When employment becomes a struggle, how can we find our way towards our ultimate dream?

For 31-year old Suzette, there’s one thing that kept her resolute and focused – her burning passion to do what she has always loved, BAKING. This passion cultivated Suzette’s endurance until that moment when she realized her ultimate dream and found herself percent chance of hearing lossworking as a skilled baker in one of Australia’s most successful bakeries.

A native of Las Piñas City, Suzette had worked as a baker for a local employer with a starting wage of Php8,000 a month (AUS $197). Despite her low salary, she accepted the job as an avenue to enhance her baking skills while doing what she’s most passionate about. But her motivation to stay in the company gradually dwindled due to work difficulties.

She would stay very late without pay and with harsh company policies like deducting burned or spoiled bread from employee’s pays really discouraged her. Due to her fierce loyalty, she stayed for over four years with this employer to fulfill her contract obligations.

Suzette became disheartened as she realized her wage was unable to support her family, particularly her aging parents who were always supportive of her endeavours.

Her father was an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) whose retirement plan diminished as his savings were used to provide for their whole family. A sudden realization dawned on her – her destiny was in her own hands and she needed to change her job to change her life.

Fuelled by her aspirations to really find a better employer and further develop her craft, she started to search for overseas jobs online and discovered WorkAbroad.ph. She registered for free, completed her online resume, searched for jobs in her field of interest and submitted job applications.

Job applications at WorkAbroad.ph saves a jobseeker lots of time because it can be done with just a click of a mouse. The risk to be a victim of illegal recruitment is also minimized because all the jobs posted in WorkAbroad.ph are from POEA-licensed recruitment agencies.

Suzette applied to a job opening she saw in WorkAbroad.ph that was posted by a licensed agency, the UltimateSkills Philippines, Inc.

Ultimate Skills quickly processed the job application of Suzette. One of Australia’s leading bakeries, Baker’s Delight, needed a new baker in 2008. After passing a thorough assessment process; she was immediately accepted and deployed. Through the subclass 457 visa sponsored by her employer, Suzette was able to temporarily work in Australia. Her current salary is 16 times higher than her previous pay. This enables her to assist the whole family and have her OFW father come home from Saudi Arabia to retire while seeing his daughter reach milestones abroad.

Another blessing for Suzette came in 2010 when her employer agreed to sponsor her Permanent Residency application. This made Suzette eligible to receive benefits granted to an Australian citizen like access to government subsidized health care and education for her future kids.

When asked about what amazes her in her newfound job, Suzette fondly mentions her boss, Fred, who has always been kind and considerate to his employees by treating them like a family.

“My employer is very considerate. His work standards make us more productive every day. Because of him, my once lofty dream is now within my reach.”

Overjoyed and thankful to her employer, Suzette has never been absent from work in the last five years. Suzette is equally thankful to UltimateSkills for finding her the most ideal employer. “I found the right agency in UltimateSkills. The staff are reliable and straightforward in telling you what your job would be; they ensure that we were properly oriented and prepared for the challenging life that awaited us abroad,” Suzette said.

She recommends UltimateSkills to Filipino job seekers because as a POEA-licensed agency, UltimateSkills has great employers who will look after their candidates. Indeed, life in Australia has been a happy roller-coaster ride for Suzette – she’s doing her dream work, she’s with a supportive husband and she’s able to assist her family in the Philippines. She also has plans of setting up a bakery of her own one day.

On top of it all, Suzette believes that her success has been made possible because she followed her passion which led to great opportunities. As an advice to her kababayan, Suzette emphasizes that they should be proud because employers choose Filipinos due to their good attitude like being proactive and hard working.

“Reaching for your dream does not stop on landing in a job abroad. Toil hard every day and stay humble despite your accomplishments. Strong faith in God is the key to achieve success and happiness in life.