Look at job posts on your Mable account
Like any job search, the more active you are, the more successful you are likely to be. Consistency is one of the keys to success. Get in the routine of checking jobs and reply promptly to suitable job ads.
Setting up your own alerts to finetune the job notifications you receive in your email digests can also be an effective strategy for finding jobs you are looking for. Go to ‘account settings’ and then ‘email alerts’ to set this up.
When you are starting out on Mable, it can be a good idea to apply for multiple jobs at once to increase your chances of getting your first client. When starting out, applying for six or more jobs initially will help to secure more opportunities.
This is particularly useful if clients are requiring a small number of support hours per week, and you are aiming to work full-time hours. Once you scale up your business and have regular clients, you can gradually reduce the number of jobs you apply to.
Mable Last Minute
Applying for Mable Last Minute jobs is a great way to find new clients and assist them at short notice. One session may turn into regular bookings or it may be an opportunity to receive a review, which can lead to a better search ranking and more jobs. Learn more about Mable Last Minute and how to use it.
Job notifications
How do I know if I’m qualified for a job
The job posting will usually give you information about what type of support is required and whether there is a requirement for a particular qualification.
For example, if the job post is looking for a nurse or an occupational therapist, specific degrees are required to do these jobs and Certificate 3 or 4 in Disability Support or Aged Care is usually required for personal care. If you’re not sure you are qualified, send a message to the client and ask them if they have any specific qualification and job experience requirements.
How to respond to job ads
In your initial message:
- Communicate your willingness to assist the client
- Talk about your relevant experience that addresses the requirements the client has put forth
- Talk about any relevant qualifications you have, or are in the process of obtaining, that would help you support them better
- Indicate your hobbies or interests if it’s applicable (for example: Jane is looking for a support worker for her 8-year-old son, Mark, to provide social support. Mark loves to play chess. If you do, too, it’s worth indicating that in your response to the ad)
- Invite them to ask you questions. You can also suggest a meet and greet to get to know each other better.
How to respond to a potential client’s message
When a potential client messages you on Mable, you will get an email notification, a Mable app notification and an SMS (if you have opted-in for Mable SMS).
If you can, try to respond to your client within an hour. If they have contacted you, it is most likely they have contacted other support workers available in the area. Support workers who respond promptly will make a great impression and are more likely to get the job.
When a potential client messages you on Mable, send prompt replies to clients to indicate your interest in the job. It’s best practice to reply to all enquiries, even if you’re unavailable or not interested in the job.
A quick message to communicate your availability is courteous and professional. You can prepare a few template messages that you can copy and paste, to make the process faster for you, or you can use the ones we’ve set up, ready to go. Remember, your response rate directly impacts how you are ranked in clients’ search results.
Tips to help you connect with more clients
- Increase your service radius to widen your job opportunities
- Bring your existing clients to Mable
- Ensure you’re ranked well in the Mable search results by maintaining a good response rate, great client feedback and addressing as many factors on your profile as you can
- Ask your clients for feedback and a written review on Mable. This helps with your ranking and helps potential clients know more about you as a support worker.
Meet and greet with a potential client
Once you’ve found a job and you’ve had a positive response from a client, it’s helpful to suggest a meet and greet session so you can get to know each other better and decide if you are the right fit for each other.
A meet and greet, however, needn’t be in person! On Mable, you can conduct your video call on the Mable App. Here are some other ideas on how you can use the Mable app and the video call functionality with clients. This meet and greet checklist is a great tool to plan your session.
Once the meet and greet is successful and you have a signed agreement in place, make sure you read through our guide before your first support session to ensure it goes well. We also recommend reading through our safety guidelines to ensure your support session is a safe one, for both you and your client.
FAQs
What should I put in a service agreement?
Service agreements are designed to protect you and your clients by making sure you have the same expectations about your arrangements for delivered care and support. They include details such as the type of support you will provide, the rates at which you will provide them, your cancellation policy, among other things. Find out more about agreements and why they are important.
What about job stability?
As is the case in any other type of self-employment, being an independent support worker on Mable has many benefits, but importantly, you have the freedom to:
- Choose who you work with
- Choose when and where you work
- Decide what you charge for your support.
So, stability depends on how well you’re able to build your business on the platform. At Mable, we endeavour to support you in any way we can to help you expand your client base through the platform. Importantly, you have the opportunity to build long-term relationships with Mable clients that can mean ongoing support work, and therefore, stability.
