Tell us about your job
At the moment, a big project for my team is a system upgrade across the whole of Contact. I’m helping out with the communication efforts to tell different areas of the business what they need to know about the process. A big part of my job is writing communications plans, this includes how they can be implemented, what messaging is best for different audiences, how I can get people on board and key goals to set around the plan.
Currently, as part of the Planning and Delivery team, I’m leading a project on upgrading the ICT team’s Sharepoint page and working with the various ICT teams to tell their story in ways others will understand. I’m also helping out with communications for Contact’s Women’s Network, and that involves creating an in-depth communications plan, working on messaging to both members and the rest of Contact, and helping to plan events.
A typical day includes an update with my manager in the morning, working on communications plans, meeting with others and checking in with those off site to validate what I’m working on.
What's your background?
I was born in Wellington and moved to Auckland with my parents when I was three. I grew up in a quiet neighborhood in West Auckland before moving back to Wellington for the last two years of high school.
In my last year of school, I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do next, but I knew I liked writing and being creative. After some research, studying communications at university seemed to line up well with my passions and talents. I started studying a Bachelor of Communications at Massey Wellington in 2020.
While studying, I worked part time in hospitality and held leadership roles, which I really enjoyed
I had the opportunity to do an internship through the university, and I worked for a non-profit organization over one summer. It gave me invaluable experience working in an office and applying the skills I had learned at university to real, practical work.
In my final year of study, my friend told me about graduate roles, and I started to apply for any that seemed applicable to my area of study. I got into a few final stages for different companies, but Contact immediately struck me with how much they genuinely cared about their graduate program. I was really happy to get the graduate role with Contact.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Anyone who knows how to talk to people and how to alter messaging depending on the audience would do well in this role. This would also suit people who enjoy coordinating others and planning how to communicate most effectively.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
What I love most about my job is how nice and welcoming everyone is. Everyone in my team and across Contact is so willing to help me settle into the job. I enjoy writing articles and planning communications to a variety of different channels. Working within the Women’s Network has and will give me opportunities to work with a number of people in different contexts. Getting the space to collaborate with others gives me energy, and receiving positive feedback drives me. Contact always provides both.
What are the limitations of your job?
As this is my first full-time office job, it’s been a struggle to adjust to a different type of work than I’m used to. The biggest limitation I face now is a lack of context. I’ve come into a business with many different teams, projects, and initiatives that take time to fully understand, but I’m getting there, and everyone is very helpful and patient.
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