Turning caring into a new career 

“A big wake-up call” 

In 2020, Gold Coast local Cherie Mortimer received a shock that would alter the course of her life.  

“COVID hit and I was stood down from my job. It was a big wake-up call for me to work out what I wanted to do with my life,” Cherie recalls.  

Suddenly pushed to rethink her career, Cherie found herself naturally drawn to nursing. For almost a decade, she had been juggling casual work while caring for her husband, Trent, following his Army discharge in 2014.  

“I wanted a role that was going to be valued and one I knew was going to result in a job,” Cherie explains.  

“I felt like nursing was a no-brainer, especially being Trent’s carer. It would help me with my career but also at home with him.”  

That’s when Cherie decided it was finally time to go back to school and enrol in university.  

Ahead of the pack  

Towards the end of her degree, Cherie was put in touch with the RSL Employment Program team to help her land her first nursing job.  
 
“I knew how competitive graduate programs are because they are so limited and there are so many students applying. I needed all the help I could get,” Cherie says.  

“The RSL Employment Program team got in contact with me almost straight away to get the process started. They explained what kind of help I would receive, and who I would be getting it from.”  

The team quickly set about helping Cherie with her applications, including selection criteria, her CV and cover letters. When the time came, they also helped with interview strategies, which Cherie says alleviated a lot of stress from the process.  

“Interviewing was a massive one for me, as a good interview could be the difference between you and the next person. But my Employment Consultant helped me prepare by sending me a massive list of questions to go through, which gave me an idea of the questions to expect, and walked me through some mock interviews,” Cherie recalls. 

“That practice gave me the extra confidence I needed going into my interviews. 

“I applied for two graduate programs, and I received offers for both. I was really stoked not only to get both, but to have a choice. If I could say one thing to the RSL Employment Program team, it would be a massive thank you.” 

Looking back and ahead  

Now working as a Registered Nurse for Gold Coast Health, Cherie reflects on the support she and her husband Trent received from RSL Queensland with gratitude.  

“The RSL Employment Program helped me by taking away all the stress that goes into finding a new job, which in turn meant that I wasn’t putting any of that stress onto my family,” Cherie says. 

“I was able to be more focused on my family and not have to worry about the process that I knew everyone else was going through, because I knew I had that support and assistance from the team.” 

Trent echoes his wife’s sentiments, saying the support enabled them to move forward and enjoy life.  
 
“There’s no harm in upskilling or having more education; it opens up a lot more doors and opportunities,” he says.  

Cherie and Trent encourage others in the veteran and Defence community to access this life-changing program.  

“If somebody else is considering getting in contact with the RSL Employment Team, I would tell them to definitely take that leap and do it. It's been the best thing that I've ever done,” she says. 

“For any veteran or family member looking for help, I urge you to talk to RSL Queensland and see what they can offer,” Trent adds. “You’ve got nothing to lose.” 
 
Looking for career support? 

The RSL Employment Program is open to ex-serving Defence members and current/ex-serving Defence members’ partners.