Alex Pezzimenti

The day before

Finally I spot my fellow graduate travel consultants in the airport terminal. I have been waiting at the departure gate for them as we’re all heading up to Brisbane for a development day at our head office. It has been quite a few weeks since I’ve last seen these people and it is great to catch up and hear how life in the other retail stores is going. After what feels like a fairly short flight, we arrive in Brisbane and head out for our dinner and more socialising.

6.00 AM

My phone’s alarm coaxes me awake - I am not a morning person and being in a different city isn’t going to change that. Ah well, a shower and strong cup of coffee certainly helps. I have been asked to arrive at HQ earlier than the other grads for a photo shoot. I am just glad there is time to grab another cup of strong coffee from the café downstairs before we start.

7.30 AM

Our HQ really is something quite unique. I feel rather privileged being given a tour around the place before any of the other grads or Flight Centre staff arrive. It is very peaceful in the office with its modern architecture and fantastic views of the Brisbane River… except today of course with the clicks of the camera shutter!

9.30 AM

The rest of the Graduates have all arrived in time for breakfast. Some have been up even earlier than what I have, commuting from all over Australia that morning. As always, it is great to catch up with other people and put faces to the names and email addresses that have come up in all the emails, chats and phone conversations that I have had over the past year.

10.30 AM

The development aspect of the day begins in earnest as we get to hear from some very high-ranking staff members from our company. I feel fortunate to be able to hear directly from those in charge of Worldwise, our internal sustainability program as well as our Chief Financial Officer both of whom had many interesting things to say. As we listen to the real-world projects that we get to be a part of, I can feel myself becoming excited and inspired with ideas about how I can contribute to these projects and support their development. 

11.30 AM

Before lunch, all the graduates are put into groups to discuss the last project for the Graduate Program. Our task - redesign the graduate program and market it to the MDs of Flight Centre - what a fantastic and exciting opportunity. We get stuck into bouncing ideas off each other as we know that finding another day where we can all meet together won’t be easy.

2.00 PM

After lunch at the rooftop bar and café, we head into our final development session for the day. This one is focussed more on psychology than leadership as we categorise our personalities and work through how each personality type learns and makes decisions, and what types are more compatible with others. It is handy to know, and will definitely come to play in our latest project.

4.00 PM

After a fantastic day, it is back to the rooftop bar for a quick drink before rushing off to the airport to catch the plane back to Melbourne. It has been a most enjoyable day and I can definitely see myself moving up here to work on a more permanent basis, helping to continue the development of different projects and initiatives all designed to grow the company.