What's your job about?
The company I work for, MMEM, is one of the leading electrical wholesalers in Australia. Being an electrical wholesaler, the core of their business involves supplying domestic, commercial and industrial electricians with the goods to suit any and all applications.
Within my role as a Graduate Cadet, a large aspect of my work involves sales, both internally (within the store) and externally (going out to see customers), as well as quoting jobs that range from small domestic renovations to projects worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Furthermore, as a part of my cadetship, I am also exposed to various other roles within the company such as working in the accounts payable and as a Purchasing Officer.
Along with this, I am also given the opportunity to spend time working across a variety of stores which allows me to experience how businesses of differing sizes operate. These businesses are incredibly different from one another which allows you, as a Cadet, to gain knowledge on the various ways to run a business which is a large reason why the Graduate Cadet program exists.
What's your background?
I grew up on a small farm near Goroke in Victoria which is located West of Horsham near the South Australian border. Don’t worry if you haven’t heard of it, not many people have. Coming from a small town of roughly 300 people, moving to somewhere with over 3 million people in Melbourne for the university was a really big jump for me. It certainly took some time to get used to having everything located so close to me as well as the hustle and bustle of the city.
After graduating from university in 2020, I was offered a job with MMEM via a recruitment agency. I can safely say after the number of emails and applications that I sent applying for jobs, going through a recruitment agency was the best decision I made. Through them, I was able to gain access to interviews with companies that were not only renowned but were also a good personal match for me.
One of the large aspects of MMEM that drew me towards them is that they are one of the market leaders nationally in their industry. This gave me the confidence to accept their offer knowing that I would be getting access to a great working environment as well as a stable job whether I chose to move back to regional Victoria or stay within Melbourne.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Definitely! I came from a background where I knew incredibly little about the electrical industry. Naturally, it was very daunting moving to an industry that I was unfamiliar with but MMEM was able to support me with training sessions with suppliers in order to build up my knowledge. This allowed me to fast track my knowledge and along with this, each store I have been at has had amazing people working there who were always happy to help me understand something.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
One of the aspects of my job that I love is learning about the industry. I have always been a curious person and this role rewards your curiosity incredibly well as it allows you to help so many more people by solving their problems. Being able to help someone out of a bind and seeing their gratitude has got to be one of my favourite feelings.
What are the limitations of your job?
Some days you will likely have to stay at work a bit longer in order to finish off everything that you need to get done.
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