Nellie Gao - 2019 graduate

Role: Operational Partnering Graduate

University background: Bachelor of Commerce (Major in Marketing and Management)

Can you describe a day in the life of your current rotation? (What division are you in; what have you learned; what have you been involved in?) 
I am in the Australian Division under Enterprise Finance and Operations. Currently in my first rotation, I am working in the Productivity Enablement team.

Since the start of my rotation I haven’t had a single day that has been the same – which is what makes work so exciting. On a regular day, I would come into work and spend some time in the morning checking and responding to emails followed by team meetings. Following this, the rest of my day depends on which projects or business assessments I am working on and what stage they are at. This has allowed me to work with a range of people and teams both external and within the organisation, and this has given me valuable insights into how an insurance company operates day to day. Additional to this I have learned a range of skills from communicating with different teams, managing relationships, and from automation.

Describe in three words your experience so far:  Stimulating, fun, rewarding

What has the support network at IAG been like for you as a Grad?
There has never been a day where I have felt unsupported. The culture at IAG is very warm and welcoming and my team, managers, and fellow graduates always ensure to make time for me when I need to ask a question or seek help with anything. 

What has been your most memorable experience on the Grad program so far?
I have so many memorable experiences in my role, but from the Grad program it would be from one of our induction activities at the beginning of the program. In this activity, we were all randomly assigned to teams, and each team was given a separate part of a painting to complete. We were given instructions on what colours to use – but the catch was that we were to mix these colours ourselves. To keep the painting looking like one artwork rather than separate pieces of random art stuck together, we had to use our communication skills and teamwork to delegate colours and coordinate our work. It was so rewarding at the end when our painting was revealed to see how well it all fit together. As this was on the first day of our grad program, it really set the scene for the later months and showed how like-minded all the graduates were and how well we could work together. 

Also – can’t forget lunch with the grads every day on level 10!

If you could give one piece of advice to a student applying for the Grad Program, what would it be?
When you’re searching for a grad role – it is very easy to fall into the mindset that you need to be a certain kind of personality to get a job. My advice would be to just be yourself! At IAG there is such a diverse range of people, and everyone has something unique to offer in their role! Everyone is highly valued in their teams for their unique contribution and the culture at IAG is very encouraging of these diverse perspectives. 

At IAG our purpose is making the world a safer place, how do you feel you have contributed to this within the community? 
IAG’s purpose to make the world a safer place is embedded in every aspect of the organisation. I feel that I have contributed to this through my role in many ways. This largely involves working on projects which are focused on streamlining organisational processes so that claims can be lodged faster, injuries or accidents can be assessed more efficiently and effectively, and employees can work less repetitive and manual tasks, freeing up their time to focus on the customer’s needs and how to make the world a safer place!