What's your job about?
British American Tobacco is a multinational FMCG and tobacco company. In addition to being the largest publicly traded tobacco company in the world, it is a market leader in many countries including Australia.
BATA’s Marketing Global Graduate Program involves completing three, six-month rotations. I’m currently at the end of my first rotation as a Trade Marketing Representative. As a TMR I am currently responsible for maintaining relationships with over 60 retailers around Adelaide. Specifically, I visit 7-8 stores each day and speak with retailers about our products & how current brands are performing at each individual outlet. In addition to building relationships with retailers, I have worked closely with my account manager to drive marketing strategies, analyse store specific data, and engage in negotiations with store owners, while also educating retailers on product & category knowledge.
Next week, I will commence my second rotation in BATA’s South Pacific Brand team in Sydney, after which I will begin my third rotation in BATA’s Trade Planning Team.
What's your background?
I grew up in Adelaide, South Australia before receiving a scholarship to attend Bond University. In 2014 I packed my bags and moved to sunny Queensland. I absolutely loved studying at Bond. I lived on campus and made some life-long friends. While I was there became involved in the Law Students Association, singing group and Bond’s string quartet (and had a very brief stint with the rowing team!). Throughout uni, I completed internships at law firms on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane, legal centres, film festivals and with Events Management Queensland. All of these were great opportunities to work in different teams and experience cultures and work-styles of each business. Towards the end of my degree, I wanted to try something different, so I decided to apply for an exchange semester. In August 2017, I moved literally to the other side of the world to Uppsala in Sweden. The exchange was brilliant; it was so much fun meeting people from all over the globe, trying Swedish food, and experiencing Swedish culture. This was definitely a highlight of my uni experience.
I first considered applying for BATA after seeing a job posting on a careers website. I went through the stages of the initial application, online testing, phone interview, assessment centre and a personal interview before being selected as a Marketing Graduate! I’ve been in my current role for 6 months now & have really enjoyed working with BATA. Additionally, I have found BATA’s HR team really supportive and helpful in aligning my rotations with my interests. As a grad, you will also be allocated a mentor who is a leader in the company. This is an invaluable opportunity to get advice from someone with a multitude of experience behind them.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Definitely. I think the most important qualities to have in this role are excellent communication skills, enthusiasm and organisational skills. So, whether you’re from a law and business background like me, or bio-med, engineering, arts etc, if you’re personable and interested in the industry I would definitely apply.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
What I love most about my current role is visiting retailers and speaking with them each day. The role of a rep extends far beyond sales and fundamentally comes down to building relationships with people and it is this component that I most enjoy. BATA also has a really supportive team environment and I can always count on giving someone a call to clarify something while I’m in the field.
What are the limitations of your job?
The main limitations of my role include global mobility and the changing nature of my role. For me, mobility isn’t a limitation so much as an opportunity to live somewhere new and experience a new culture or city. But if you’re someone that likes to stay put, BATA probably isn’t the right company for you. Working as a TMR within BATA’s Marketing Graduate Program involves being flexible and open to change. I think being highly adaptable in both a geographical and work sense are really important skills to have if you’re looking to apply for this position.
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