I clearly remember the phone call from Defence offering me a position in the Graduate Program. I was elated. Since then I have grown so much and been exposed to many incredible opportunities that only an organisation like Defence is capable of offering.
Making the move from Perth to Canberra was incredibly daunting. However, with a graduate cohort in the same position as myself, I felt instantly welcome and had a valuable network of people around me. I studied for a Double Bachelors Degree in Economics and Science (Genetics) at the University of Western Australia. Defence has provided unique experiences and it was the most challenging year of my life, but the most rewarding at the same time.
As a finance graduate, I worked in Treasury and Banking, a central Chief Finance Officer function. Here I prepared daily bank reconciliations and cash forecasts. My second rotation was a highlight of my graduate year. I worked with Navy Finance Teams at Garden Island in Sydney while living on base. I was lucky enough to have a tour of the Dry Dock at Garden Island and stand underneath HMAS Choules. My third rotation was out of the stream. I worked in the Estate and Infrastructure Group in a team that managed Capital Facilities and Infrastructure Projects in South Australia. This allowed me to gain an even better overview of Defence operations. I was lucky enough to visit Cultana and Woomera, two very important Defence training facilities.
Working in three different teams over a year can be overwhelming, but at the end of the program, I began to see how all areas of Defence are connected to reach one goal, protecting Australia. I recently had an interview within Defence, and through the graduate program networks I gained, I was able to reach out and ask questions to prepare myself for the interview. This insight is priceless and one of the most valuable aspects of the graduate program. Not only do I have a great professional network, I also have lifelong friends.