I work at Vodafone in the product team within the marketing department where I focus on device pricing. There's a lot more thought that goes into pricing than you might think. My team also does a lot of financial modelling of offers and price changes, putting forward recommendations to executives for approval. These recommendations would take into account of competitor landscape, Vodafone’s overall strategy and impact to the market.
The telecommunications industry is extremely fast-paced and ever-changing, hence why weeks are typically varied based on market activity. I work with my team to ensure Vodafone is competitive in the market against competition through on-going market analysis to determine the offers and price changes to action. I also work cross-functionally with other departments, such as retail and sales, to make sure there is alignment when we present ourselves to consumers. Through my own initiative I've been able to get independence to work with the finance department closely to suggest ways to differentiate us in the market.
My milestone projects I’ve worked on so far include launching the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Apple iPhone 7.
I grew up overseas, I spent 3 years in England, Russia and Jakarta and I couldn't be more grateful for that experience.
I went to Macquarie University which I really enjoyed because I got to meet people from different backgrounds and experiences to myself. One of the main reasons I liked Macquarie was because they offered practical units. I got to do a couple of marketing internships (which counted towards my degree!) through the business and economics department, which might not have otherwise been available to me. During my last semester I also got to do a project based on how a global company could differentiate themselves in the future. From these practical subjects, it made my drive stronger because I was exposed to the professional world and knew I wanted to be part of it.
Living abroad definitely shaped me into the person I am today. From when I moved back home I knew I wanted to work for a global company when I was older so when the grad programs were open I looked up Vodafone. I started in February 2016 so I've been here for 7 months but it feels like yesterday was my first day!
The one thing I love about my job is everyone has come from different backgrounds. Within my team there are people with agency, consulting and research backgrounds. If the person has the right attitude and work ethic I believe anyone could work in my role.
However, there are certain characteristics that I’d say are important to my role. Within my team you have to have good problem solving skills and be able to turn complex financial results into meaningful informantion. Within my role you need to be friendly because it’s your personality that makes you unique. You should also be open-minded and willing to take on new challenges because you never know what's around the corner.
Other than having an amazing team, the thing that excites me the most about my job is from day one I haven’t been treated like a graduate and I feel like I can approach the senior leadership team. On top of that, 7 months in, I've already had some of my business cases get approved by executives. It’s quite exciting when the CEO is interested in some of the particular documents I work on.
I love that I can see my work through from start to finish. I can walk past a store and see the impact I’ve made in the market.
The one limitation to my job is that we are the centre of the business where our work touches all touch points of the business, both internally and externally. We often have tight deadlines, so we turnaround work really quickly in high pressure situations. In saying that, it's all part of the experience and brings the team closer together.
When I graduated I didn't have an exact path I wanted to go down but I wouldn't change where I work. I believe there are limitations to any job, and if you're passionate about your role they'll motivate you more.
The 3 pieces of advice I have for someone at uni is it’s ok to not know what you want to do yet because there will be doors that open for you if you have the passion. Uni is very different to the professional world but you’ll learn on the job and be able to explore what you want to do in the process. It’s important to be open to any opportunity because until you’ve tried something you don’t know if it’s for you. You definitely need to have confidence in yourself and your ability to succeed.