My Career Journey: From Motorcycles to Microsoft and now Macquarie Cloud Services
Where it all began.
I‘m not someone who knew what they wanted to do from day dot. I started working from a very early age and knew I had a good work ethic, but I struggled to see where I wanted to go once I left high school. Kids have a lot of pressure put on them to have their lives planned out by 17 or 18 years of age, and without having experienced much of what life has to offer yet, it can be hard to know where to start.
I did well in Business Studies in high school, so decided to go to university and pick a broad field of study that could take me in many different directions. I went to the University of Technology, Sydney where I got a Bachelor of Business, and after my first year of studying, I decided to do a double major in Business Law and Marketing Communications. Overall, I had an amazing university experience and still find myself thinking back to my early twenties when I was juggling multiple jobs and a jam-packed study timetable on top.
When my final year came around, I had to stop and think ‘Where do I go from here?’. I always thought that if I was going to be working 40+ hours a week, I wanted to find a career that fulfilled my interests and played to my strengths. It’s fine to go into a job purely for the money, but more times than not you find people end up changing careers or feel pretty blue when Sunday afternoon rolls around.
My career so far.
After helping out with some basic marketing and events at university, I landed my first paid marketing role at the Harley-Davidson Motor Company during my final year of study. Having zero motorcycle knowledge and no full-time marketing experience, I was sure to highlight my enthusiasm to get into the marketing industry and my ability to learn things quickly. I spent the next few years trying to learn and absorb as much as possible and establish what sort of marketer I was striving to be. Three years later, I walked out with my motorcycle license, and more importantly a wealth of knowledge about the marketing industry.
Next came Microsoft. Joining their advertising team. I feel extremely fortunate that I was offered a job at Microsoft, it’s one of those dream companies that people have on their wish list and one you see all over LinkedIn, so to be able to walk through their doors on my first day was a proud moment. I worked with a great group of people and had access to a range of phenomenal marketers from all around the world, which was great to be able to bounce ideas around and feel like you’re able to look at problems through a global lens. With different countries moving at different paces, it was great to be part of an international marketing team and get some deeper insight into what was happening around the world.
After stints at two huge, American-based companies, I decided it was time to spread my wings and put myself outside of my comfort zone. My next stop was a six-month role at a Sydney SaaS start-up company, which was quite an adventure. Start-ups definitely come with a unique culture that is hard to explain until you’ve worked within one yourself and getting to wear many different hats really forces you to learn on your feet. Every day I faced a new set of challenges, and I felt like I made a significant impact. As someone who is highly organised and loves to plan, it was my hardest challenge to date due to the nature of the start-up world, but it was a really rewarding experience.
What now?
After my first interview with Macquarie Cloud Services, I knew this was somewhere I wanted to work. It seemed like the perfect mix of a fast-paced and hard-working environment, paired with great company culture. I love working in a team environment and seeing everyone be just as motivated and energetic as myself has really put a spring in my step.
Macquarie has an extremely unique company culture that many businesses try (and fail) to achieve. We’ve all heard the joke about Ping-Pong tables and free pizza making up for undesirable work conditions, I can say that Macquarie is miles from that stigma. You can tell when a company puts people first and makes them at the centre of everything they do, and Macquarie really does. There aren’t many businesses where the CEO personally runs the company inductions and welcome you to ask any questions you have on your mind. Transparency within the business creates a sense of comfort and trust, and that seems to trickle down within the teams.
I am lucky to have landed in a fantastic team, and with FY23 well underway, I’ve got some exciting campaigns in front of me that I’m starting to sink my teeth into. It’s no secret that the tech industry is continuing to grow at an enormous rate, so my biggest task ahead of me is continuing to keep my finger on the pulse and figure out ways to reach people in new and innovative ways.
Parting words…
For anyone finishing their undergrad who is a little unsure about where to go next, do your research and apply for as many interesting jobs as possible. Never question whether your experience or lack of industry knowledge is going to stop you from being considered for a role. Great employers will always value your potential and willingness to learn, and a positive attitude will get you where you need to be. To see our latest graduate vacancies click here.
