Designing
technology solutions and managing a team of
8 sales and technical staff.
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Impairment Level:
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C5/6
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Occupation pre-Injury/Illness:
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Clerk in a car spare parts department
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Why did you want to get back to work?:
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I enjoy dealing with people and I saw no
reason that I couldn't do at least some of my
old job. Also there were things I wanted to
have and that I wanted to do and I knew
I needed money to do them.
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Tips for getting back to work:
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You need to kick yourself up the bum to get
started because no one else is going to do it
for you.
I was guaranteed work by my old boss so that
got me back into work pretty quickly.
When it came to setting up my own business it
wasn't really any different for me as for
anyone else, able-bodied or not.
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GRAHAM GOMM
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Current Occupation:
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Computer Help Desk Administrator
Tairawhiti (Gisborne) Hospital
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What do you actually do?:
|
First line of response for all hospital IT systems. Solving the users' problems by
phone as well as hands-on throughout the hospital. Includes both hardware and
software fixes.
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Impairment Level:
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C5/6
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Occupation pre-Injury/Illness:
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Plumber
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Why did you want to get back to work?:
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Didn't want to sit around home doing nothing
and to get my life back on track.
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Tips for getting back to work:
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It's all about who you know and coming from a
small-ish community everybody knows someone.
Also making use of vocational rehabilitation
agencies like Workbridge that can assist with
training, workplace adaptations and wage
subsidies
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ANDY HAWKER
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Current Occupation:
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Software Technician,
Jade Development Centre,
Christchurch.
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What do you actually do?:
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Testing the latest versions of the 'Jade'
enterprise application development
environment prior to full market release.
Also writing many applications using 'Jade'
to test all aspects of the system.
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Impairment Level:
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C6/7
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Occupation pre-Injury/Illness:
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Factory Worker
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Why did you want to get back to work?:
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I always had worked and I had also often
considered going to university but was unable
to. So when I had my accident along with my
lifestyle change I had to do a career re-think.
I took the accident and subsequent recovery as
an opportunity to actually do it and go to
university. This was the only way to ensure
that I could rejoin the workforce without
having to start from the bottom.
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Tips for getting back to work:
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Don't be afraid to stand out at
University/Polytech. Be proactive and
'memorable' to your lecturers/teachers and
they could be very helpful in your job search.
It's all about whom you know and who knows you.
The broader your personal networks and profile
the better. It doesn't guarantee you a job but
it may mean you get to know about them first.
In other words to get you the proverbial "foot
(or wheel) in the door".
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KENDALL AKHURST
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Current Occupation:
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Customer Service Rep,
Westpac,
Wellington.
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What do you actually do?:
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Call Centre operator taking customer enquiries
and straight away doing a wide variety of
banking functions for people.
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Impairment Level:
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C5/6 - incomplete
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Occupation pre-Injury/Illness:
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Just completed call centre training
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Why did you want to get back to work?:
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To keep up social interaction and also in my
call centre team there were 9 women and me so
I was keen to get back to it! Also for the
money because I didn't want to be restricted
to just 80% of my old wage. The other reason
was I wanted to repay the loyalty Westpac
gave me by keeping my job open.
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Tips for getting back to work:
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Since Westpac kept my job open for me and I
was able to pretty much get straight back to
my job just 8 months after my accident. I
started part-time and eased back into it. I
could still do call centre work without too
much trouble although I needed to sort out a
few tricks for using the computer again.
I think the key for getting back to work is
to choose something you really want to do.
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ROSS LIVINGSTONE
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Current Occupation:
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Hair Salon Manager
Wellington
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What do you actually do?:
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Own and manage a 9 person hair salon in
downtown Wellington
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Impairment Level:
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C6/7
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Occupation pre-Injury/Illness:
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IRD Clerk
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Why did you want to get back to work?:
|
I was left in absolutely no doubt by my first
ACC case manager that I would return to work.
She expected that I would go back to work and
so I expected it as well.
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Tips for getting back to work:
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I was fortunate that I had a flexible and
accommodating employer (IRD) at the time of
my accident. I didn't really like the job but
it got me back into normal working life at
the age of 21 and was a stepping stone to
running the family business (a supermarket
with 160 staff) and then on to my current
business.
My current business came about through
friends and networks I had in Wellington,
so 'Who you know' is very important.
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BRENDAN SHEEHAN
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Current Occupation:
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Civil Engineer,
Meridian Energy,
Christchurch
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What do you actually do?:
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Specialist dam engineer managing the safety
of all existing Meridian Energy dams.
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Impairment Level:
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T9/10
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Occupation pre-Injury/Illness:
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Engineering Cadet
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Why did you want to get back to work?:
|
I never considered not working. I was able to
go back to my existing employer which helped
a lot.
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Tips for getting back to work:
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Continuing my studies as an inpatient showed
motivation and initiative which are the
attitudes that employers are always looking
for.
Any workplace alterations that may be required
should be discussed up front with employers
and use made of ACC or Workbridge funding to
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ROGER WATTS
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Current Occupation:
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Customer Services Consultant for TelstraClear
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What do you actually do?:
|
Call Centre Operator managing sales and services for Telstra Clear customers.
|
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Impairment Level:
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T11 Complete
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Occupation pre-Injury/Illness:
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Builder
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Why did you want to get back to work?:
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To work in a job that I can develop new skills and thrive in.
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Tips for getting back to work:
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Perseverance and don’t settle for second best
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AMY GLASSFORD
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Current Occupation:
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Officer Administrator for Fulton Hogan
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Impairment Level:
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T4
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Occupation pre-Injury/Illness:
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Student
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WILLY KARU
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Current Occupation:
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Telpower
|
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What do you actually do?:
|
Lay telephone cable lines
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Impairment Level:
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C4 Incomplete Tetraplegia
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Occupation pre-Injury/Illness:
|
Drain layer
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Why did you want to get back to work?:
|
It is a normal part of my everyday life and you’ve got to do something to
be fit and active as possible.
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DEREK WIGHT
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Current Occupation:
|
Excavator Operator
|
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Impairment Level:
|
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MUIR TEMPLETON
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Current Occupation:
|
Systems Administrator & Developer
|
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Impairment Level:
|
C6 Complete Tetraplegia
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DEAN HATCHARD
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Current Occupation:
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Commercial Fisherman
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What do you actually do?:
|
Catch fish!
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Impairment Level:
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T6/7
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