We’ve decided to put recruitment for our Accounting Graduate Programme on hold until the second half of this year, at which time we will have a clearer view of the numbers and types of positions available in 2013. We invite you to keep an eye on our Graduate website for updates.
Leadership Programme
Get an overview of our business and discover the area best suited to your skills and interests. The Graduate Leadership Development Programme develops your abilities in a range of challenging roles while you're mentored by a member of our leadership group and a grad buddy from the previous year.
What you'll get to do
Our Leadership Development Programme runs for two years and gives you an overview of our business and the chance to work in a diverse range of areas. So you can discover the best fit for your skills and interests. You'll develop your abilities while being mentored by a member of our leadership group.
Induction
First up, you take part in an induction session where you'll get a full overview of our business and the wider telecommunications industry.
Role rotations
Role rotation is guaranteed to stretch you professionally. You'll be given tasks you haven't been trained for and placed in areas you'd never have thought of entering before joining the programme. You'll take on three or four different roles from across each of our operational areas, with real deliverables and responsibilities.
The programme will give you an in-depth look at:
- a business unit tactical role
- a group function role such as HR, Marketing, Finance etc
- a three-month rotation in one of our retail stores.
- a role that is linked to your specific interests or studies.
Development and training
A key part of Telecom culture is the continued development of our people, so every graduate is paired up with a mentor from our leadership group and a grad buddy from the previous year.
The Leadership Development Programme features three training courses a year. These will develop your skills in areas such as managing people, delivering persuasive presentations and influencing others.
What about after the programme? Click here to find out.
Who we're looking for
If you're thinking about Telecom's Graduate Leadership Development Programme you're probably already thinking about getting the best possible grounding for your career. A solid start to take you as far as you can go.
Good. Because we want leaders. Our future needs them. You might come from an arts, IT or business studies background. Wherever you're from, if you have the skills and mindset to be successful, the Graduate Leadership Development Programme will take your abilities and show you how to apply them in the business world Telecom operates in.
We look for graduates from across a wide range of disciplines. We've got a keen interest in people with skills in specialist areas within the information and communications industry as well as people with general business skills. These are not prerequisites. What we really look for are people with the courage, talent, optimism and ambition to go far.
Application criteria
Everyone applying must meet these criteria:
- You should be finishing your degree or postgraduate qualification, or have graduated in the 12 months preceding the year you'll be starting the programme
- You have to be a New Zealand or Australian citizen or a New Zealand permanent resident
- You need a B+ grade average or better - however if you don't have that average, you can still apply for other graduate programmes at Telecom.
You'll also need the flexibility to respond to a diverse range of business challenges and the energy and desire to achieve the best outcomes. Your whole idea of facing a challenge will be driven by your commitment to continue developing and learning within our business; your burning desire to be every you.
We're not looking for the highest grades; we're not looking for academic awards. Success here is determined by how you fit in with our team.
How does the application process work? Click here to find out.
Benefits you'll receive
When you join the Graduate Leadership Development Programme you'll get the best start to your career possible. You'll also get heaps of great benefits that all of us here at Telecom enjoy.
Rewards and recognition
We're proud that we pay our people competitively and offer rewards linked to the performance of the company and every team member.
Mentors
Our Organisation Development team will guide you through the two-year programme. They'll talk to you about your plans and ambitions, find your rotations for you, organise your training and development and support you while you're here.
Buddies
You also get a Graduate Buddy. This is someone who's already been in the programme a year, so they can help you get the most out of it.
Phone and broadband concessions
If you're a permanent Telecom employee you enjoy various concessions on our phone and broadband services:
- Your home phone line
- Unlimited national calling
- A broadband plan at home
- Your mobile phone and plan
Lifestyle and leisure
We reckon everyone should have a good work-life balance and we'll help you achieve yours with a range of lifestyle and leisure benefits:
- A flexible working policy so you can be at home if you need to be;
- Heaps of social events so you can relax with workmates, not just work with them
- Discounted health insurance schemes.
- Access to subsidised, low-cost, quality holiday accommodation all over New Zealand
- We sponsor our employees to participate in public sporting events
Future and finances
It's important to us that our employees are financially stable and thinking about the lifestyle they want when they retire:
- We'll contribute to your retirement savings with KiwiSaver
- Through our Employee Share Scheme we make it easy to buy Telecom shares with a small fortnightly contribution and we'll pay the brokerage fees
Discounts and deals
As well as our own formal employee benefits, a number of other New Zealand companies offer concessions to Telecom employees, like...
- Westpac Bank offers a range of financial services discounts
- A number of insurance companies offer competitive rates on cover options
- Various travel and hospitality companies offer Telecom people corporate travel rates for their private travel
Stephanie Fergusson
Degree: Bachelor of Communication Studies (Public Relations and Media), University of Waikato
Current Role: Corporate Communications Consultant - Retail, External Media Team
My Telecom journey started in 2007 when I applied for a part-time job in Hamilton's 123 call centre. Working at the front line and experiencing our customers' interactions with Telecom first hand is a great way to understand New Zealanders' perceptions of our business and what we can do to build on Telecom's service to our people.
When I applied for the graduate programme, I really wasn't sure what I wanted to do, or where I wanted to be after university. I decided to apply anyway, as the application process is a great way to build your confidence and communication skills.
My first rotation was in Human Resources, working in Organisational Development, which is responsible for increasing organisational effectiveness at both an individual and team level such as learning and development and internal employee engagement.
My main project was graduate recruitment. This involved developing our marketing material and organising our involvement at the university career fairs across the country. During this role I strengthened my project management skills and got to manage a relationship with a creative agency.
I then moved into the Gen-i marketing team as the Client Impact Manager. This involved developing and implementing communication plans for client impacting events such as service migrations. This role particularly helped me widen my networks and knowledge across the business and strengthen my stakeholder management.
My third rotation was in our Wholesale division, working in the broadband and data product teams. During this time, I developed a better understanding of the telecommunications industry and our relationship with government parties, as Telecom Wholesale provides services to other service providers in the market.
My final rotation, which has turned into a permanent role, was in the Media Team, which funnily enough, is exactly what I studied at university. Being one of the largest organisations in New Zealand means we are constantly in the public eye so it’s certainly a challenging and varied role.
One of the most beneficial aspects of the graduate programme for me was my senior mentor. Your mentor cares about your personal development; you can take some time to set goals and communicate what you want to achieve.
If you are successful and join the programme, remember to use the graduate programme to your advantage, as you are in control of your learning and development. You have the chance to learn about yourself; what motivates you, in what environment you are most productive. You are able to meet other people in the business just because their job sounds interesting and you want to know more.
Once you know your goals and priorities, be persistent and you will have an awesome and gratifying career!
Lincoln Hull
Degree: B.Com Marketing and Management, Victoria University.
Current role: International Roaming Product Manager
“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”
-Nelson Mandela
Here I am, returning back to my thoughts 2 years ago when the business World was so new to me. I’d completed my degree in Marketing Management at Victoria University in Wellington and already worked a year or so in the finance industry, but I was still asking that question I thought you are supposed to answer to Mrs Donald in year 2 at Hokowhitu Primary School “what do I want to be when I grow up?” Enter the Telecom Graduate Programme.
Wow. Change is an understatement for what I’ve experienced in the past 2 years. The Telecom Graduate Programme is more than just spoon feeding a career path like other programmes can do. It’s about trying different areas of the business, getting your hands dirty, taking on responsibility, doing more than expected and developing skills to work beyond your potential. Instead of being spoon fed a career path I’ve been given the tools, knowledge and networks to create the career path tailored best fit for me.
The first rotation I completed was in Gen-I ICT finance. Did I have a finance background? No. Was it an issue? No. In fact it gave me an analytical skill set I was able to apply right throughout the programme and especially in my current job today.
Second rotation was Marketing and Communications for Telecom Wholesale. This rotation has related heavily to my studies and has been a great insight into customer relations, brand, media and the Telco Wholesale market in general.
Third was St Lukes retail store. Face to face learning the needs of your customers and understanding first hand what they’re experiencing will help you in any of your business dealings. I knew Telecom products inside out by the end of my time in their too.
My last rotation was in Human Resources as a Learning Analyst. I gained insights in to the learning strategy of the entire organisation. I was able to further develop my analytical skills, how I handle stakeholder management and grew my networks across Telecom.
Add to this 2 years being mentored by the CEO of Gen-i, formal development on my own personal presentation, facilitation and motivational skills and what was the outcome? I’m now Product Manager for International Roaming in Telecom Retail. It applies all the skills I’ve had to learn over the 2 years and the World is my Oyster.
If you want to try different areas of the business, get your hands dirty, take on responsibility, do more than expected and development beyond your potential while getting support from senior managers; then apply for the Telecom Graduate Programme, the opportunity is second to none.
