What's your job about?

I’m a Business Graduate at TAL, Australia’s largest life insurer. Throughout the program, I’ve been involved in three different rotations, where I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with the leadership team, helping them maximize performance and deliver business strategies. I’ve managed and facilitated trading performance forums, contributed to maintaining our reporting and analytics portfolio, and worked on various initiatives and strategies.

I’ve completed rotations in our program office and corporate strategy, where I worked closely with the business to understand their needs and interests and delivered presentations to stakeholders. Additionally, I developed comprehensive strategic plans and helped run a strategy workshop with our leaders.

Overall, my job has been quite diverse, but having the flexibility to choose my rotations has allowed me to focus on areas that are continually improving and central to managing our business. Being a graduate has also provided access to several extracurricular and development activities. Throughout the year, we attend development days to enhance our soft skills, such as presentation delivery, personal branding, and design thinking. These opportunities have allowed me to step out of the office, visiting places like Western Sydney University and even cooking for a cause at OzHarvest.

What's your background?

I grew up in the Sutherland Shire area of Sydney. Throughout school, I was drawn to Commerce, Education, and Science, so I decided to study a Bachelor of Commerce/Science at UNSW.

After university, I began working at BT, Westpac’s Wealth Management arm, in customer service. This role introduced me to life insurance and, eventually, to TAL, as TAL acquired Westpac’s life insurance business not long after. I transitioned to TAL with an open and curious mindset, which led me to apply for TAL’s graduate program, where I was fortunate to be offered a position.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Yes, being a graduate in Individual Life opens the door to a diverse range of areas. The Individual Life business unit covers nearly all aspects of the insurance value chain, including product development, pricing, sales, marketing, customer service, and numerous support functions.

While some areas may require technical knowledge, being a graduate allows you to upskill and learn on the job. For instance, during my first rotation, I worked in reporting, which required advanced Excel skills. I was able to develop these skills naturally throughout the rotation without feeling overwhelmed.

If you have a positive attitude, motivation, and a willingness to learn while challenging yourself, you will succeed in this role. The ability to choose rotations also allows graduates to align their work with their aspirations and backgrounds.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

What I love most about being a graduate is the value and opportunities we are given. Graduates are trusted with meaningful work that is both fulfilling and impactful to the business.

I particularly enjoy taking inputs, such as business information or research, and finding creative ways to present that data to support decision-making. Additionally, I’ve had the chance to identify areas for improvement from my past roles and take action to enhance these aspects, all while being supported as a graduate.

What are the limitations of your job?

The level of responsibility and workload varies from rotation to rotation, and each new rotation brings new challenges. One challenge I’ve faced is having enough knowledge and creativity to fully contribute to some meetings and ideation activities.

Life insurance is a complex field, and TAL, as Australia’s largest life insurer, has a wide range of distribution channels and products. This can feel overwhelming at first, but over time, you’ll gain a better understanding. Taking detailed notes and asking questions are essential to overcoming this challenge.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

1. Connect: Being a graduate naturally exposes you to many people across the business during your rotations. Building your personal brand is highly advantageous, especially if you encounter people you’ve met or worked with in the future.
2. Engage: The graduate program is your ‘ticket’ to a world of opportunities, choices, and fun! Use this time to select rotations that are both useful and enjoyable, participate in extracurricular activities, and network.
3. Learn: Be curious, ask questions, explore, and absorb as much as possible. Strive to achieve—this is what being a graduate is all about.