Meet Jai Penny, our produce assistant at FoodWorks Apollo Bay. Jai originally joined the team as a Christmas casual, but worked hard and secured himself a permanent, full-time position. He has proven himself an invaluable member of FoodWorks Apollo Bay, with a fantastic career ahead of him.

“It was exciting to secure a casual job with FoodWorks last Christmas and learn what it was like working in a supermarket,” he said. “It gave me a foot in the door and an opportunity to show the store manager how keen I was to take on new responsibilities and land a long-term position. This led to me being offered a permanent full-time position after only a few months and now I’m excited to see where my career can take me.”

Jai works hard to ensure the customers of Apollo Bay have all the fresh produce they need, all year round. He’s always putting his hand up to develop more skills, and is eager to learn about all sides of the business.

“In the past year, FoodWorks has invested in on-the-job training to upskill me for other positions including front-end customer service and checkout roles so there is a great variety of things to do. You’ll find a great team environment and colleagues who are supportive and willing to help you out” said Jai.

But Jai’s story isn’t a one-off. Christmas causal roles within the FoodWorks network often grow into bigger and better opportunities.  “Workers can expect personal recognition in a family-style environment that reflects the local communities in which they operate,” says Kym Coventry, Chief Operating Officer. “Many current FoodWorks employees were given their start as Christmas casual employees in previous years and now have ongoing roles or have stepped up into leadership positions.”

Are you friendly, passionate and ready to go above and beyond for customers? If you’re looking for a Christmas casual job with the potential to kickstart your career, contact your local FoodWorks store or visit our careers page for more info!