Fourteen-year-old Ollie Fanshaw walked into his local IGA with his Seeing Eye Dog and resume in hand and asked for a job.
He got it.
“I think the manager was impressed by a 14-year-old boy walking up, handing him his resume looking him in the eye and asking him for a job,” Ollie’s mum Melissa admits.
“His vision impairment was secondary.”
Showing his future boss how he can stack shelves and identify products with the help of his phone’s camera was all he needed to convince the team he could do the job.
Speaking to Vision Australia’s Career Path podcast series, Melissa says her son’s tenacity has really helped him get through life’s challenges.
Ollie is the youngest person ever to get matched with a Seeing Eye Dog - most have to wait until they’re 18 to prove they’re responsible enough.
A job was just another milestone for Ollie that he took in his stride.
While he hasn’t been put on the registers yet, he hopes his screen reader software might help him get there.
And of course, the best part of his job?
“I like having a bit of money,” he admits
While still young, Ollie says he is envisaging a career as a carpenter after excelling at woodworking.
His talents were also appreciated at a recent market.
“I made about $1000,” he said proudly.
Maybe a lucrative furniture and homewares business might be the next milestone for this overachieving teenager.
Listen to the full episode in the player below:
Read more about Ollie and being matched with his Seeing Eye Dog Sadie.
Vision Australia also offers woodworking workshops for people who are blind or have low vision. Call 1300 84 74 66 to find out more.
Career Path is a Vision Australia limited podcast series featuring stories of working people who are blind or have low vision and employers who champion diversity in the workplace. It aims to provide real and raw stories of what it’s like in the workplace with vision loss, from awkward encounters to flat out rejections, but also the success stories and tips to get hired.