What's your job about?
I work in technology in Suncorp New Zealand, my role has consisted of working in many different teams and on a range of work across the technology space such as data science, business analysts and process improvement. Some of the tasks have consisted of problem solving a pain point felt in the business, figuring out requirements for the team to get a project done and simplifying & improving current processes.
A day in my work life would look like: Getting into the office and grabbing a coffee & some breakfast then starting with a morning stand up session with my team discussing what work we are currently doing & if we have any blockers. I then continue with any tasks I have; I’ve mainly stayed in a business analysis role so my day would consist of doing investigation work, team planning and meetings with stakeholders to gather requirements. Lunch differs between going out to try new places around town or catching up with the other graduates over some food. I continue with the rest of my day finishing up on any remaining tasks, attending meetings or working on other commitments like the graduate community committee events.
What's your background?
I grew up in Whangaparaoa a northern suburb of Auckland surrounded by many beaches, just being an hour drive into the Auckland city center. I went through my high school education there and went on to study at the University of Auckland getting a degree in Statistics. Whilst studying at the University of Auckland I joined the Tuākana group a community for Māori and Pacific students. Here I found my support group for throughout my studies and went on to be a Tuākana tutor in my last year of university. I found the Suncorp Graduate program online whilst coming towards the end of my degree, I wasn’t too sure what I wanted to go into when finishing my studies but when I saw the opportunity to try out multiple different roles in technology with a range of upskilling, I thought this would be the perfect fit for me.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
I believe this job would fit for anyone with a different background. The job opportunities for a graduate span for individuals with broad backgrounds, I have worked with people that have education in business, psychology, engineering and more. The main common trait I have noticed about the grads is having a growth mindset, being interested in trying out new things and having a positive attitude. Most of the technical skills you will build as you go through the program, but the soft skills are important to begin with.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
Whilst being in the program I've really enjoyed learning how to work in an agile way, so working on continuous improvement and being flexible to a changing pace environment. As I have gone through my graduate journey, I have been grateful in being able to strengthen my confidence by leading projects and also taking on a social and event lead role in one of the graduate committees.
The work that I've been most excited by since working at Suncorp would have to be the innovation events that they run in technology such as Automation April, the Digithon and the Innovation Academy. These types of events really give employees the opportunity to try out new things, problem solve and tackle pain points they've seen through lived customer experiences.
What are the limitations of your job?
A limitation of my role to begin with would have to be time management, there can be many responsibilities in new roles, learning the ins and outs of how insurance works and then also upskilling in the technical domain. Its important being able to manage your time between graduate workshops, work task and other commitments you might take on like joining a committee or employee resource group. I have found the program is quite flexible and with the support from your peers and over time managing all of these commitments becomes much easier.
3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...
I would have to say whilst working at Suncorp I've really felt a sense of community, especially within the graduates themselves and having such a good culture has really made a positive impact on my time since being here.
Three pieces of advice I would give myself for when I was a student would be don’t be afraid to try out new things, it’s okay to make mistakes as you continue to learn and go for what you want to achieve even if it feels uncomfortable to begin with, all of this will help you grow in the future.