Kristie Bui

6.00 AM
My alarm went off, I snoozed it for an extra 10 minutes. I am a morning person, but needed the extra 10 minutes to slowly prepare myself to roll out of bed and get ready for the day.

6.40 AM
I was in my car, ready to take off to visit a potential venue where our next Christmas Party could be held. The venue is on the way to the office from my house, so I decided to make a stop on my way to avoid the afternoon traffic. 

6.50 AM
I arrived at the venue, had a tour, and took some photos. I met the person in charge and discussed our ideas to see what the venue can offer. I decided to treat myself to an iced coffee this morning when I saw a coffee shop just across from the venue and then headed to the office. 

7.30 AM
I arrived at the office. We are currently doing the Bulk Export, which meant we were sending our products to port then loading them onto boat cargo and shipping them overseas. I run the reconciliation first thing when I start to see if our number of tonnages that have been sent to the boat report are correct and sort to see if there are any discrepancies. I then sort my emails, and list and prioritise my tasks for the day, including reports and projects.

10.45 AM
I put on all the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) and get ready for my 11.00 am EHS yard walk at the ferrous site. At Sims, safety always comes first. The EHS yard walk is scheduled for every two weeks, and it involves the Yard Manager, EHS Specialist, and Cadet Operations. Together, we complete the monthly critical control verifications (CCVs), and control verifications (CVs), review ongoing EHS-related projects and set goals for the next EHS Yard Walk.

12.00 PM
I am back at the head office and have my lunch while catching up with other colleagues. 

12.30 PM
Time to check my email then put my PPE gear back on before heading into the yard.

1.00 PM 
My current rotation is based at the Auckland non-ferrous yard. At the moment, I am assisting with serving public customers buying scrap, sorting brass, and housekeeping in the shed. My highlight of  the day is using the forklift to move and stack stocks. This way, I get to see the process from the start– from the moment the scrap arrives in our yard, how we process the crap and the end result before we sell the products in trucks to local customers in containers and boats to overseas customers.

Being an Operations Cadet, every day is different. We have learned to adapt to the requirements of our various rotations (where we will be based), which schedules our learning outcomes are focus on. This includes projects with deadlines that we are tasked to complete. These projects can include;creating and running reports on all machines, organising events, such as the Christmas party and Sims family open day), upgrading the head office, etc. In addition to this, I am also tasked with keeping up with the bulk export loadout (an ongoing rotation) that becomes a priority when the boat arrives in each yard/port. For instance, last week I was in Wellington for three days assist with the bulk export loadout.

4.30 PM
Reviewed my work today and planned for the next day, which includes setting my tasks to follow up/complete and meetings to prepare/attend. On my way to yoga/boxing/swimming – depending on the day of the week - from work, I often call my family/friends to catch up and make plans for the weekend. My family is still back home in Vietnam,which is six hours behind, so this is the perfect time to speak with my mother. There’s always plenty of stories to share; planning my next visit and my favorite Vietnamese dishes I must have again during my visit. I am a real foodie girl - I love to try and taste different food and cuisines by visiting new restaurants and bars with my friends or family depending on where I am. 

6.45 PM
I was at home making dinner; this is my favorite part of the day. I enjoy cooking and being creative in the kitchen. I have learned to make a meal out of what we havebought on discount or in season from the supermarket or what we have in the fridge. I found it to be more cost-effective. Also, seasonal vegetables are fresh and high in nutrients. During dinner, I can catch up with my partner about our day. Luckily for me, I don’t have to do dishes

9.30 PM 
I was in bed, time to relax and watch our current favorite TV series “We Crash”. My partner and I are both interested in history, crime, start-up companies but our go to are true stories and documentaries.

10.30 PM 
Sleep time to recharge and refresh for a new day with many new challenges.

Thinking of experiencing life as a Sims Limited Graduate? Sign up to GradAustralia to receive job alerts for Sims Limited.