Michael Neill

What's your job about?

DHL Supply Chain specialises in providing warehousing and logistic services and solutions. Supply chain can encompass various aspects of logistics, such as transport, storage, inventory, as well as various other value added services. Due, to the nature of logistics it is difficult to predict what you will experience beforehand as each operation has different requirements and their own set of challenges.

During my first month here at DHL, I found myself within one of our Life sciences and Healthcare warehouses, learning how a DHL warehouse operates. Here I spent time in all facets of the operation, including: Inbound, Inventory and Despatch. This helped pave my knowledge of the type of work DHL do at all levels.

Since moving onto my rotations, I have been involved in various project work, ranging from Healthcare projects, trying to implement RFID systems to help track and monitor stock levels, to working with my fellow graduates, working to implement new strategies and tools to help boost the internal communications of DHL to extend to our large demographic of non-desk workers. This project work is bonus to my day to day activities, which as a graduate has a vast variety of tasks, including; reporting and data analysis, use of DHL’s Warehouse Management System and also internal audit and reviews.

What's your background?

I have lived and grown up in Western Sydney my entire life.
I graduated high school in 2012
I graduated university in 2015.
I have been lucky enough to travel to 7 countries, including America and coutries in Asia.
I started my current role in 2016, and have currently been working at DHL for 1 year.
I started my first job when I was 15, working in a retail sports store. I worked there for 7 years, including for the first year while I was at DHL.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

I feel that my job is achievable by almost anyone from any background, however, you also need to have a strong ambitious approach with a strive to learn and develop yourself and your career. A degree of flexibility is also needed, with change occurring every 6 months, moving to different sites and meeting new people with different expectations.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

One of the coolest things about my job, is learning and understanding the way the supply chain industry affects everyday life, especially DHL. It is very rewarding learning that the company you work for fills the shelves of so many stores and homes globally, including medicines to save your life down the clothes you wear. Also, it is amazing to be able to work with and interact with high level members of the business, from Directors, to General Managers and also Vice Presidents.

What are the limitations of your job?

There are only 2 limitations I have faced for my job:

• Travel. With many of DHL’s sites stretching across all of Sydney, you will have to venture to some of them, ranging from Matraville to Horsley Park.
• As a graduate you will also need to be comfortable with change. You will find yourself stepping into a new warehouse, team, and environment every 6 months, and you must be able to change accordingly.

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

• Never settle for just good, always push yourself to be great
• Work smart, not hard
• Approach every piece of work that you do as if it is very important, it can be very surprising how many eyes can look at your work, so your best should always be produced.