What did you study & where?
I studied a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Melbourne, majoring in Finance and Marketing.
What drew you to the NAB Graduate program?
After working as a bank teller while I was at university, I knew I was interested in banking and wanted to get a better understanding of what went on behind the scenes in a Head Office. I’d heard great things about NAB through school and university friends who already worked here, and I was drawn to the longer rotations – when I applied, there were 2 x rotations for about 8 months each.
How did you decide which stream to apply for?
To be completely honest, I found it really tricky to decipher what sort of work each stream would entail. I was interested in the broadness and customer-focus of the Personal Banking stream (at the time called ‘Customer Products & Services’) but my decision making was largely a process of elimination.
Can you tell us about the teams that you completed your rotations in?
My two rotations were in Digital Sales and Home Lending Product. My second rotation in Product gave me great exposure to one of the important ways the bank functions and makes money – using deposits to fund lending. However, my time in Digital Sales was a standout first experience at NAB, so I was thrilled to roll off into an analyst role in the team.
What role are you in now?
I’m now a Senior Consultant in the Digital Sales team, leading the website strategy for consumer sales experiences. Since being a grad in the team, I’ve been involved in a wide variety of work – leading different product portfolios, contributing to the Group Strategy refresh a few years ago, and getting to work on something I am personally passionate about - young people’s financial health and literacy.
What advice do you have for the next graduates on how to make the most of their graduate program?
Be curious, ask lots of question and don’t be afraid to not know the answer. Chances are, your university degree didn’t cover much of the content you’ll experience once you start work, so it’s okay not to know!
Is there anything that you would like to add?
NAB has a great volunteering program and I was lucky enough to participate in a Community Strategy Challenge with our now-strategic partner, Girls on Fire. We worked with the inimitable Bronnie Mackintosh to develop a 3-year strategy and 12-month implementation plan to help set her not-for-profit up for sustainable growth. As part of that experience, I got to attend one of girls’ fire camps in Tamworth with another volunteering participant and ex-grad, Spencer. It was an incredible experience to see Bronnie’s vision brought to life and made me proud to work at a company that supports the empowerment of young women and commitment to supporting communities withstand and recover from natural disasters. Photos included below: