Operations Graduate at DHL
What's your job about?
DHL Supply Chain (DSC) services include providing valuable customised supply chain/logistics solutions for client’s specific needs as a 3PL. DSC is dedicated to providing cost-effective & business solutions to improve operations on any level of the business. During this rotation, there have been various tasks that I’ve completed during my time so far in the program. I have completed the SOPs for Trimex. I’ve created Pick Guides & maintained Dispatched Orders Tracking Reports for the Trimex Agency. Most recently, for the last two months, I have been part of COTY UAT. It was a team based project that involved conducting testing for COTY Wella due to P&G selling the brand. The project entailed being part of conference calls with staff/clients, completing certain tests on HPQC & being responsible for providing a daily email on UAT progress. For the update, I would highlight the key points of the day and keep track of tests completed/remaining. Currently, I’ve been assisting with some of the final remaining UAT testing & in the process of updating the Wella SOPs preparing for Coty’s cutover. I’ve completed my first rotation & have commenced my second rotation of the program this week in the technology sector.
What's your background?
I have always lived in Sydney, Australia. I currently live in the Campbelltown area and have been living at my current place for 15 years. The most important stages in my life to date would include:
Completing my HSC & graduating from University last year. It was especially special for me to graduate from university because I was the first member of my family to graduate in this country.
Successfully, getting my first permanent job in 2015 was an important moment for me. I only held temporary roles prior, so it was important to me to finally have a permanent job position. I felt it was a great personal achievement as I had applied for several jobs before without any success.
Enrolment in the DSC graduate program would also be an important stage in my life. I view it as a tremendous opportunity & one I am grateful for. It has been a great experience so far in the program & be the lead to kick starting my career.
I was notified of the graduate program by a relative that works at DHL Express who saw the internal advertisement. After being alerted of the program I applied at the end of last year & successfully went through the interview rounds that followed. I received an official offer of employment in February of this year.
I’ve been in my current position as an operations graduate for six months working with clients Wella & Trimex.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Yes, I believe someone with a different background could be able to perform in the same job. I believe it comes down to training within the job role which makes you able to perform the required tasks the job entails. Experience in operations does have a significant impact on the ability to complete the work.
The individual would need to have the willingness to learn each day & have a ‘can do’ attitude. The person would need to be willing & not afraid to ask questions to gain a better understanding of the processes involved in operations.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
What I love most about my job is the corporate culture of the DHL Supply Chain team that I was a part of. The shared values & behaviour of employees create a positive & driven work environment. Entering a corporate culture such as DHL does motivate you to learn & strive to succeed. The tasks I enjoyed the most included communicating with clients and ensuring their requests are met. For example, I would communicate with the Trimex Supply Chain Director to ensure the Dispatched Orders Tracking Reports were up-to-date on a daily basis. I would receive feedback from clients & management in person or via email that if I was doing a satisfactory job I doing well & would also ask the question if anything else could be done. I would check if I was on the right path during the early stages of completing a task to ensure I was doing the right thing.
What are the limitations of your job?
A limitation of my job would be not having developed good Microsoft Excel skills before starting the role. Microsoft Excel, I noticed was used daily in DSC. By entering the DSC workplace with limited exposure to excel it could make things difficult initially. Time and experience to learn excel skills is required to complete tasks. I have applied myself to learn along the way by understanding how to use the necessary excel features to complete given tasks.
3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...