Volunteer to Sales Superstar

Meet Nina, who first came to New Zealand in 2016 with the aim of improving her English. She hailed from Switzerland, and while travelling the country and taking in the sights, she met her future husband, Tomas. Not long after, she made the massive move to change countries, and New Zealand became her home in 2018.

Looking to use her time wisely, she began volunteering as a kitchen hand where her husband worked in the kitchen at Waitākere Gardens.

“Retirement villages as we know them in New Zealand just don’t exist in Switzerland, so I was intrigued and excited to know more about this well-thought-out lifestyle option that retirees can have, and I was excited to be a part of such a positive industry.”

Within a few weeks, she proved that she was both hard-working and reliable and was promptly offered a part-time role as a kitchen hand, which she managed while also completing an English language course!

A year later, Nina and her husband moved to Tauranga, and she was able to transfer to the kitchen in Pāpāmoa Beach Village with a role that also included being part of the setup of their brand-new café in a stunning part of the country!

While she was working in the kitchen, she had an itch to get back into office administration work, a role she had previously performed in Switzerland.

The opportunity arose for Nina to work on weekends as the village’s front desk receptionist, which evolved a few months later into a full-time role for the next 2 years!

“In the beginning it was hard to juggle the receptionist role whilst also working in the village kitchen, but my time and training across both these roles really prepared me for my next career move.”

Clearly, on a journey of growth and challenge, Nina’s next goal was to move into the sales department!

“Having built strong relationships in the village, they saw my potential and commitment to the industry. When I heard of a new sales assistant role becoming vacant, I applied immediately!”

Nina landed the role and has been in the role of Sales Assistant since April 2022.

“I feel amazingly supported by my team! They took the time, in the beginning, to teach me the ropes of the sales job as I had never done something like this before. I did gain a small appreciation of sales from my time as a receptionist, and that made a difference. My manager was totally there for me to answer any questions I had and to back me up. This sort of support right from the outset meant I could jump in straight away and be a real asset to the team!”

Nina’s story is a true example of one of Metlifecare’s core values in action, ‘we put people first.’ We strive to empower our talent because, in doing so, we further empower our residents. We provide development and opportunities for our employees to grow, learn, and further their careers within the Metlifecare community.

Nina’s day now consists of qualifying enquiries from prospective residents, supporting the wider Metlifecare sales team with appointments and various tasks, and, alongside her colleagues at the village, supporting new residents as they transition into their new home at the retirement village.

“It’s exciting to work in such a positive environment, supported by my colleagues, and to be part of a new resident’s journey. It’s a very rewarding and satisfying role, and I particularly love helping new residents discover all the possibilities of vibrant village life.”

When asked what advice she would give employees considering making a career transition within Metlifecare, she said,

“I would just do the best job you can, as Metlifecare has great opportunities to grow within all departments. Build trust and good relationships across all departments and be open. Metlifecare does offer the opportunity to grow!”

“Every day, I am learning and gaining more knowledge, and I don’t have plans to give up this role any time soon! It is the best job I’ve ever had, with amazing support, trust, and flexibility within my team! I also see potential to progress into a higher role within the sales team in the future!”