One of the many rewards we get at Rec People is seeing our team thrive as a result of their involvement in our business. We get a special thrill out of watching them grow and develop their skills and for many, go on and secure their dream jobs. Stephanie Langton is a great example, a much-valued part of Rec People’s flexible workforce team, who recently secured her dream job at Cardinia Shire Council in Victoria.
Stephanie started her Local Government career in 2001 as a Sports Development Coordinator at Darebin City Council. After 8 years she moved to Manningham as a Recreation Planner where she considers her work on the Waldau Precinct Masterplan (integrated planning for the City’s highest profile recreation and heritage precinct) as one of her finest achievements.
In 2018, Stephanie took a trip to Queensland and stayed a while, securing a Sports Recreation Planner role with Logan City Council. She worked on projects like the ‘Women in Sport’ initiative and on the design and development of 2 major parks (7 ha and 68 ha) each with an estimated $30m capital delivery cost.
In 2019, Stephanie returned home to Victoria looking for a role to match her skills and expertise but found there weren’t many about so she approached Mandy at Rec People to help her get back into the workforce and was shortly after placed in a backfill role at Cardinia Shire as the Emerald Lake Precinct Placemaker.
“Mandy placed me in the perfect role for me. She is so good at understanding people’s strengths and matching them to roles,” Stephanie said. “The Emerald Lake role matched all my skills and experience, and the role involves everything I love to do. There’s lots of heritage and conservation planning involved and a focus on reinvigorating the area and activating it for the community. And, I just love that we’re lucky enough to have an office inside the park.”
Initially, a 7-month backfill role, Stephanie’s contract kept being extended and then through movement of people, the Emerald Lake Precinct Placemaker role came up as a permanent position. In 2021, Stephanie successfully applied for the position and is now a permanent member of the Cardinia team as the Emerald Lake Precinct Placemaker. Congrats!
“My time at Rec People really helped me,” Stephanie said. “Working at Rec People is like a ‘try before you buy’. You work for an organisation and get exposed to the tasks, the team members, and the management team. And you get to work out if the organisation’s values align with your own. And if they do, and a permanent job comes up, well, then you’ve already got your foot in the door.”
I asked Stephanie, if she had any advice for others looking to secure Local Government jobs. “If you have experience in Sport, Rec or Leisure but can’t get the job you want, then try contracting with a company like Rec People. It can really open doors. If you don’t have experience, try working in your community so you can better understand community needs either as a volunteer or in organisations like the YMCA (which is where I started). Get any qualifications you can and attend industry forums like Rec People’s free forum. I have made a lot of networks doing this and it helps me keep up to date with what’s happening in our industry.”
So, Stephanie, on behalf of all of us at Rec People, thanks for being a part of our team and congratulations on your permanent role at Cardinia. We wish you every success and look forward to following your career and celebrating your achievements in the future.
Sincerely
Joe, Mandy and the Rec People Team.
