Former job seeker returns to IMPACT to help someone else get their start

A decade after walking through IMPACT's doors looking for work, Jack Hummer returned looking for someone to hire.

Now a Store Manager at Wholesale Paint Group, he was there because someone had once given him a chance, and he wanted to do the same for somebody else.

Back in 2016, Jack had completed a spray-painting trade but couldn't find steady work, so he turned to IMPACT Community Services' Workforce Australia team for support.

Jack remembers his first visit simply. He was not asking for anything complicated. "All I said was I just need a job," he said.

For seven to eight months, he attended interviews and waited for opportunities while trying to pick up whatever part-time work he could.

Then local paint shop owner Russell approached IMPACT's Workforce Australia team looking for candidates.

When he spotted Jack's name among the resumes, he offered him a chance.

It was an opportunity that opened doors Jack never expected.

“I made a career from it. That’s why I came here,” Jack said.

Over the next decade, Jack progressed from trainee to sales representative before eventually being recruited to manage Wholesale Paint's Bundaberg store.

"After 10 years, it's good. I'm in a good place."

When Wholesale Paint recently needed another employee, Jack knew exactly where to turn.

He contacted IMPACT and asked for candidate resumes, just as Russell had done years earlier.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for IMPACT, so it definitely was about giving back," he said.

Ten years after someone gave Jack a chance, he's now looking for opportunities to do the same for others.