NxtStep Magazine Issue 9

NZ’S #1 CAREERS MAGAZINE FOR SCHOOL LEAVERS

JOBS STUDY

CAREERS www.nxtstep.co.nz

ISSUE 9

Join the #1 Digital Design School in the Asia Pacific*

Media Design School offers industry-leading QSPHSBNNFT in: Game Development We were ranked the #1 game development school in the Asia Pacific.* 3D Animation and Visual Effects Our Bachelor of Art and Design students had three films shown at Comic-Con this year.

Motion Graphics From year 1, our Bachelor of Media Design students work to live briefs from the likes of Les Mills, Auckland Art Gallery, and more.

Interactive, Web + Graphic Design MDS was ranked the #1 graphic design and photography school internationally.* VR/AR MDS was the first in NZ to offer DPVSTFT in virtual and augmented reality.

We’ll also be offering courses in AI and Cloud Computing JO 2019

Still not convinced? Think of the robots!

We’re in the midst of a skills revolution, with more jobs becoming automated every day. At MDS, our focus is on in-demand qualifications for industries that are here to stay.

Future-proof your future with Media Design School To find out more, head to mediadesignschool.com. *The Rookies 2016

Contents PAGE

Welcome

3

What’s your impossible?

4

Sparking a bright future 13 - Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts Work hard, see results

- Rocket Lab

Quick facts from New Zealand Graduate Employers

5

The high-school opportunity that led to a career

- NZAGE

Will you be the disrupter or the disrupted?

6

The dream career package

16

- Toyota

Developing thinking software for life

- EY

Solving a sticky situation - Cactus

14

- Mainfreight

7

17

- Orion Health

Builders get to do it all 8

18

- BCITO

Follow your passion

Plastering around the world

- Orora Kiwi Packaging

Award-winning Little Yellow Bird 9 founder flies home - University of Canterbury A gap year that will take you places

10

- Lattitude

Engineering a better future

11

- Fisher & Paykel Healthcare

19

- BCITO

There is more in the future of a heavy diesel technician than you think

20

issue of

NXTSTEP MAGAZINE Interested in being in the next issue of this magazine?

CONTACT US!

Women are joining in

25

- BCITO

What’s behind the numbers?

- Gough Cat

26

- BDO

Masterlink plumbing apprenticeships - there’s more to it than you think

21

An interview with Jessica Cox

28

- Crimson Consulting

- Masterlink

Lights, Camera... Action!

Welcome to the

24

- Techschool at NZSE

23

University Advice from NZ’s 2018 Emerging Leaders Award Winners

30

- Southern Institute of Technology

- Emerging Leaders Awards

In this issue we explore opportunities in entrepreneurship, academia and trade while focusing in on a variety of career pathways. Whether you are interested to earn while you learn, or to pursue a career in the professional services NxtStep Magazine has a story that will inspire you!

As always, we hope you enjoy the latest version of NxtStep magazine.

If you have any feedback or ideas for content and stories that you would like to see in the 2019 issue, we would love to hear from you.

If you don’t find a story in this issue that motivates you or helps you on your future pathway journey, jump on to our website NxtStep.co.nz. On NxtStep Digital you’ll be able to explore 100’s of subjects, careers, industries, employers and educators in New Zealand. So, what are you waiting for? Explore your opportunities and find out how your interest can lead to a dream career.

The NxtStep Team

For any editorial, advertising or general queries you may have regarding NxtStep Magazine please get in touch.

All the best,

EDITOR:

Nicola Gorst

COPYWRITER:

Tayla Court

GRAPHIC DESIGNER:

Magdalena Stanuch Anna Ahn, Ben Blackhall & Felix Pryor

OPERATIONS:

Nicola Gorst 09 307 7858 | nicola@nxtstep.co.nz www.nxtstep.co.nz

NxtStep© 2018. Published by AttractHQ. No part of this publication may be replicated, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, internet, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers. NxtStep has put measures in place to ensure the exactness of the information in this publication; however, they accept no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or subsequent consequences. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily endorsed by the editor, publisher, AttractHQ and its related parties.

Want more info? Go to www.nxtstep.co.nz

/3

What’s your impossible?

PETER BECK, BORN IN INVERCARGILL, IS THE FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF ROCKET LAB. Rocket Lab is a rocket company launching to orbit from New Zealand, delivering rapid and repeatable access to space for small satellites.

The Rocket Lab team designs, builds and launches the Electron rocket – the most advanced small launch vehicle, featuring carbon composite structures and 3D printed engines. Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab successfully launched to orbit in January 2018, deploying four satellites.

The company is currently valued at more than US$1 billion.

Finishing school is a scary, exciting and challenging time all at once.

There are so many paths in front of you, possibly pressure from family about the direction you should take, and you’re probably worried about whether you’re making the right call.

There are many paths you can take; start a university degree, take a gap year, jump right into the workforce, or pick up a trade or apprenticeship.

Before you decide how you’re going to get to your future, I ask you to consider what you want to achieve with your future. If you spend some time working out what you love, what you’re passionate about and what a happy and fulfilled life looks like for you, the path to get there becomes quite clear.

Ask yourself this. What’s the one thing you could do all day, every day, with a

4/

smile on your face? Even on the days you’re not smiling, will you be working towards something that lights a fire within you?

For me, I knew I wanted to build and launch rockets from a very young age. My careers advisor wasn’t the only one who thought it was ridiculous. Most people told me there’s no way you could launch rockets from New Zealand, much less build a billion-dollar business doing it. Imagine if I had listened to them.

Create your own path if you have to, even if it seems impossible.

Simply wanting something doesn’t make it happen, nor does necessarily following established paths. I needed to hone and develop my skills to get there. I enjoyed math and tech-based subjects at school and I was good with my hands. After school, I went into a tool and dye making trade, before working as a project manager for a super yacht company and then onto Callaghan Innovation before I founded Rocket Lab. The whole time I was cultivating skills – skills to improve my hand work to build rockets, skills to improve my design, skills to manage people.

Skills to help me get to my goal of launching rockets into space.

University can be one way to get there, and it’s the right choice for a lot of people, but it doesn’t have to be the only way. What it really comes down to is learning. You can go to university and learn, or, you can go into the industry and learn, often you can achieve the same outcome. All work is honorable and important. I have the same respect for a tradesperson as I do for someone with a PhD. Both contribute meaningfully to society and their work makes the world go around.

So don’t be limited by traditional paths. Think beyond and you’ll go further than you ever imagined. Do what you really want to do and get there by any means.

“ Life is short. Really short. Far too short to do something you dislike or something that doesn’t matter. Think big, act big and never settle into a future you don’t love just because someone told you your aspirations were unrealistic. Prove them wrong.

“

At 17 years old, I was dragged into the careers advisor’s office at my high school and told that my aspirations were unrealistic.

A little more than 20 years later, the company I founded launched a rocket to orbit from New Zealand and deployed the country’s first satellite. I’m not much for “I-told-youso”, but it feels right in this instance.

Quick facts from New Zealand

Graduate Employers

The NZAGE Employer Survey is an employer survey, answered by NZ organisations wanting to hire Kiwi graduates. The following statistics are from the latest 2018 survey and share some insight into where employers recruit from and which groups they promote their opportunities to.

Management/Commerce

54%

ICT/Computer Science

46% 44%

Engineering Law

41%

Science

28%

Marketing/Communications

21%

Social Science

13%

Architecture

8%

Building

5%

Creative Arts

5%

o specified sub ect promotion

13%

0 YES

NO YES

NO - BUT PLANNING TO

72%

26%

28%

NO

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

46% 0

20 30 40 50 60

Specific promotion 28%

70

Percentages of surveyed employers

10

Percentages of surveyed employers

10 20 30 40 Percentages of surveyed employers

Preferred tertiary education providers

Promotion to secondary school students

Employers were asked if they preferred to recruit graduates from specific tertiary education organisations.

28% of employers did, 72% did not.

Just over a quarter, 26%, of employers promote to secondary school students and 28% are planning to introduce this.

50

Over half of employers target their promotion to Management/ Commerce students, with ICT/ Computer Science graduates being the second most promoted to. When considering graduate identities and promotion, we see Maori were actively promoted to by about half of employers. omen and asifika graduates were also actively promoted to by many employers, though 38% of employers did not actively promote to any groups based on aspects of identity like ethnicity or gender.

www.nzage.co.nz

Study a Bachelor of Laws at New Zealand’s only law school ranked in the world’s top 30*.

Find out more at law.auckland.ac.nz/llb

*QS World University Subject Rankings in Law 2018

Will you be the disruptor or the disrupted?

How will your ideas make the world better?

Could a job without borders lead to a career without limits?

Meet Pouaka Parore

High school: Mana College Tertiary education: Victoria University, Honours in Information Systems

At EY, we’re embracing change, preparing our people for the unknown future by equipping them with the mindsets to leverage disruption to create opportunity. To build a better tomorrow for themselves, our clients and our communities.

Whilst technology is transforming work, the future of work relies on people with the ability to ask better questions. And every question we ask has the power to solve complex issues.

Whether your career lies in providing assurance services to leading companies, GST insights to entrepreneurial start-ups, transaction advice on public private partnerships or managing risk and capitalising on opportunities, you’ll gain invaluable skills, experience and a lifetime of contacts that will set you up for a successful career — no matter which path you choose.

1st/2nd year

I’ve been with EY for just over a year and work in Advisory in the Information Technology Advisory team and Tahi (whose purpose is to accelerate Māori success). I help businesses to improve their performance and this is by providing technical and innovative insights.

I studied an undergraduate degree majoring in Economics and Information Systems before undertaking a postgraduate degree in Information Systems.

I started my university journey with my sights set on a major in Economics following my experiences at high school.

For me, economics allowed me to look at the economic benefits and implications that every action has. It wasn’t until I completed my first paper at university on information systems that I considered IT as a career. It was while completing an assignment where

Penultimate year

Final year

I coded a website in HTML code that got me hooked. Being able to type out code and produce something was exciting; the creativity really got me thinking about the information systems field and when I finished this paper I wanted to learn more.

Working at EY has given me so many opportunities that have included travel around New Zealand and overseas, developing myself professionally and personally, working with senior people and helping others to embrace the Māori language and its meaning within EY. Two pieces of advice that I would provide to students are not to dwell on your mistakes, strive instead for success. Learn to accept you will make mistakes, learn from it, and then move on. And finally, play to your strengths, but acknowledge and work on the things you feel you are not as strong at.

For more information on how to apply, where you fit, how we develop you, life at EY and what makes us different, visit: ey.com/nz/betterbeginsnow

Career Compass Programme Discover EY

Internship Programme Discover EY

Graduate Programme Discover EY

bit.ly/EYLinkedIn_CareersAUNZ instagram.com/eynzcareers facebook.com/eycareersnewzealand twitter.com/ey_careersaunz

© 2018 Ernst & Young, New Zealand. All Rights Reserved. APAC No. NZ00000924. ED None. NZ1831589

6/

Solving a

sticky situation – CACTUS INSURANCE

NAME:

Nicholas Rolfe Interested in starting your own business? Nicholas Rolfe from Cactus saw an opportunity to improve an area of the insurance industry, so he rolled with it.

Check out how he did it and what advice he would give to students below.

Can you tell us about your business?

Cactus is a relatively new business delivering an innovative insurance solution to the construction industry in New Zealand. Tradies use the term ‘cactus’ to describe something that is not working or broken, which is exactly how traditional offerings in the trade space were when I started out working in insurance. Previously, the process for a tradesperson to insure their tools could take weeks and involved numerous ‘purchase pathway’ obstacles for the consumer. Cactus was my solution to fi what was wrong with the industry and make the process easy and straightforward for both advisors and clients. We can now complete the entire insurance process digitally within 3 minutes, on-site with our iPads, using a custom software system that I built. This means we can work with our clients in a way that suits them and is a key contributor as to why Cactus has been so successful and is growing so quickly.

How did you start your own business and end up in the insurance industry?

I started out on my own by purchasing 10 insurance accounts (policies) off an old insurance broker who was retiring. I was 20 at the time and the youngest Registered Financial Adviser in New Zealand. From there, I built up my relationships, developed my advisory skills and took a few Open Polytechnic and Strategy courses. I took time to reflect on the industry and started working to reinvent the way traditional insurance advisors and brokers operate. With around 5k to invest at the start, I was able to build up a great insurance business with a variety of services.

When you were at high school, what kind of career did you want?

Honestly, I had no idea. I went to Kings College on a swimming scholarship, swimming was my passion and I was good at it, so at that point being an athlete was my future - until a serious injury changed everything for me.

From there, I wasn’t interested in school, left early and wasn’t the best teenager at home either. I wanted to get out, so I enrolled in the Army at 17 and it was the best decision I ever made. Although it didn’t give me the exact career path I was interested in, it did teach me some very valuable life lessons and skills which set me up for the future.

What has been your biggest challenge to date?

Wanting to do everything and accomplish everything at once! It has been really challenging for me to find the ability to take a step back, limit and assess the best opportunities and then plan in logical steps. A lot of this comes down to my personality, I want to scale quickly and go forward – fast! I know that Cactus is a great solution, so I want to grow it as much as I can, but logically time and resourcing just doesn’t allow for that. Setting clear and sensible goals, building out strong foundations and identifying the best opportunities rather than every opportunity are my current key focus points.

ROLE:

Chief Cactus

was in the construction industry, he started as a chippy and built himself up. I like the down to earth nature of people who work in trades, and it’s just a fantastic group to be working with and helping their businesses grow. I could see the need for a better way of servicing tradies’ insurance needs, so I got stuck in and started fi ing it. eing able to insure your tools on site in a quick and easy process – it just makes sense!

Do you have any tips for students wanting to start their own businesses?

Read books – business books, audio books, whatever you think might be useful. You must consistently educate, learn and upskill yourself as much as you can. There is so much great information and advice out there you just need to take the time to absorb it.

I really like using the Amazon Audible phone app to listen to books in the car. e open to opportunities in my first go at starting a business, I became the middle-man for Auckland bars and restaurants to obtain their liquor licensing. I knew that it was an extremely arduous process, so I’d call up a business and offer to do it for them.

What interests you about this industry, particularly in NZ?

Back yourself! – Trust in the process, everyone has to start somewhere. It is going to be hard, but taking a chance, working at it and committing is what is going to make you succeed. Even if your first business venture doesn’t work out, you will learn and grow and put all of that energy towards the next opportunity.

I think it comes down to personal experience. Growing up, my Dad

hicactus.com

Want more info? Go to www.nxtstep.co.nz

/7

The dream

career package At Orora, we believe packaging touches lives.

Together, we deliver on the promise of what’s inside.

Our Story Worldwide

Our Jobs

What kind of work do you do each day?

With 43 manufacturing plants and 88 distribution centres across seven countries and 6,700 team members, we supply packaging products and services to the grocery, fast moving consumer goods and industrial markets. Our customers include some of the world’s best known brands in these sectors.

The box is full of surprises at Orora, so the opportunities are endless.

If you want to make a start in an exciting career - we hire machine operators, forklift drivers, engineers, electricians, customer reps, graphic designers and more!

My role ranges from operating the dye, cut & print machinery to team leading and supervising, so each day is somewhat different.

Our Story in New Zealand We have three major divisions across the country, which include – Beverages, Cartons and our biggest division Fibre; spread throughout Auckland, Christchurch, Hastings and Mt Maunganui.

Meet:

Aaron Smith

Fibre New Zealand The Fibre division focuses on creating quality corrugated boxes for our customers. There is a lot involved in this process, including designing and planning for each client, as well as actually producing it. To achieve this, we have a large variety of people with different skills working with us, and of course with the help of machines and robots (!!!).

e like to have a diversified workforce, and our staff come from a vast range of backgrounds and locations around the world. Our staff are given special training from our machine’s suppliers who come in from Germany and France.

We also have staff who are here as a part of the Competenz program in printing, earning A ualifications to help them step up in their careers.

My other role, team leadership, involves running shift hand-overs, then working with our planning team to determine if there are any priority jobs for the machines. As the day continues, I float in and around the machines to help out if I’m needed, solve problems or pass on any advice as necessary.

What are your career goals?

What made you join Orora Kiwi Packaging?

Our Staff

The operations side of my role involves checking the job list for customers and then setting up our machines to run the correct ink colours, dyes and cardboard styles. Once our quality checklists are done, we run the machines and adjust as necessary until we get our finished product.

I first oined in , a couple of years after leaving school. I still wasn’t really sure of my career path so I just took this as a job to get my feet off the ground… little did I know this would be a chance for me to make a great career within the printing industry. The reason I’ve stayed at Orora is because of the ‘Orora way’, which means that our people come first. I also have a great vibe with my colleagues, who have supported me at work and outside work throughout the years.

I have been fortunate enough to complete my NZQA Print Fibreboard Packaging Level 4 through the business, so at the moment I am in the process of developing myself up into a senior leadership role. I guess a career goal for me personally would be to specialise in print-based machinery, and help to train others who are on a similar path.

Any advice for those wanting to get into manufacturing?

Work hard and take in as much knowledge as you can from people within the industry, it will definitely help you to be better at your job.

Also, don’t get too comfortable! Set goals, tick the boxes, move on and work your way up!

To find out more about our roles go to www.ororagroup.com/careers

8/

// ISSUE 9

Award-winning Little Yellow Bird

founder flies home UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY

Ethical uniform company Little Yellow Bird, which hatched in the start-up incubator of the University of Canterbury’s Centre for Entrepreneurship, is flying home, fully fledged.

Now in its fourth year of trading, Little Yellow Bird is an award-winning sustainable manufacturer and supplier of ethically produced, organic cotton uniforms and apparel, which traces its origins to a student club contest.

Founder Samantha Jones originally entered the idea for what became the company Little Yellow Bird in the University of Canterbury (UC) student-run business competition Entre, winning a prize in the $85K Start Up Challenge in 2015.

Entre provides coaching and mentorship to help students validate, launch and grow their ideas and was integral to the launch and development of the company, she says.

“ We won the Sustainability and Social Enterprise award. Then I headed over to India looking for factories to produce our products and began scoping potential sponsorship projects. When I got back to UC I headed into the Centre for Entrepreneurship’s Summer Startup programme.

NAME: NAME:

Nicholas Rolfe

Samantha Jones

ROLE:

ROLE:

Chief Cactus

Founder Born and bred in Canterbury, Jones completed a Bachelor of Commerce at UC in 2010 before joining the military and spending six years as a Logistics fficer in the oyal ew ealand Air Force. After leaving the military, she noticed a gap in the market for ethically made workwear.

She returned to UC in 2015 to complete her Master of Engineering in Management degree, and that’s when the fledgling idea for ittle Yellow ird took flight.

This year, Samantha Jones returned to UC not as a student but as a preferred supplier and an inspiring graduation speaker.

An emerging leader in New Zealand’s social enterprise sector, Jones was named New Zealand’s Young Innovator of the Year in 2017.

“For example, 100 T-shirts made for the University of Canterbury by Little Yellow Bird generate approximately 56 hours of fair-trade labour and, because the cotton is rain-fed and grown without the use of chemicals or pesticides, this saves roughly 66kg of chemicals and 66,600L of water from being used.”

Starting with T-shirts and polo shirts, Little Yellow Bird has supplied several University departments with branded apparel and Jones has plans to expand to other product lines UC may need in the future.

Little Yellow Bird sources organic cotton from Indian cooperatives and produces all of its shirts in a small production unit in India. Uniquely, the business provides tailored impact reports with each order.

Jones returned to her alma mater in April to deliver the graduation commencement address to the class of 2018. She told the hundreds of graduating UC students: “There is no shortage of problems to solve in the world so do something that really matters.”

Social procurement is becoming increasingly important for businesses wanting to show their commitment to social good, and uniforms are an item which can have a significant net positive impact, Jones says.

Want more info? Go to www.nxtstep.co.nz

/9

“

A gap year that will

take you places.

Lattitude is THE international gap year organisation, providing highly structured and supported work experience placements in 14 countries abroad. No experience necessary, all training, 24/7 support, food, accommodation and in most cases pocket money included. Join our family of 46,000 “gappers” and get out into the world next year!

Ex Hamilton Boys student Tim Ng chats to us about his decision to take a gap year with Lattitude, and how he ended up working in a high school on the other side of the world between Year 13 and uni.

What made you take a gap year in the first place?

I’d had an enjoyable but highly pressured last year of school, so I felt like I needed a break. I’d never really been on any big adventures by myself, and I felt it was time to ‘spread my wings’ so to speak. I’d also never really done anything particularly different with my life – it was as if I was set on some pre-prescribed course headed for uni, work etc. So, I felt it was time to break out! I already knew what I wanted to study and where, so I decided it could wait a year – and so here I am, writing this from across the world!

Why Poland?

I’d always dreamed of visiting Europe, and Poland seemed the most intriguing of all the Lattitude destinations to me. I was based in Poland’s capital of Warsaw, which was a great city for me to live in: not only did it have the buzz and hum of

any major city, but also plenty of cool cultural hotspots to scope out and experience.

I was lucky enough to be placed with an amazing host family in Warsaw. I had my own room, plenty of access to food and internet, and they looked after me like one of their own; constantly feeding me more than I needed and taking me with them on vacations around Poland.

What kind of duties did you perform there?

I taught as an English Tutor at a lively central city high school called Warsaw 77. Each day, I ran lessons with classes ranging from ages 13-18. Now, it might sound a little daunting, but believe me when I say, having the freedom to create, teach, and see your lessons working in real life is a totally rewarding experience. My volunteer partner and I had free reign to create whatever lessons we wanted. Hearing students not just using the English we taught them, but putting it into practice - using it in conversation, laughing about it and having real fun with it was a reward enough just in itself.

How do you think you’ve grown during your time away?

Everything, and I mean everything, has been a new sensation over here

Meet

Tim Ng

- travelling on my own, dealing with a different language every day, wrapping up for -18° cold in the winter - it was all new, and I, like all the Lattitude volunteers in Poland, adjusted to it. Because of that, I feel as if I’ve grown several years in only a few, seemingly short months. It’s an odd feeling, but a great one to have, for sure.

What are your future plans, and how do you think your gap year experience might help?

I hope to study in the field of International Relations and Commerce. I think that spending time amongst all kinds of different cultures will help me in this area.

The travel experience and personal growth I’ve been lucky enough to gain will help me in anything I choose to do next - not to mention I now feel ready to settle back into the groove and tackle university!

I think a gap year overseas is an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime e perience you should definitely jump onto if you can. Not only does the programme offer so many great opportunities and memories, but simply being over here in Europe, in exciting and challenging Poland man, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

www.lattitude.org.nz

10 /

// ISSUE 9

Engineering

a better future – FISHER & PAYKEL HEALTHCARE

NAME:

Rachel Mosen is using her engineering degree to make a difference every day, working with her team at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare to improve and develop new technology for the respiratory and acute care medical sectors. Find out more about what she does and what working at F&P Healthcare is like below!

What I do: I work in the Respiratory & Acute Care Market Response Team at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare. Our team’s purpose is to maximise the value of existing products for our customers.

This involves making small-scale changes to products which make them easier to use and better fulfil our customers’ needs.

In my role, I get to do a bunch of different things across product development, process development and operations. From the product development side of things, I design and prototype new components, and test the products to ensure they perform as intended and are safe. For process development, I figure out how to get the equipment to do what we need without impacting the current production, as we often have to fit out our changes into existing product lines.

I also help validate production lines and train operators on our changes.

My skills: I’ve developed a lot of skills during my time at F&P Healthcare, most notably my ability to problem solve. Whether it is designing a new component to meet customer needs, or figuring out a way forward when testing hasn’t gone to plan – there’s a constant stream of problems that need to be solved for our projects to progress.

Rachel Mosen ROLE:

Development Engineer

QUALIFICATION: BE(Hons)

HIGH SCHOOL: Onehunga High School

Mechatronics Engineering from the University of Auckland

What do you like about working at F&PH?

Why did you choose to apply?

I enjoy working with my team, who are always up for a bit of fun and are also really good at what they do. I also like that I can get to do a variety of things day-to-day. Some days I am modelling components or writing documentation at my desk. Other days I’ll be out on the production line, in the model shop fabricating manufacturing equipment, or in the lab testing a product.

F&P Healthcare is one of the big names you hear as an engineer at university in New Zealand. There aren’t many companies in NZ that are on the same scale. I knew that with the amount of development that goes on at F&P Healthcare, I’d always be learning new things and would be constantly challenged. I also really liked that the products we make help people and improve their quality of life. After coming in for interviews and meeting my team, I knew it was the right fit for me.

One of the great things about F&P Healthcare is that it places a high value on learning and development. Giving things a go is always encouraged.

Even when it takes me a while to complete a particular task, everyone is happy to let me explore as it gives me a chance to learn and improve.

Social life at F&PH? The Social Club here organises events, sports tournaments and gifts throughout the year. There is also a ball that our company puts on each year for all employees. Along with other company-wide events, teams also have their own events and teambuilding activities – my team has had a Kubb competition (the wooden lawn game), a lot of food, and a few games nights.

At Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, we have internship and graduate opportunities in our Product Development, Process Development and Operations teams available throughout the year for Bachelor of Engineering, Science or Technology students. From here, you can go into the following specialisations: Mechanical, Electrical/Electronics, Software, Mechatronics, Biomedical, Computer Science, Bioengineering and Physics.

Check out

www.fphcareers.com

Want more info? Go to www.nxtstep.co.nz

/ 11

Leighs Construction is one of New Zealand’s most sought-after commercial construction companies.

We create amazing buildings for New Zealand communities – including University facilities, schools, hospitals, apartments, theatres and shopping malls.

We’re the company behind some of New Zealand’s most iconic buildings – including the ‘B:HIVE’ building at Smales Farm on Auckland’s North Shore, the ANZ Centre in Christchurch’s CBD and the new Dental School at the University of Otago.

Leighs Construction is one of New Zealand’s most successful construction companies – and that’s because we employ awesome people. When you join our team, you’ll learn from, and work with, some of the best people in the business.

There's an amazing range of career choices for you at Leighs - from carpenters and leading hands to site supervisors and managers, project managers, quantity surveyors, estimators, engineers and health and safety experts.

We offer apprenticeships, summer cadetships and Future Leader Programmes to help young New Zealanders build the foundations for a great career. You’ll be earning while you’re learning – and even when you’ve completed your apprenticeship, diploma or degree, we’ll continue to support you with training, mentoring, attendance at industry events and access to professional memberships.

Whatever direction you want to take your construction career, Leighs can help put you on the right path!

If you want to build your future with one of New Zealand’s leading construction companies, then take a look at what we can offer you: www.leighsconstruction.co.nz/career_path

4 1 " 3 , * / ( " # 3 * ( ) 5 ' 6 5 6 3 & */5&3&45&% */ 1):4*$4 "/% ."5)4 8& )"% " $ )"5 50 3:-*& /&*- 8)0 803, 4 "4 "/ &-&$53*$"- "113&/5*$& "5 $)) 1-:800% -0$"5&% */ 5)& ,*/-&*5) */%6453*"- 1"3, */ 50,030" "#065 8)"5 )&3 +0# *4 -*, & )08 4)& ."/"(&4 50 #" - "/$& 80 3 , 8*5) 456%: "/% )&3 "%7*$& '03 456%&/54 */5&3&45&% */ " 4*.*-"3 $"3&&3 1"5)8":

8IBU EPFT ZPVS KPC JOWPMWF *U T B MJUUMF IBSE UP FYQMBJO CFDBVTF JU JT B MPU PG EJGGFSFOU UIJOHT #VU DVSSFOUMZ NZ SPMF NBJOMZ GPDVTFT PO NBJOUFOBODF PO UIF NBDIJOFT BOE XBUDIJOH BOE MFBSOJOH GSPN PUIFST 8IBU EPFT B UZQJDBM EBZ BU XPSL MPPL MJLF GPS ZPV * TUBSU BSPVOE BN BOE XIFO * HFU UP XPSL * TXFFQ UIF GMPPST BOE DIFDL UIF XBUFS CFGPSF HPJOH UP B UPPMCPY NFFUJOH 8F IBWF UIFTF NFFUJOHT FWFSZ NPSOJOH UP HP PWFS TBGFUZ BOE BOZ JTTVFT UIBU DPVME BSJTF EVSJOH UIF EBZ 'SPN UIFSF * HFU HJWFO WBSJPVT KPCT UP XPSL PO 5ZQJDBMMZ * HFU TFOU PGG UP USZ UIF KPCT PVU CZ NZTFMG BOE JG JU T B DIBMMFOHJOH POF UIFO * MM HJWF JU B HP CVU QSPCBCMZ DPNF CBDL BOE BTL GPS IFMQ JG * OFFE JU 5IFSF JT B CJH FNQIBTJT PO HFUUJOH ZPV UP TUBSU UIJOLJOH GPS ZPVSTFMG 5P CFDPNF B RVBMJGJFE FMFDUSJDJBO ZPV IBWF UP EP FYUSB TUVEZ PO UPQ PG MFBSOJOH PO UIF KPC )PX EP ZPV NBOBHF CBMBODJOH UFDI XJUI XPSLJOH .PTU BQQSFOUJDFT EP OJHIU DPVSTFT PO B 8FEOFTEBZhT CVU NZ CPTT QSFGFST NF UP EP B EBZ SFMFBTF PO 5IVSTEBZT JOTUFBE 5ZQJDBMMZ UIF EBZ SVOT GSPN BN o QN TP * EP UIF NBKPSJUZ PG NZ TUVEZ BU UFDI (PJOH JO EVSJOH UIF EBZ JT SFBMMZ HPPE BT * N UIF POMZ POF UIFSF TP * HFU UIF UFBDIFS T VOEJWJEFE BUUFOUJPO "U UFDI XF BSF GJSTU UBVHIU UIF UIFPSZ CFGPSF GJOJTIJOH UIBU PGG XJUI QSBDUJDBM BTTFTTNFOUT UP NBLF TVSF XF VOEFSTUBOE BOE DBO BQQMZ XIBU XF IBWF MFBSOU *G * EPO U NBOBHF UP HFU BMM PG NZ XPSL EPOF PO 5IVSTEBZT * MM VTVBMMZ GJOJTI JU PGG EVSJOH NZ TNPLPT BU XPSL %JE ZPV LOPX UIJT XBT B KPC ZPV XBOUFE UP EP PODF ZPV MFGU TDIPPM * MPWFE QIZTJDT BU TDIPPM TP * UBMLFE UP %BE BCPVU IJT GSJFOET XIP XFSF JOTUSVNFOU UFDIT BOE HPU JO UP B KPC XJUI TPNF FMFDUSJDJBOT BU 0KJ 'JCSF 4PMVUJPOT XIJDI JT KVTU OFYU EPPS UP $)) 1MZXPPE 'SPN IFSF * UIPVHIU UIJT XBT NBZCF TPNFUIJOH UIBU * XBOUFE UP EP TP * FOSPMMFE JO B QSF USBEF DPVSTF &OHJOFFSJOH -FWFM 5XP BOE MPWFE JU TP * TUBSUFE MPPLJOH GPS BQQSFOUJDFTIJQT

/BNF 3ZMJF /FJM 3PMF &MFDUSJDBM "QQSFOUJDF

"SF UIFSF BOZ QBSUJDVMBS TVCKFDUT ZPV XPVME SFDPNNFOE UP TUVEFOUT DPOTJEFSJOH UIJT QBUIXBZ 1IZTJDT BOE NBUIT BSF SFBMMZ JNQPSUBOU o * SFBMMZ FOKPZFE UIFN BU TDIPPM CVU LOFX * EJEO U XBOU UP TJU JO BO PGGJDF TP UIJT KPC JT B TUFQ PVU PG UIBU 5IPTF XPVME CF UIF NBJO UXP * GPDVTFE PO CVU * UIJOL &OHMJTI XBT BMTP JNQPSUBOU 8IBU EP ZPV MJLF NPTU BCPVU XPSLJOH JO UIF JOEVTUSZ #FJOH IBOET PO o CFDBVTF * N JO UIF JOEVTUSJBM TFDUPS * SFBMMZ HFU UP TFF UIF CJHHFS QJDUVSF XPSLJOH XJUI UIF NBDIJOFT *U T FYDJUJOH UP TFF IPX POF UIJOH XJMM NBLF TPNFUIJOH FMTF NPWF XIJDI XJMM IFMQ TPNFUIJOH FMTF o FWFSZUIJOH IBT B GMPX 8IBU EP ZPV MJLF NPTU BCPVU XPSLJOH BU $)) 1MZXPPE %FGJOJUFMZ UIF GSJFOEMZ OBUVSF UIBU FWFSZPOF IBT FWFSZPOF IFSF JT HFOVJOFMZ USZJOH UP IFMQ ZPV $PNJOH UP XPSL LOPXJOH UIBU ZPV XJMM CF XPSLJOH XJUI HPPE TVQQPSUJWF QFPQMF NBLFT ZPV XBOU UP HFU VQ FWFSZ EBZ UP DPNF IFSF 8IFSF EP ZPV TFF ZPVSTFMG JO UIF GVUVSF * WF BMXBZT XBOUFE UP EVBM USBEF CVU BU UIJT QPJOU JU JT NPSF BCPVU UBLJOH FBDI EBZ BT JU DPNFT 5IFSF BSF TP NBOZ EJGGFSFOU XBZT ZPV DBO HP BT BO FMFDUSJDJBO o PS JO GBDU BOZ USBEF CFDBVTF UIFSF JT OP FOE QPJOU ZPV DBO BMXBZT LFFQ HPJOH BOE MFBSOJOH NPSF %P ZPV IBWF BOZ BEWJDF GPS QFPQMF VOTVSF BCPVU XIBU UIFZ XBOU UP EP XIFO UIFZ MFBWF TDIPPM 'PS NF UP HFU UP XIFSF * BN OPX * IBE WFSZ TUSPOH SPMF NPEFMT o TP * XPVME TVHHFTU GJOEJOH TPNFPOF ZPV XBOU UP CF MJLF .Z SPMF NPEFMT BSF NZ .VN BOE %BE UIFZ BSF TP IBSE XPSLJOH BOE HBWF BT NVDI BT UIFZ DPVME GPS VT BT LJET BOE * XBOU UP CF BCMF UP EP UIF TBNF GPS NJOFy UIJT HJWFT NF UIF FYUSB NPUJWBUJPO UP QVTI UISPVHI *U BMM DPNFT EPXO UP ZPVSTFMG BOE IPX GBS ZPV XBOU UP HP

Want more info? Go to www.nxtstep.co.nz

/ 13

Work hard,

see results

Based in the South Island, Hoani Rewha landed a job at Mainfreight straight out of school. He started out in the operation loading and unloading freight, and a year later is a vital member of the FTL dispatch team. Mainfreight offers a world of opportunities, and according to Hoani if you’re willing to work hard, then you could have access to a world of opportunities too.

NAME:

Hoani Rewha ROLE:

Dispatch and Admin

What made you want to join Mainfreight?

Can you talk us through a typical day in the job?

My main reason was curiosity – I wanted to learn the ins and outs of what makes a company like Mainfreight successful. I’d also just left high school, so I was in need of a job!

Every day is different – yesterday I was loading containers and today I am learning our customers’ needs, pricing and dispatching their freight.

Not having a typical day keeps the job interesting, it’s cool not to be doing the same thing day in and day out.

Another benefit is that they promote from within, developing and training you to grow your career within the business. This means if you’re a good hard worker who is eager for opportunities then you will definitely not stay in the job that you started in.

You’ve currently got a few different responsibilities, can you explain them?

Where do you see yourself progressing to next in your own career?

I’m still learning all of my responsibilities but it has been really useful when progressing through the business to have had the experience in the operations touching our customers’ freight and getting to understand it from the ground up.

This means that I have a knowledge base to draw on when I’m finding solutions for our customers. Quick thinking is needed in this fast paced, dynamic environment.

Mainfreight offers a lot of global opportunities, so I see myself hopefully in a manager’s role somewhere overseas.

How did you get the job and what made you stand out?

My uncle had told me about the job, and told me to go for it. Mainfreight look for people with passion and a great attitude, whether you join straight from school or from university.

I think the fact that I was young and very eager helped me get the job.

How did you prepare yourself for your first day?

Clean cut, fresh shave and a tidy uniform – the standard Mainfreight get-up.

What was one of your first responsibilities on the job?

When I started I was loading trucks with pallets of groceries, but I later learned to dispatch the trucks delivering those goods to Countdown, FreshChoice and SuperValue. This was a unique and satisfying role as we were on site with the customer, building a strong relationship through working together to get their freight out on time to their customers to put on their shelves for you.

What are the benefits of working at Mainfreight?

The benefits are vast you work out pretty early on that as long as you put in the hard yards, Mainfreight will take you anywhere!

What piece of advice would you offer to others wanting to progress their career through Mainfreight?

Mainfreight offers endless opportunities – but it depends on whether you are willing to strive for it. Nothing will land on your plate if you don’t put yourself out there. If you’re interested, come and join the team and find out for yourself!

www.mainfreightcareers.com | www.team.mainfreight.com | careers@mainfreight.co.nz 14 /

// ISSUE 9

Consider your career with Mainfreight as a school leaver.

247

BRANCHES IN

22

COUNTRIES

Mainfreight is not just a “trucking company”. We are a Global Supply Chain and Logistics provider, with 247 branches throughout the world spanning New Zealand, Australia, Asia, USA, Europe and South America. We pride ourselves on being a close-knit family and are always looking for new people with personality, a good attitude and guts to join the Mainfreight team.

1

2

SCHOOL LEAVER PROGRESSION: We believe in giving everyone a practical and hands-on learning experience in order to really understand the nuts and bolts of the company.

You begin working on the floor, at the core of our business to experience the Mainfreight culture, understand the inner workings of the company, be a part of a team, and a vital cog in the Mainfreight blue machine. Once you show your commitment to the team and the business, more doors will open for you.

Examples of opportunities that you can carve your career through:

RESEARCH US

LOOKING FOR ROLES:

Look at our websites, watch our videos – see if we are a good fit

a. Contact the training team to learn more at careers@mainfreight.co.nz b. Find roles on TradeMe or Seek

SALES Building customer relationships and hunting for new business

OPERATIONS Focus on the day to day running of the branch

RESUME

4

3

TRANSPORT

INTERVIEW WITH MAINFREIGHT

SEND APPLICATION

You will meet for an interview a. Background check, aptitude test, pre-employment drug and alcohol test and reference checks

Explain why you want to work for Mainfreight and why you’d be a good fit a. Send your CV and Cover Letter b. Applying for a specific role: follow the application instructions on the ad

Coordinating drivers for pick-ups and deliveries

EXPORTS AND IMPORTS Coordinating international movements

CUSTOMS Ensuring freight meets customs clearance

SUPPLY CHAIN

5

Providing solutions for customers across all business divisions

OFFERED A POSITION IN THE MAINFREIGHT FAMILY

WE PICK UP

WE WAREHOUSE, MANAGE & DISTRIBUTE

WHAT WE DO

From our customers’ points of origin and manage all import/export and customs processes.

Our specialist facilities provide inventory management, information management, distribution and customised solutions.

WE TRANSPORT

WE CONTRIBUTE

Domestically and internationally,

We not only provide our customers with real-time visibility for their products at every point across our network; we also tailor business solutions to customers’ needs through data analytics, delivering

of modes. We provide full visibility and information on consignment status right across the supply chain.

management.

WE DELIVER Including B2B and B2C.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH Currently the majority of our customers use less than two of the Mainfreight Group's services. As our network continues to grow, so too does the opportunity to cross-sell these customers our fully integrated, end-to-end service.

Want more info? Go to www.nxtstep.co.nz

/ 15

The high-school opportunity that led to a career MANUKAU TOYOTA COMMERCIAL CENTRE

NAME:

Allen Wilson Allen Wilson had a couple of days of work experience in the workshop at Manukau Toyota Commercial Centre while he was still at school, and has now worked his way up to being the Service Manager for the whole branch.

How did he do it and what does his role involve? Have a read below:

What is your role and what does it involve?

Strong communication with both customers and staff is essential.

I have recently become the Service Manager of Manukau Toyota Commercial Centre. We are a full service team, so this role involves managing everything and everyone - from the operation of the service department to frontline customer service to the techs and groomers working behind the scenes. My key responsibilities are to ensure that the team is working efficiently to meet customer requests while juggling new and used vehicle deadlines to the highest possible standard.

I started as an apprentice technician and have worked my way up into this role, so I think having this background and being able to relate to all staff members makes communicating and managing a team quite easy.

What does a typical day at work look like for you?

One of the positives of the job is that every day is different, there are new customers to meet plus challenges to face.

In terms of managing, I usually meet with the frontline staff for a quick 5-min meeting once or twice during the day to check that everything is running smoothly and catch issues before they become bigger problems. I run weekly meetings with the workshop to check how the previous week has gone and discuss our goals for the coming week, and once a month we have a full-staff BBQ or pizza meeting to go over everything that has happened during the month, discuss what we have achieved and what needs to be done going forward.

Are there any key skills that you think are essential to exceeding in your role?

I think being patient and listening to your customers is important, as well as listening to your staff about their concerns and where they want to be.

16 /

// ISSUE 9

How did you get to where you are today?

In my final years, my school opened up an automotive class which amplified my interest in the industry – I thought it was great! Through this class we had the opportunity to do work experience, which I ended up doing at this workshop. I then asked for parttime work in the holidays and soon after I was offered an apprenticeship as a mechanic/technician. nce I was ualified, I moved into a foreman-type role within the workshop. I then moved to the front line to learn the customer facing role of being a service advisor while also picking up parts at the same time.

From there, I moved between all of the Manukau branches as an acting manager, filling in when managers were away and tidying up things in the background. And now, I am the Service Manager of our branch.

What are some of the best things about working at Toyota?

What Toyota has provided me is outstanding. The amount of training offered to us is ridiculous and I am so appreciative for it – we learn new things every day. Last week I attended a 2-day course on ‘Understanding Managing Principles’, which was a real eye-opener and I was able to take away so many ideas to potentially apply at our workshop.

ROLE:

Service Manager

The opportunities at Toyota are endless. I started in the workshop, but there is more than just being a mechanic in this industry. Because of the nature of Toyota, I could now move to anywhere behind the scenes of the business (i.e. Accounting, Finance, etc.) and Toyota would help get me there.

On top of that, the culture at Toyota is amazing. I have built long lasting friendships at all our locations.

What are your long-term goals?

I’d like to keep breaking record goals and targets and to exceed expectations. Not long ago I had a chuckle with the Branch Manager when I told him I wanted to take his job, but my general goal is to continue to push myself forward as far as I can, to succeed and be bigger and better than I was before.

Do you have any advice for students who are unsure about what they want to do when they leave school?

A lot of people see the motor industry as one of two things – selling cars or being a mechanic, but there is so much more to it. Toyota is a massive corporation and there are a lot of roles that occur behind the scenes that people simply don’t see. The possibilities at Toyota, or in fact anywhere, are endless depending on your drive to succeed and how far you want to push yourself.

My advice would be to take the opportunity to expose everything that happens behind the scenes and find somewhere you want to fit in. If you are interested, give it a go. Things aren’t handed to you on a plate so you will need to work hard.

Developing thinking

software for life A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN ORION GRADUATE Hi, I’m Carson and I’m a Graduate Implementation Consultant.

I work in the Strategic Implementations Group where we set up our products for the customer and work towards automating as much of that process as possible. I started my journey with Orion Health in January 2018 as a Graduate Engineer working on CDA generation (the generation of documents that healthcare providers use to exchange patient information).

Before I worked at Orion Health, I was studying Engineering at the University of Auckland and was a member of SESA. Below is what a “normal” day for me looks like.

9am – arrive at work to make my perfectly crafted coffee (if software doesn’t work out for me, at least I have some transferable skills) and then check on everything that has happened overnight. We are a global company which means when I sleep, my teammates overseas are working, and vice versa.

10am – we have our daily team stand-up meetings. This is a chance to discuss what we are doing today, where we need help and any roadblocks. These should take no longer than 15 minutes but sometimes we go over.

10.15am – get to work (or at least try to depending on whether or not the coffee has kicked in yet). Generally, we continue with the previous day’s work, or I’ll talk to my team lead about what I can work on next.

12pm – lunch time! This is the time where I get to hang out with the other grads who started around the same time as me. We all bring/buy our lunch (we are lucky to have a café only steps away

from our desks, Welcome Eatery) and sit together in the lunchroom. During this time, we get to watch/play on the new PS4 (still not sure if that purchase was a good idea or not, but I’m not complaining), play table tennis and/or have your standard workplace convos about dinner, plans for the weekend, where the unattended cake in the office is located, or memes. I take that back… it’s actually all memes.

1pm – back to work. Or meetings, it varies from day to day, but I can say that not all of your time is spent writing code. You will spend quite a bit of time in meetings, planning what you and your team will be working on ne t. orking here is definitely a social experience.

3pm – this is when the 3pm crash hits so I get my second coffee. Or my third, I really should cut down.

3.15pm – continue doing some work.

It is around this time that everyone’s a bit tired and you’ll end up having the strangest conversations with your co-workers. We once spent 40 minutes discussing how to convert from 24-hour time to normal time in your head. The confusion, frustration and hilarity of that conversation has been burnt into my memory.

5.30pm – home time! This isn’t Orion specific, but the best thing is that once you’re done for the day, you don’t have to think about work anymore! Don’t get me wrong, I really like my work, but I would go mad if I had to think about it 24/7. Go ahead and pick up those hobbies you had no time for during uni! You’ll have more stuff to talk about the next day that way (before it breaks down into memes again).

Orion Health is a global company founded here in New Zealand that develops software that enables clinicians to save lives.

Orion Health is a design-led, data-driven software company where students can freely explore technology that makes a REAL difference to people’s lives – ‘Developing Thinking Software for Life’ Our current Grads have come up with their top reasons why you should choose to become a software developer:

TOP 5 REASONS TO BECOME A SOFTWARE ENGINEER: 1 Architecture: the fascination of how everything comes together to create a bigger picture. With software, you can create anything your creativity allows.

2 Every day is a different day.

It’s problem-solving with immediate results, just hit ‘run’ to see if you are correct.

3 To integrate the latest tech into people’s lives to make the imaginable a reality.

4 Being able to automate your chores (e.g. when parents ask you to send emails or ask about the weather, you can make an app for that!)

5 Computers are fun, you get to work on things people use every day, and the general culture associated with software engineering is pretty relaxed and cool!

Want more info? Go to www.nxtstep.co.nz

/ 17

CREATING, IMPROVING AND TRANSFORMING

NAME:

Builders get to do it all!

Olivia Ward ROLE:

Qualified Carpenter After completing her carpentry apprenticeship and having spent 5 years in the industry, Olivia Ward knows a thing or two about building. Have a look at the experiences and advice 2017’s Top of the South Apprentice of the Year shared with us when we sat down with her for an interview recently.

What does your job involve?

I’m a builder! We’re working on a house at the moment, which involves reading plans, ordering materials, doing the physical building work and everything else in between.

My workload is quite broad, we do new builds, small renovations and a lot of our work includes building big sheds – there are a lot of vineyards in need of them down here!

What does a typical day at work look like for you?

We start the day with a quick meeting to plan the day and go through health and safety. After that – we get into it! The house we are working on at the moment is about to be clad with plywood so today I spent the day preparing for that.

Can you tell us about your qualification?

There are no block courses for carpentry. It took me 3.5 years to become ualified, and all of that was on the tools. On top of this, you are also given books to fill out, which you typically do once a month until you finish. very three months, a IT Training Advisor will come on site to check on your progress.

18 /

// ISSUE 9

FRED LILY BUILDERS, SEDDON

nce I became ualified, I also got my LBP – Licensed Building Practitioner certification. This is a license gained by learning, completing and recording skills maintenance activities. Pretty much every builder will apply for this as it gives your work a level of authenticity and shows your clients that you know what you’re doing.

Did you know that this was a job you wanted to do once you left school?

No, I’d never even thought about it – building is something I have literally just fallen into, and I am very fortunate that I did!

I’d left school and didn’t have a job when I ran into one of my friend’s father at the supermarket who offered me a job on his farm for a couple of days just clearing weeds. Once we’d finished that, he asked if I’d like to help him build a shed. I worked with him for 2 more years, before moving to a different company that focussed on housing. I have recently just moved back to where I started, to continue working for him.

Are there any subjects you would recommend that students interested in carpentry could take?

I really wish that when I was at school (I went to Marlborough Girls) we’d had the opportunity to do woodwork – but we didn’t have the option. I think now the girls have the opportunity to travel to Marlborough Boys to do woodwork.

It’s good to see that people are a lot more open-minded to the trades now.

On top of that, doing something like design or architectural drawings will be helpful for when you need to read plans. Good maths really helps with measuring and calculating quantities on site too.

How do you find the work-life balance of working in the trades?

I find it really good, I love the outdoors and I’m into fitness, and building keeps me very fit! I only have to work the odd weekends so I still get to have a good social life.

What has been your most rewarding experience through apprenticing with BCITO? Last year I won the Top of the South Apprentice of the Year award, which I did with BCITO by my side. It was my BCITO Training Advisor who encouraged me to enter, and then he stuck with me the whole way through.

I really appreciated that he pushed me to enter as it probably isn’t something I would have done, and that he continued to support me throughout.

Where do you see yourself in the future? What are your career goals?

As much as I love them, my goal is to eventually get off the tools and either become the managerial boss on site, or become a training advisor with BCITO. Teaching the trade is just something that I have wanted to do since I started, and would work in well with my 10-year retirement plan!

Do you have any advice for people who are unsure about what they want to do when they leave school?

If you are interested in the trades, a lot of people will give you work experience so seek them out. In building, there are a lot of companies that would take you through their factories/sites to give you an insight into what it’s like before you start.

So my advice would be that if you are interested, be proactive!

A TRADE THAT TRAVELS

Plastering around the world

NAME:

Manaaki Gage

GET PLASTERED, CHRISTCHURCH Plastering involves applying the exterior ‘skin’ to buildings, and it is important that the finish both looks good and is weathertight. Exterior plasterers are well sought after.

We had a sit down with BCITO apprentice Manaaki Gage, who is just months away from becoming qualified and heading off on a working OE thanks to the skills he’s learned.

What does your job involve?

Basically we waterproof houses and make them look pretty. Some days we are prepping houses for plaster, other days we’re plastering and then we also paint them as well. Occasionally we do commercial buildings, but usually we are working on new houses or rebuilds.

What does a typical day at work look like for you?

Because we do all the steps in the process, our days are always different. bviously, when we finish one house we move to another, which also gives a bit of variety in terms of location and complexity. Typically, our days run from 7am to 4:30ish, and there are 5 of us in our team that work together to get everything done.

What will be your role when you become qualified?

I’ll be a ualified e terior plasterer in December.

For more information, visit

www.bcito.org.nz

ROLE:

Apprentice Exterior Plasterer

What do your qualifications involve?

How do you manage balancing studying with working full-time?

It’s taken me four years to become ualified, but most people would do it in three. I sort of mucked around in the first year but in the ne t three I just got stuck into it and was really motivated to finish.

To get ualified, it’s all hands-on work but you also have to do a bit of the BCITO bookwork as you go. While you’re working, your boss will tick off each step as you learn it, and your BCITO Training Advisor will check in with you to assess your progress.

How did you get to where you are today?

I kind of fell into plastering, I decided that I would rather do that than stay at school! My Dad puts up house panelling so he had some connections with plasterers and that got my foot in the door.

Were there any particular subjects at school that you think would help someone to succeed in plastering?

Not really – I think anyone could do it! You definitely need to be fit in this job as it’s very physical – but if you’re not fit, you will be!

IT also recommends having good maths and English skills as you need to be able to understand instructions, and work out measurements, quantities and angles.

What do you like most about working in the industry?

Everything is pretty good, I really like that I’m learning something new. Also, my workmates are the best – they’re kind of crazy which means we have some really good times on site.

How do you find the work-life balance working in the trades?

There is a really good work-life balance I reckon! I have lots of time to keep up with things like hitting the gym and rock climbing. It’s also really awesome not being broke all the time like my mates at uni.

What has been your most rewarding experience training through BCITO? Definitely learning the trade, but I also had the chance to go on an Outward Bound course for two weeks last month! It was a pretty awesome experience, and we were all a bunch of tradies who got on really well.

What are the benefits you see while you earn and learn? nce I become ualified I want to go travelling, so earning while I learn has meant that I have had the means to save up for that. Plastering is a very transferable skill that is needed in lots of different countries.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

In my immediate future all I can see is travelling, but after that I’m not too sure. I’d like to be helping people in some way or another, and I’m pretty sure I’ll still be plastering in the future.

Do you have any advice for people who are unsure about what they want to do when they leave school?

If you’re keen and eager to make money, the trades are a good way to go – as long as you’re ready to work hard. If you’re interested in trades then I think you just need to get straight into it and approach someone. Tell them you want to get ualified and that you’re keen to do the work and I’m sure they’ll be receptive!

Want more info? Go to www.nxtstep.co.nz

/ 19

Traditionally when you think of a Heavy Diesel Technician you think grease, spanners, dirt and pulling machinery apart.

And whilst all of that is still part of the role, today’s reality is that a Heavy Diesel Apprenticeship will lead into very diverse career options. The industry is quickly evolving, ever-changing and fueled by technological advances.

Gough Cat is the biggest employer of Heavy Diesel Apprentices in New Zealand, with close to 40 Apprentices enrolled with MITO at any time. At the end of the four year paid training programme our Apprentices gain a National Certificate in Heavy Diesel Automotive Level 4 and the door to an exciting career opens.

HERE’S MILES

HELLO ADRIAAN

After earning his stripes on the tools, Miles has progressed through roles including Parts Interpreter, Warranty Administrator, Contracts Manager and is now a Technical Communicator with Gough Cat Head Office.

Adriaan’s training on the tools have set him up for a career analysing data to advise our customers how to achieve best machine performance. He is now Supervisor of our team of Condition Monitoring Advisors.

MEET MARTY

AND THIS IS ANTHONY

Marty won the 2017 Caterpillar Apprentice of the Year, a huge achievement. Relocating from New Plymouth to Tauranga with Gough Cat, Marty now runs a field service truck working with customers across the Bay of Plenty region. He often hears “mate – you’re a legend” when his expertise gets our customers machine up and running in record time.

After completing his apprenticeship in 2002, Anthony’s trade has allowed him to work internationally putting the building blocks of his career in place.

He is now Branch Manager of Gough Cat Wiri, our largest New Zealand branch.

As we said, there’s more in the future of a Heavy Diesel Apprentice than you think including well above average earning potential within months of qualifying!

APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2019 APPRENTICE INTAKE WILL OPEN AT THE END OF AUGUST. If you are seeking a career with a future contact us now!

www

www.goughgroup/careers and sign up for job alerts.

Like us on facebook /goughgroupcareers

Phone us on 0800 GOUGH JOBS (0800 468 444) OR 0800 CAT JOBS (0800 226 562)

Masterlink plumbing apprenticeships

There’s more to it than you think!

Meet Max Keig

Interested in getting into a trade but not sure which one?

Have a read of Max Keig’s experiences as he reaches the 3-month mark of his plumbing, drainlaying and gasfitting apprenticeship through Masterlink.

Max Keig doesn’t think he’s your ‘typical plumber’. He grew up in the middle of town in New Plymouth and is into skateboarding and surfing, rather than growing up on a Taranaki farm and playing rugby. But he does love the outdoors and being active. a is three months into his five-year plumbing, drainlaying and gasfitting apprenticeship and is off to a great start. e’s ust completed his first block course (an Introduction to Health and Safety), which he really enjoyed.

So far, he’s found plumbing to be very different from what he imagined, and many of his preconceived ideas just aren’t true. “It’s very technical and you have to use your brain power. It’s definitely not a career for slackers!

At school, Max imagined going to university but the idea of student debt never appealed to him. He then learned through a report on Seven Sharp that he could be paid to train as an apprentice, and looked into that option instead.

Max was already doing electrical work experience through Francis Douglas Memorial College’s Career Pathway Programme, when a careers advisor suggested that he give plumbing a try. He enjoyed it so much that he switched!

One reason for this switch was Climate & Plumbing, the wellestablished firm that he went to.

“They’re a great bunch of friendly people. Climate was my favourite place for work experience by far.”

Although he hadn’t previously considered himself to be a particularly practical person, Max quickly discovered that he learned better through doing hands-on work.

Climate took him on a trial for three months to see how he adapted to being in the workplace. Max proved himself keen and able, so Climate contacted their local Masterlink Regional Manager to sign him up as an apprentice. a finds that his work keeps him on his toes. I find it really difficult to describe a typical day at work,” he says. “Every day brings a different job – I could be doing anything.” At the moment, he’s mostly working on people’s houses doing new installations and repairs.

He admits that the physical nature of the work can be challenging, and says you definitely feel like you earn your weekend!” He goes on to say that some people find dealing with customers hard at first, but because of his experience working in a supermarket he finds this uite easy.

Additionally, the best thing is getting paid while training, which has enabled Max to move out of his family home and become independent.

He’s also conquered a phobia.

“I used to get scared of spiders, but I got over it because I didn’t want to look like a wuss! I quite enjoy going under houses now.”

Max thinks having a positive attitude, being willing to learn and not being afraid to get your hands dirty are important qualities for an apprentice.

His advice for any budding apprentices is to “just get amongst it!

It’s a bit of a shock getting into work.

You have to start low, do what you’re told and get used to people keeping an eye on you to see how you’re getting on. It’s all good though and you learn so fast!”

“If you’re considering taking up plumbing, definitely give it a go. It’s not nearly as bad as people often think – so far I’ve hardly gone near a toilet! You get just as dirty as a sparky would. lumbing’s definitely worth a shot – it is fun and you feel uite satisfied after a day’s work. It’s good to see the results of what you’ve made work or function.” a ’s goal is to get ualified and then go travelling. “Kiwis have a good reputation as hard workers, so I think that will set me up to go overseas. lumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying skills are always in demand which will help as well. People always need plumbers!”

Masterlink is a mentored apprenticeship scheme for the plumbing industry, which: •Recruits apprentices and places them with local plumbing firms to provide onjob experience

• Covers all the apprentice’s block course and training fees, worth around $11,000

•Provides each apprentice with a starter tool kit worth $1400, plus an allowance for overalls and boots

• Provides a mentor who keeps their studies on track and helps with any issues that may arise

Contact us on: 0800 502 102 • admin@masterlink.co.nz • www.masterlink.co.nz

Want more info? Go to www.nxtstep.co.nz

/ 21

STUDY IN 2019 @ SIT INVERCARGILL With over 200 courses, In 33 subject areas, from Certificate to Masters, SIT has an option for you.

ON-CAMPUS PROGRAMMES

ª Accounting ª Animation ª Architectural Technology ª Audio Production ª Automotive ª Beauty Therapy ª Business ª Commerce ª Construction ª Electrical ª Engineering (Civil) ª Engineering (Mechanical)

ª Environmental Management ª Fashion ª Film ª Floristry ª Hairdressing ª Health Sciences ª Hospitality ª Hotel Management ª Information Technology ª Joinery ª Management ª Maori Arts and Language

ª Marketing ª Massage Therapy ª Mental Health Support Work ª Music ª Nursing ª Quantity Surveying ª Road Transport ª Social Services ª Sport & Exercise ª Travel & Tourism ª Veterinary Nursing ª Visual Arts

The Zero Fees Scheme applies to all of these courses.

If you are eligible for the Fees Free govt policy, then you can also apply for free accomodation with the Mayor Tim Shadbolt Accommodation Bursaries for Invercargill.

Call today or email info@sit.ac.nz

0800 4 0 FEES www.sit.ac.nz

SOUTHERN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Lights, Camera...

Action!

NAME:

Jonathan Vincent Bowes-Onions Education:

Graduate of Southern Institute of Technology (SIT)’s Bachelor of Screen Arts programme, Jonathan Bowes-Onions is currently working as a camera assistant based in Auckland.

Having worked on some of the biggest films recently shot in ew ealand, including Ghost in the Shell, The Meg, A Wrinkle in Time and The Shannara Chronicles, Jonathan has been lucky enough to travel all around the country, including to some extremely remote locations, which most people would never have the chance to see.

While studying at Christchurch’s Papanui High School, Jonathan always envisaged himself having a career in something that would allow him to visually express himself. At the time, he was leaning towards fine arts painting, taking as many art subjects as he could in Year 13, including painting, photography, graphic design and art history.

During Jonathan’s last year of high school in 2011, Christchurch experienced a 6.3 magnitude earthquake which caused a huge amount of damage, destruction and disruption to the city. As a consequence, Jonathan’s parents moved away from Canterbury and

settled down in Invercargill. Jonathan however, persuaded his parents to allow him to stay in Christchurch and continue his studies at Papanui High School. Intent on undertaking tertiary study in Fine Arts in Otago once finishing high school, onathan started contemplating his future career in fine arts and how successful he might be as an artist. Around the same time, he noticed a flyer on the wall in the art classroom at school which advertised SIT and the screen arts programmes on offer at the Invercargill campus.

“My class had around 11 others, with tutors that allowed us to use their first names. This made it a very comfortable environment where we would sit around the table in a group and bounce ideas off each other. It also meant we got a lot of one-on-one time with the tutors which was helpful to walk us through any difficulties we may have been having and to get great feed-forward with our projects.” ne of the main benefits of studying at SIT for Jonathan was the networking

Bachelor of Screen Arts opportunities available. “Whenever any big film projects came down south, SIT film students would usually be able to intern on the projects, not only helping us to learn from multiple different professionals working in the industry, but assisting with networking to increase our chances of securing future work after graduation.”

One notable internship Jonathan managed to get through SIT was working on Disney’s film ete’s Dragon’. After working as a camera trainee on the project, Jonathan was offered a role to work with them up in Auckland after finishing his studies.

Still climbing the ladder of his career in the camera department, Jonathan’s future plans include working his way to start shooting smaller projects as a Director of Photography. Not taking anything for granted, he counts himself lucky to be where he is and recommends getting your hands on every internship opportunity possible and putting everything into it.

“

Whenever any big film projects came down south, SIT film students would usually be able to intern on the projects, not only helping us to learn from multiple different professionals working in the industry, but assisting with networking to increase our chances of securing future work after graduation.

PHOTO: NAT VAN HALLE

Want more info? Go to www.nxtstep.co.nz

/ 23

Follow your passion.

Jane Rattanachai has always had a passion for problem solving.

This passion is what drove her to apply for the NZSE Vodafone Scholarship in 2016 and begin her journey towards a career in the IT industry, where she is able to use her knowledge to troubleshoot and fix problems, and help people as well!

Jane says that the NZSE Vodafone scholarship was a great opportunity for her to enter a world of exciting opportunities.

NAME:

Jane Rattanachai Role:

IT Helpdesk Technician Meet Jane Rattanachai. She is currently following her passion and working towards her dream job in the IT industry. This is a story of her journey through TechSchool at NZSE, where the community-based education provider gave her the support and encouragement she needed to succeed.

“

The noticeable difference is that the classroom sizes are much smaller and you have one-to-one access to your tutor. They teach you at a pace that no one gets left behind and everyone is on the same page.

“

24 /

// ISSUE 9

“It was too good of an opportunity for me to pass by and so I went for it! Fortunately, I was accepted and throughout my studies my passion for IT just grew.

I was motivated by my hunger to learn and to know more about technology. I just like to learn new things every day.”

The difference of community Jane came to TechSchool at NZSE after studying at a bigger university in Auckland, and says she felt more at home here.

“I just felt so comfortable. The noticeable difference is that the classroom sizes are much smaller and you have one-to-one access to your tutor. They teach you at a pace that no one gets left behind and everyone is on the same page.

There is a team dedicated to support you throughout your studies - and they know you by name! Every student here knows that help is never far away, and exactly where to go if they did need it.

All of this makes the campus feel like a small community, like everyone actually cares about you and your learning.”

Leading to employment The NZSE Vodafone Scholarship gives students the opportunity to intern at Vodafone Headquarters for 2 weeks at the conclusion of their study. Jane says that it was the very highlight of her time as a student.

“My time with Vodafone was an eye-opening experience. It gave me a taste of what the IT industry could offer me as a career path and the experience of knowing what working in the industry was really like – something that gave me an edge over other students looking for employment after studying.”

Jane graduated from TechSchool at NZSE in July 2018 with a New Zealand Diploma in IT Technical Support Level 5 and a New Zealand Diploma in Networking Level 6. After completing her study - even before her graduation ceremony - Jane was employed by Epsom Girls Grammar School as an IT Helpdesk Technician.

She says that her studies equipped her with the essentials to make the transition from study to full-time work seamless.

“I had the practical and technical knowledge that I needed for this position because of what I had learned. Before I started, I could already troubleshoot and identify root causes to problems and find a resolution.”

Jane says that for anyone thinking of entering the IT industry – give TechSchool at NZSE a go!

“There are so many opportunities and scholarships available here, not to mention the all-round support and care from tutors and staff. It’s definitely worth looking into.

Visit: www.techschool.ac.nz or text STUDY to 9090 for more information.

Women are joining in NAME:

Shevonne Evans ROLE:

NULOOK GATEWAY GLASS & ALUMINIUM, TOKOROA

2018’s Architectural Aluminium Joinery (‘AAJ’) Apprentice of the Year Shevonne Evans is making waves through the tradie community, working closely with BCITO to promote women entering trades – particularly in construction – as well as nailing it on her own.

What does your job involve?

Basically I make and glaze aluminium windows and doors, and occasionally install them. There are two types of installation – retro or full replacement. Retro installation involves putting double glazing into existing frames, and full replacement is taking the whole window out and putting a new one in.

What will your role be when you become qualified?

I have finished my first apprenticeship so I’m a ualified AA , and I’ve recently started my second apprenticeship in Quotation and Specialisation of Architectural Aluminium Joinery.

Typically, it takes about 24 months to become ualified, but I knuckled down and got everything done in 18 months.

What does your qualification involve?

How do you manage balancing tech with working?

Unlike most trades, I didn’t have to go to a block course as AAJ is a fairly new ualification. This means that you primarily learn in-house with your hands on the tools – I learn on the job daily. There is a bit of bookwork, and I focussed on one book at a time but because we’re mainly working on the tools it comes naturally.

In terms of balancing the bookwork with working, I usually only needed to do an hour a week. I also found it helpful to write everything I learned into a notebook, which I still call on if I need it to save me from going back again and again to the supervisor.

Did you know that this was a job you wanted to do when you left school?

To be honest – no! I thought I wanted to go to uni, but I was a month away from starting and realised I still didn’t know what I wanted to study. I had also worked part-time at a radio station through high school but I wasn’t really enjoying a desk job.

I ended up applying for a job in Rotorua for the company that my Dad owns, but I didn’t tell him I’d applied until after I’d got the job! Not long after I started, I was transferred back to Tokoroa as there was a lot more work there and they needed more joiners.

How do you find the work-life balance working in the trades?

I find that the balance is pretty easy, as the hours are quite good. I’ve developed quite a few friendships in the trade, and I also volunteer at a local boxing gym as a licensed level 1 boxing coach, focussing on helping at risk youth within our community.

What are the benefits you see while you earn and learn?

The main thing is that there is no student debt! Not having debt is a massive help for the future, as it enables you to save while you work rather than paying off a loan. I’m 21 and on my way to buy a house at the end of the year – which is something I didn’t expect to be able to do so soon.

Architectural Aluminium Joiner

What has been your most rewarding experience with BCITO? BCITO has made this experience so worthwhile. I’ve been lucky enough to apply for extra scholarships and awards through BCITO. Some of my highlights have included: • Outward Bound • Women in the Trades breakfast • Got a Trade Got It Made Future Business Leader awards • Apprentice of the year awards I became the first AA female apprentice to win in 2018) • One of two apprentices to be invited to be part of a BCITO Skills Summit Discussion • $3000 Graduate Scholarship

What are your career goals?

I’d like to own and operate a successful business in the construction industry. I’d also like to continue working alongside BCITO to encourage more young women to get into trades. There are only four women, including myself, in the whole of New Zealand working in AAJ, and I want to help increase those numbers!

Do you have any advice for people who are unsure about what they want to do when they leave school?

Don’t go straight into uni if you aren’t sure what you want to do – there is no shame in having a gap year.

Have a real hard think before jumping into anything!

Also, there are OPTIONS! Even in the trades. BCITO offers apprenticeships in 15 different trades, so take the time to look into all of the options!

Want more info? Go to www.nxtstep.co.nz

/ 25

What’s behind the If you’re interested in business, a knowledge of accounting is fundamental.

A common pathway for Accounting graduates is to start out in auditing, where they are responsible for checking that a business is solvent – i.e. making sure they have enough money or assets to keep running.

BDO believes that their business is helping people, which also means helping their employees reach their potential. BDO offers summer internships and graduate roles to students, kick-starting their careers and giving them a chance to experience the accounting industry first hand. Have a read of Mazen’s experience as a BDO grad to get a feel for what BDO culture and the nature of an auditor’s job is like.

What sparked your interest in Accounting?

While English is commonly referred to as being the international language of the world, Accounting is the language of business as it forms the foundation for decision making. It is a discipline of story-telling where the financial statements act as a lens by which to view and evaluate an organisation’s activities and effectiveness. Once I grasped this concept, I was adamant on gaining this skill that is most relevant and transferable.

What does working in an audit role actually involve?

An audit role mainly involves gathering evidence to determine whether the financial statements present a true and fair view. It entails working closely with clients to gain an understanding of their business, performance and risks they face, and how these are best reflected in their financial statements.

26 /

// ISSUE 9

numbers?

NAME:

Mazen Almulla COMPANY:

BDO Being independent means that we are uniquely situated to provide value not only to financial statement readers, but also our clients who are at the heart of what we do at BDO.

What made you choose BDO? Being a grad, as I was just at the start of my career, my main criteria was the investment made in staff and training. When I was aware of what was on offer, it was a no-brainer. BDO grads are inducted with a dedicated, rigorous training program that builds a solid foundation for the future. I was extremely pleased and excited by the high level of commitment towards personal development.

What is the culture like at BDO? It is a supportive culture, conducive to learning and personal development.

Our team-based environment means that we lean on each other for support, which is important given the unique challenges we face. The fact that BDO is heavily invested in personal development means that there is ample opportunity to learn and grow.

The social environment at BDO provides an opportunity to meet new people, create networks and more importantly, have fun! The various social events happening around the year, from comedy nights to Friday get-togethers to social sports to boot camps means that everyone is catered for.

More importantly however, here at BDO we ensure that statements relate to our values, and that social responsibilities and community involvement are not only for show purposes; we actually

walk the talk. hen I first started, I was fortunate enough to be involved in what was supposed to be solely a team building activity where we had to build bicycles from scratch, under the supervision of a professional bicycle mechanic. After we finished, D had actually arranged for the visit of foster kids who would receive these bicycles we built. It was a heart-warming event, one which I will never forget, knowing that these bicycles provided a source of joy to these kids. We also have dedicated community days which I look forward to.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I enjoy the variety involved in what we do because it means no two days are the same and that there is much to learn. The variety of clients we have means that you gain a wide understanding and appreciation of various industries and their unique challenges, while also being able to add unique value and insight.

The learnings and experience you accumulate, especially at such a fast rate, become invaluable in the future.

What advice would you give to students looking at a career in Accounting?

I would advise students to carefully research each service line to ensure the best fit. I would also advise students to be inquisitive and actually seek employers when attending career fairs for instance. Have a clear idea of what’s most important to you at this particular stage of your career and find the firm that would best help you in that regard.

ion t c u r st

Con

is

!

G N I OM

BO

or y e v r Su y t i s! t u n a h u t i w aQ r o e y m e Beco ding Surv Call now to enrol l i u B or 0800 784 304

www.futureskills.co.nz

For NZ or Australian citizens and permanent residents only

We also offer a range of other programmes Health & Wellbeing

Aged Care Support (Level 2) Dementia Support (Level 3) Mental Health and Addictions Support (Level 4)*

Welding

National Certificate in Welding (level 3)

Free Programmes for Youth Automotive Engineering Business Administration Carpentry & Construction Early Childhood Foundation Skills Welding NCEA Vocational Pathways

Be confident with our quality!

we are an NZQA category 1 rated provider

An Interview with Jessica Cox CRIMSON ALUM, OXFORD ADMIT JESSICA COX OXFORD

Tell us a little about yourself… (e.g. school, family, hobbies)

Why did you choose to work with Crimson?

What was the best thing about working with Crimson?

I'm Jess, 18 years old and my family includes my parents and my grandparents. I'm currently studying a BA/BSc at The University of Auckland where I live in University Hall Towers.

I went to Baradene College and throughout school, I had a real passion for science, particularly biology, and made an effort to always pursue the subjects that I enjoyed the most.

Although fairly dedicated to my academics, my hobbies include going to the gym, spending time with my friends, painting and photography.

Originally I didn't have my mind set on studying overseas but approached Crimson for tutoring for subjects that I found difficult in school. At some point during this, it occurred to me that I needed something more than an NZ university; local universities didn't have as much to offer me and when I decided to explore other opportunities, Crimson so happened to also offer services for overseas university applications.

I think managing anywhere from 5-20 applications can be quite a difficult task on your own, especially in terms of time management and tracking progress to meet deadlines.

When the workload is so large, Crimson can help with managing the different tasks so that they're done on time.

What made you want to go to university overseas instead of in New Zealand?

How did Crimson support your journey? And what type of support did you receive (mentoring/ tutoring)?

In high school I constantly challenged myself to test my abilities, and I think my ambitions are just an extension of that. I understood that going to a New Zealand university would be easily achievable and, while great, I wanted to push my limits and see what else was on offer.

Crimson's support came mainly in the form of academic advising and guidance throughout the very intense application process. This arrived in the form of personal statement and interview feedback, as well as filling out the application itself.

Why did you choose Oxford over the four other prestigious UK universities you were accepted to?

“

Oxford is known for its very rigorous academics and high quality education.

In particular, the very personalised tutorial system and mentoring relationships with professors really appealed to me. For me, discussion is a key way to learn and I know that weekly discussions would really enhance my engagement with the content.

How important was your family’s support in your decision to study overseas?

Choosing to study overseas was very much an independent decision and I think it's a conclusion that I had to make myself. In saying that, my family was always there in support of my decision and were accepting of my choices.

28 /

// ISSUE 9

Studying overseas...will prompt some key character development...”

How did you make yourself stand out in the application process?

I really focused on highlighting and emphasising my passion and curiosity for my intended major (biology) - I think that building up strong evidence as to how I did this really helped me stand out.

How will studying at Oxford change your life?

Studying overseas in such a foreign, intense, but also rewarding environment will definitely prompt some key character development and build my independence. I also hope that it will foster lifelong connections for my career but also my friendships.

What advice do you have for other students considering the study abroad path?

Studying overseas can seem quite intimidating and this is fair - it's a big step out of a comfort zone. In truth, it will be difficult and challenging, both before you are admitted and when you begin study there. It's a mistake to focus on prestige and glamour - instead, apply with the consideration of your education and your field of study - what will applying overseas offer me? If you are wholeheartedly confident that this is the right decision for you, your ambition and drive should fuel your journey to where you want to go.

CONTACT US For a free consultation to find out where your journey could take you, head to crimsoneducation.org, or email info@crimsoneducation.org.

Bachelor of Product Design

Develop new products using knowledge from science and engineering subjects, as well as the practical business skills to see your design through to commercialisation.

Develop important skills in research, design thinking, analysis, creative thinking, prototyping and communication to prepare you for a modern career in many different and innovative areas of industry.

If you are looking to squeeze more out of your time at UC, combine two great degrees, in as little as 4 years. UC is currently offering conjoint degrees in BProdDesign/BSc and BProdDesign/BCom.

Applied Immersive Game Design

This is a three-year degree combining creative design, science, engineering and business with majors in: • Industrial Product Design, • Applied Immersive Game Design, or • Chemical, Natural and Healthcare Product Formulation.

Chemical, Natural & Healthcare Product Formulation

There is growing demand from Industry for students who are both creative and technically literate.

A Bachelor of Product Design at UC brings together both design and engineering to produce skilled and creative designers who understand aesthetics and technology.

Industrial Product Design

Combine engineering and science with creative arts and business to shape a future with limitless possibilities

Want to know more?

Visit: www.canterbury.ac.nz/engineering/product-design Or contact our Student Advisor: Or our Liaison team: Phone: +64 3 369 4271 or 369 4272 Freephone: 0800 VARSITY (0800 827 748) Email: engdegreeadvice@canterbury.ac.nz Email: liaison@canterbury.ac.nz

UNIVERSITY ADVICE FROM NZ’S 2018

Emerging Leaders Award Winners Kaylee

Cameron

Kiri Tom

The Emerging Leaders Awards is an annual event hosted by NxtStep and Talent Solutions to celebrate New Zealand’s best and brightest, well-rounded tertiary students. The finalists are invited to an assessment day in Auckland and attend the award evening that night, where the 7 award winners are announced by the key sponsors.

We spoke with Cameron Wells (Science Award Winner), Kaylee Bird (Law Award Winner), Kiri Lenagh-Glue (Digital & Tech Award Winner) and Tom Maslin (Engineering Award Winner) to ask about their university experiences so far!

What has been the best advice you have received while at university?

How would you summarise your university experience to date?

Cam: Find what it is that makes

Cam: It’s definitely the best

you want to get out of bed in the morning – once you’ve found your passion, you’ll put everything you’ve got into working for it and the success will follow.

decision I’ve ever made – I’ve had a tonne of fun, met some incredible people along the way and have been involved with some amazing projects.

Kaylee: Don’t completely fill up your

Kiri: You definitely get out

schedule. It can be exhausting and can mean that you don’t get the most out of your lectures. Make breaks for yourself.

what you put into it. That doesn’t mean just study, study, study… Socialise and take up opportunities as they arise.

What has been the biggest challenge so far and how did you overcome it?

Cam: Learning to manage time and keep up-to-date with everything has definitely been the biggest challenge!

Kaylee: Take care of yourself! Your journey through your degree is yours and yours alone – you need to do what is best for you.

Kiri: Be careful with over-extending yourself. Be honest and realistic about what you can actually do.

Looking back, is there anything you wish you had known or done?

Kiri: Don’t worry if it feels like you don’t know what you’re doing.

Chances are, almost all of your classmates are in the same boat.

Tom: I wish I had attended all of my classes. It was easy to get behind, which made life pretty stressful, constantly cramming for tests and assignments.

30 /

// ISSUE 9

Tom: It’s very independent compared to high school.

Going to classes, studying, and completing assignments is completely up to you. I love being more independent and going at my own pace.

How did you pick your degree?

Cam: I spent a couple of Friday nights following a doctor around in the local Emergency Department while I was at high school… I “caught the bug”.

Kaylee: I went to Uni Open Days and collected every brochure I could find, went home and threw out the ones that sounded incredibly boring. I was left with two – business management and law.

Tom: I’ve always had a fascination for robots, which led me to study mechatronics engineering.

2018 EMERGING LEADERS SPONSORS

How do you manage your time to create a life balance?

Cam: Don’t stop doing the things you enjoyed doing at high school, whether that’s sport, music, or playing tiddlywinks! So many people give away things that used to be important to them and end up “lost” because of it.

Kaylee: Make commitments that involve something you love doing. This way, even when I am busy there are things in my life that are not JUST university and things that bring me joy.

Kiri: Knowing when to work hard, but also knowing when I need to take a day off and treat myself, and help myself recharge.

What advice can you give to someone who is about to start their first year of university?

Cam: Make sure you enjoy what you’re studying and not just doing it because your friends are doing it too!

Kaylee: Don’t take on more than you can chew! It can be all too easy to overcommit yourself in a heartbeat.

Tom: Take all the opportunities you can: join as many clubs as you can, one of my club contacts got me living in Japan for 3 months at a ski resort.

/ 31

STILL UNDECIDED ON WHAT TO STUDY NEXT YEAR? JUMP ON TO

NXTSTEP.CO.NZ

SEAR CH “STUDY INSPIRATION”

SELECT DISCOVER

YOUR INTEREST

AND EXPLORE YOUR OPTIONS!

BE INSPIRED WITH NXTSTEP

www.nxtstep.co.nz Find us on