How did you get to your current position?
In 2011, I was fortunate to be offered a position as an inaugural graduate of Bendigo Bank, commencing in 2012 and running for two years. I was offered this position after a lengthy and thorough recruitment process, which involved multiple stages of assessment, including an online application, a phone interview, a group assessment session and a final interview.
Why did you choose this specialisation?
After thorough research, I chose this program due to the broad and diverse exposure that was offered. As an inaugural graduate, this included structured rotations within the departments of risk, finance, retail and wealth.
What has your experience as a graduate been like so far?
I relocated to Adelaide from my home state of Queensland to take up this opportunity and I have no regrets. From the beginning of the program I was provided with all the tools and training necessary to achieve my aspirations. On my first day I was provided with a senior leader to be my mentor and to guide me through my journey. Upon completion of the program I was fortunate to be offered a position in his department and to this day we remain good friends. On top of this, Bendigo Bank fully sponsored me to complete a Masters in Applied Finance degree at the University of Adelaide – how’s that for training!
Throughout my role as a graduate, I was guided by experienced managers who gave me hands on involvement and helped me to overcome challenges. The role as a graduate was diverse and comprehensive and included (but was not limited to) producing reports that were used in assessing risk appetite, assisting in managing the bank’s daily liquidity requirements, meeting with clients who sought commercial funding from business bankers and involvement with the investments team in determining asset allocations. Amongst this, I was fortunate to attend important committee meetings (many times there were executives present) and the managing director even brought the graduates to Melbourne to dine with multiple leaders of the group.
What is the best thing about working for Bendigo Bank?
As an organisation, Bendigo Bank has proved to be a collaborative, welcoming and professional environment that upholds the highest values and rewards hard work. Every day for the past three and a half years I have felt valued and happy to work for Bendigo Bank and will continue to for years to come.