Josh had always thought he’d be a banking ‘lifer,’ working his entire career in the sector until he retired.
After graduating in economics at the age of 22, he joined a prestigious graduate program at National Australia Bank (NAB). He soon found himself on a steady, well-trodden career path within the business banking sector. Josh flourished in his work, making his way up to the role of Business Banking Manager by the time he reached his thirties.
And so it was a surprise when he woke up one morning at the age of forty-five and told his wife he couldn’t face another day in business banking.
“I’d always loved my job,” says Josh. “But the nature of the work had changed over time and had become very sales-focused – it was all about trying to meet targets to make as much money as possible.”
Disillusioned and fatigued by the cut-throat, competitive nature of the banking industry, Josh decided to resign and seek out a more meaningful career path.
“It was by no means an easy decision after more than twenty years in the industry and with a family to support,” he says. “But I knew I needed to do something that made a genuine and positive difference in people’s lives.”
It was only a short time later that Josh enrolled on a course to obtain his Certificate III in Aged Care and was well on his way to a new and fulfilling career within the aged care sector.
Why aged care?
“Aged care had always appealed to me,” says Josh. “So many older people in our communities are lonely and isolated, and I saw the tangible difference that some additional support could make. I was keen to contribute to that.”
Josh’s first job after he qualified was as a care worker in a residential care home. While rewarding, the role was incredibly demanding, caring for multiple residents as part of a large team of care staff.
Only after six months and a family relocation from Port Macquarie to Dubbo did Josh start working with BaptistCare at home, supporting clients to live independently in their own homes.
“Working in home care was so different to the residential care home setting,” he reflects. “You’re working solo most of the time, but there’s more time to sit and chat with the clients. I was able to build closer relationships. It was very rewarding work.”
Culture shock
Josh said that joining BaptistCare took some getting used to after working in business banking.
“There’s a real sense of shared purpose – we’re all here to support older people in the community to live well. It’s a powerful bonding agent, and the teams are close. We all genuinely want to see each other succeed.”
Josh experienced this firsthand when he initially joined the team.
“Even with my limited experience in aged care, they welcomed and supported me through training and mentorship programs. They set me up well for success.”
Moving from the male-dominated banking industry to an organisation where more than eighty-five per cent of employees are female was also a significant change for Josh.
“I’ve never been treated differently or excluded because of my gender,” says Josh. “I’ve always felt there are equal opportunities here, no matter your gender or background.”
Four years. Four promotions
Having only moved into aged care six years ago, Josh has risen quickly to a managerial level.
He now works as Assistant Area Manager for the Central Mid-West region, leading forty-two Care Workers and 7 Care and Support Facilitators.
According to Josh, his success is partly due to having a clear career trajectory in mind from the start, grabbing opportunities as they arose, and drawing on the close support of BaptistCare management.
“I was always keen to reach a similar level of seniority that I’d had at the bank,” Josh explains. “I’ve been ambitious, and BaptistCare has encouraged me the whole way. They’ve supported me at every crossroad and provided the training and resources I’ve needed to succeed.”
After working as a Care Worker for a year, Josh moved into the role of Office Coordinator, supporting the local home care team from an administrative perspective.
One year later, he made the bold move to apply for a Care Facilitator position – a role responsible for working directly with clients to create tailored care management plans as well as overseeing a small team of care workers.
“I was over the moon being accepted for that role – but it was a steep learning curve,” Josh remembers. “Even with a thorough orientation, learning the ropes was challenging, and I had to be proactive.
“Despite the challenges, I found that I could draw on skills and experience from my previous career to help me succeed.”
Josh had found his niche. He stayed in the Care Facilitator role for four years, gaining valuable experience.
In June 2022, Josh made another leap, moving into the newly created role of Senior Care Facilitator – a position that would support new Care Facilitators and Care Workers as they joined a rapidly growing team.
“The Central Mid-West team has grown more than any other BaptistCare at home team,” says Josh. “Just in the last year, our team has grown by 100 per cent –it’s reflective of the need within the community.”
Josh’s enthusiasm and hard work saw him move up again in less than a year to another newly created position, this time as an Assistant Regional Manager, supporting the Regional Manager across a vast geographical area which includes the larger centres of Dubbo, Parkes, Cowra, and Orange.
“It’s exciting to be a part of this period of growth and have a say in the decisions we make as a leadership team.”
With my previous experience, there’s a lot I can bring to the team.
Despite the seemingly vast differences between business banking and aged care, Josh still has many transferrable skills that he draws upon daily in his role at BaptistCare.
“At the bank, I used to manage a large client base and had a say in directing large teams – experience that still serves me well today. I think skills like business management, accounting, and dealing with personnel issues are universal to any sector,” says Josh.
“I feel I can bring a lot to the leadership team, and my opinion is genuinely valued.”
For Josh, being able to impart his own learnings, knowledge, and experience in aged care to new Care Facilitators in the team has been one of the most rewarding aspects of his new role.
“I’m still learning myself, of course,” he laughs, “but I enjoy being able to mentor others along their journey and pass on what I’ve learned.”
Life is too short to stay in a job that doesn’t fulfil you
Despite the challenges of embarking on an entirely new career path later in life, Josh has no regrets.
“It’s never too late to change careers,” he stresses. “Making the initial decision is the hardest step, but nine times out of ten, it’ll be the right one. Everything else will just fall into place.
“Aged care might not suit everyone, but if you’re empathetic, respectful, and care deeply about improving the lives of older people in your community – then a career change into the aged care sector could offer a wonderful new start – just as it has been for me.”
