A peek into becoming a Job Coach - Jeanne Tan

There are diverse job roles in social service and every social service professional plays a fundamental role in making lives count. Today, we meet Jeanne, a Job Coach for the APSN Centre for Adults (CFA).

Tell us more about what you do.

A Job Coach at APSN CFA matches our clients with Mild Intellectual Disability who are job-ready with suitable employment opportunities. We also provide job support to help our clients transition into their new work environments.

How does your work help your clients?

Acquiring real-world working experience builds the clients’ self-confidence, self-independence and maturity, which allows them to better cope with the challenges of adult life.

What does a typical day look like for you?

My daily work involves a lot of moving around and meeting people. I visit a few clients a day at their job sites to track their progress, support them in overcoming any challenges they face, and also increase the competency of employers/co-workers in terms of the management of our clients. I also meet regularly with new employers who express interest in hiring our clients, visit new job sites, and conduct outreach programmes with employers.

How does someone become a Job Coach?

You might need prior experience as a vocational coach in the social service sector, and a minimum of an ‘O’ Levels certificate to qualify.

What’s the career progression for a Job Coach?

There’s plenty of growth for Job Coaches. For example, in APSN, you’ll begin as a Job Coach before becoming Senior Job Coach, and after some years—a Lead. However, different agencies offer different paths to grow. What’s more, there are many training opportunities that you’ll be able to tap on.

A Job Coach is one of many roles in social services. To find out more, click read about a career in Education.