Meet David, our careers advisor at Whitireia and WelTec. David is backed with experience connecting potential job opportunities with people for years. We talk to him about his career background, our upcoming careers expos on campus and his services for ākonga.
What is your career background?
I have been working as a careers advisor for 5 years now. I first started when I was working as a case manager for the Ministry of Social Development, which gave me the passion on helping people that were in need for some support.
What sparked your interest to work as a careers advisor?
My interest started when I was working as a case manager, I really wanted to support our Māori and Pacific people to achieve their goals. Being able to provide a service that allowed success by finding the career pathways was huge for me.
What led you to work as the careers advisor at Whitireia and WelTec?
An opportunity came up to work in the education sector, which is an area that I have not worked in until now. It’s been an awesome time since I started at Whitireia and WelTec. It’s great to have that feeling knowing that you are also adding value into students that are studying, but also supporting them into potential employment opportunities.
What is some advice to give to students seeking career advice?
Be your authentic self. Be honest and back yourself and your skill sets.
Being the careers advisor at Whitireia and WelTec, what does your services entail?
My services cover all things careers such as running CV and cover letter workshops, general career support, interview preparation and connecting students with employers in industry.
Are there any events happening on campus this year?
We have some exciting events coming up on campus! We are running career expos across our Porirua, Petone and Wellington campuses. It kicks off on May 13 in Petone, May 14 in Porirua and May 15 at our Wellington Campus. I also plan to run more CV and cover letter workshops throughout the year.
How can students connect to your services?
You can connect in with our helpdesks at the Petone and Porirua libraries to book an appointment, or you can email me through david.lafaele@wandw.ac.nz
Get in contact with David
Email: david.lafaele@wandw.ac.nz
Contact number: 0800 141 121
Location: Porirua Campus, Te Kete Wānanga (Library) (Visits all campuses based on appointments)
