Meet our Graduates
Maddy, Corporate Graduate 2010
First Rotation - Domestic Pricing - Assisting in the pricing activities such as price point, sale period, travel period and route, and competitor analysis to ensure Qantas remains competitive.
Second Rotation - Qfuture - Being involved at a program level with helping the business to achieve a more sustainable position
1. Describe in 3 words your experience on the graduate program so far.
Diverse, Engaging and Rewarding.
2. What was the recruitment process like?
Despite having lots of steps, the recruitment process at Qantas is excellent at continually letting you know the progress of your application, what the next steps are and how to prepare for each step. At any time if I felt unsure about what I needed to do or what was involved at each step in the process I knew I could contact the Graduate Program directly.
3. What have been the 2 most memorable experiences you have had on the Grad program?
1. Working on a customer-facing process in my first rotation. This meant I was able to visibly see the results of my work and how the market responds to it.
2. Becoming involved in the SPARK reading program. This program involves helping young children learn to read and enables you to give back to the community, a key principle of Qantas' values.
Julie, Finance Graduate 2010
First Rotation - Business Performance and Control for Qantas Airline segment - Consolidating Qantas Airline results
Second Rotation - Supply Chain Finance - supporting the monthly reporting function and helping with business case analysis
1. Describe in 3 words your experience on the graduate program so far.
Challenging, Rewarding and Exciting
2. What's a typical day like for a Finance Grad?
Morning
- 9am meeting with your manager to discuss month end results
- Major variances to budget and forecast will be delegated to you for investigation and comment.
- Contribute to reporting packs sent to senior management.
- Any adjustments to the forecast will need to be uploaded into the Hyperion accounting system.
- Other ad hoc analysis of expenses or some balance sheet reconciliations
Lunch is usually with colleagues or other graduates
Afternoon
- Some capex (capital expenditure) requests with a business case for review or you may need to respond to some emails, from corporate finance or other business areas.
In addition to allocated development days, every month all graduates participate in a monthly "bounce" session which may involve a key speaker from Qantas or a tour of a Qantas facility. The bounce sessions develop your contacts within the business, your overall knowledge of Qantas and provide another opportunity to catch up with other graduates on what they may have been up to.
Sam, IT Graduate 2010
First Rotation - Value Management Office - Analysing and extracting data to help the IT team that ensures Qantas projects are on schedule, reported correctly and meeting budget targets.
Second Rotation - Commercial relationships - Project management work that involves meeting with commercial managers and stakeholders to discuss issues arising from contracts and IT related problems.
1. Describe in 3 words your experience on the graduate program so far.
Growth, Excitement and Opportunities.
2. What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced since you've been a graduate and what skills have you learnt?
There have been many challenges. The biggest has been the new lifestyle. Working full time is so different from studying full time and being employed part time. It's great because you can 'switch off' once you're home, where as at uni, you're always stressing or worried about exams and assignments.
I have learnt to adapt to change really quickly and I feel that I have gone through a lot of personal growth as a result. When I started my first rotation I had to learn my new role very quickly. The handover plan that usually takes 1.5 months was squeezed into 6 days and I managed to work under pressure while learning new tasks.
Many of the skills I previously had have improved dramatically, for example Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, time management and analytical skills. On top of this, specific skills which I have gained over the course of the graduate program, such as meeting deadlines, setting realistic expectations, simplifying everyday tasks and working more efficiently and effectively, have improved my ability to perform in my role.
3. Why would you recommend this program to uni students?
I recommend this program because it has changed my life for the better. When my uni mates find out how much fun and the great things I get to do here at Qantas, they are so happy for me and realise how important it is to get the work-life balance ratio right.
I was always scared of life after uni, but this program has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me and I hope that more uni students will be able to experience it.
Juanita, HR Graduate 2010
First Rotation - Customer and Marketing People - HR for the Marketing department for Qantas Airline; from marketing executives through to cabin crew.
Second Rotation - People Shared Services Recruitment - Analysing and setting up a system to ensure contractors and candidates are in the right job for the right amount of time.
1. Describe in 3 words your experience on the graduate program so far.
Exciting, Varied and Intriguing
2. What has the support network at Qantas been like for you as a Grad?
The support network has been really good! My buddy has been great, as well as my managers, colleagues and the entire grad community past and present!
3. Why would you recommend this program to uni students?
I would recommend the Grad program at Qantas because every 6 months you get to change rotations and discover a new part of the business. This keeps it interesting and means you're always meeting new people. It is not always as glamorous as riding on the A380 but it sure is as exciting and rewarding.
