Growing a meaningful and fulfilling career is a top priority for many young professionals, and I am happy to say that my role as a Client Experience Office (CEO) with A Growing Understanding is rewarding, challenging, motivating and so much more. Never have I worked for an organisation that truly leans into their values of CARE. The care the clinicians have for the clients is replicated in the care staff members have for each other. This transcends all rungs of the ladder with Practice Director, Lauren Haskins, creating a workplace for the entire team to grow their careers with care.
There really is nothing better than arriving for a day of work and feeling like you are surrounded by people with the same enthusiasm, ethics, and passion for growth as you.
Sound like a place you’d like to grow your career? Read on to discover what working as a CEO for A Growing Understanding is all about.
What Does a Client Experience Officer (CEO) Do?
My job as a Client Experience Officer (or CEO, as I like to brag about) is primarily to support the speech pathologists as they support families throughout their speech pathology journey. There really is nothing quite like seeing the happy little faces of the children as they emerge from an engaging therapy session. The CEOs are often the lucky ones who get the full run down of their session when we ask how it all went.
Of course, the role also involves reception and administration duties, where we help families secure appointments, engage with services, and find the support they need, and ensure the speech pathologists have what they need for their sessions. But we are so much more than just the face behind the desk, the voice on the phone or the person fixing the printer. As part of the dedicated Client Experience Team, I would have to say that the emphasis is really on the word ‘experience.’ We are responsible for ensuring that everyone who walks through the doors at our four locations receive the experience they deserve – the caring, supportive, and nurturing experience A Growing Understanding is known for.
Is There Room to Grow?
I have been with A Growing Understanding for about three months, and I am already amazed at the flexibility available to both part time and full-time team members. I currently work part time at the Newcastle Centre, but I have an option to go full-time once I complete my university degree.
CEOs also have an opportunity to complete a TAFE course while working. Through what is known as the Experience and Grow Health Administration Traineeship, we have an opportunity to not only grow our hands-on experience within an office environment, but also receive a Certificate III in Medical Administration. This is a valuable qualification that can benefit me wherever I end up.
Growing a Career with the Right Values
For those familiar with A Growing Understanding and the services offered, you would already know that CARE is at the centre of everything we do. In fact, the word CARE guides our core values which includes Celebration, Accountability, Respect and Excellence.
Following these principles of CARE we do not hesitate to go above and beyond for clients and each other, and CEOs are often at the centre of these extra gestures. Whether we are supporting our speech pathologists in the delivery of evidence-based therapies or helping our clients navigate their speech pathology journey with confidence, we are there to answer questions, offer our support, help find valuable resources and most of all, ensure our client’s know that they are always at the forefront of our minds.
A Growing Understanding focuses on the big picture, but we also pay attention to the little things, especially when it comes to celebration. Even during the lockdown, our very own Practice Director celebrated our continued support of the families we work with by creating little wellness packs that included a mask, a chocolate heart and special message thanking clients for their continued support. Needless to say, when our Practice Director distributed these handmade packs to each centre, our hearts were full and we were motivated to stay the course and provide the support our families needed during what was a really tricky time.
The Joy of Working with Children and their Families
Because A Growing Understanding is a paediatric speech pathology service, we work with children of all ages, and I have to say that it is such a rewarding experience to see these children improve each time they come and go!
You see, as a CEO I have the exciting job of giving out either a sticker or a stamp to each little person as they conclude their session. This small interaction means so much to me as I can build a relationship with both the child and their caregiver and add to their experience each time they walk through the door (all part of the job – which is amazing).
I have also learnt so much from the little people and their speech pathology journey. With no previous experience in a medical environment, or for that matter, as a receptionist, I have quickly grown an appreciation for the work a speech pathologist does and how hard the families work to achieve their communication goals. Seeing the little smiling faces is the highlight of my day and I feel privileged to work within an environment that affords me this amazing opportunity.
Growing More than Careers
I may not have been here four months, but I know I have met some friends for life. I cannot stress enough how well-supported I am. The whole CEO team is so appreciated by our speech pathologists and vice versa. We work together, we support each other, we celebrate our joint an individual achievement in so many ways, we laugh, and we enjoy what we do.
Each day that I come to work, I am more and more convinced that I work at the best company in the Hunter. If you’re reading this and think it sounds like a place where you could grow a career, friends and more, click here. A Growing Understanding is always on the look out for the right people to grow with.
