Students and Graduates Program

During my first year of interning I was exposed to several aspects of the organisation including campaign work in the Consumer Marketing Team; the largest trade show in the southern hemisphere (ATE) in the Industry Events Team; taking part in career expo stalls in the People & Culture Team and a couple staff committees including the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) committee and our 2017 staff conference committee. All of these things allowed me to get to know the people in the organisation and also immerse myself in the business side of the tourism industry.

I have been tasked with responsibilities such as researching information that could help with upcoming campaigns, implementing ideas from our RAP, using information systems relevant to the team’s needs, coordinating and publishing booklets for distribution at career expos and organising internal staff activities during NAIDOC Week.

This cadetship program has allowed me to ease my way into the workplace environment and have helped me develop positive working relationships with a variety of internal and external stakeholders. Without a doubt, I would recommend Tourism Australia’s programs to tertiary students because not only is it a great environment to be in but “There’s Nothing like Working at Tourism Australia”.

I started my cadetship in the second year of my degree at UNSW and have been placed in the Research team. So far, I have been exposed to a couple of projects that have been launched within the Research team such as the High Value Traveller project and the Consumer Demand Project and I work with a lot of data, because what’s research without the data!

What I like so far at TA is that as a marketing student, I find the whole organisation very interesting and intriguing. I enjoy working at TA and look forward to not only progressing through to other teams but also developing my knowledge in the industry!

If I could give advice to students to obtaining a placement at TA, I would say that you should learn about the organisation before the interview process and know whether you really want to be a part of TA or not, by reading up on their values, goals, mission statement, etc.

Currently, I’m working as an IT graduate in Service Desk. As an IT Graduate, my job goes twofold. First is to understand and learn from my peers from a wide range of IT fields. Another is to apply what I've learnt to the workplace. These could range from onsite technical support, setting up new computers for new users and keeping the system up and running.

What I like about my role at TA are the challenges that are thrown at me every day, both in fun and exciting ways. An example is, one day the mailing servers were down, and I'm trying to assure people that we're looking into it. The next day I'm at a staff conference trying to absorb what's going on. There is no such thing as a dreary day at TA!

My advice for students applying for a role at TA is to stay genuine, calm and controlled during the placement process. Have a read of the TA values and apply it to the placement process. Think of what you can bring not only to your position but to Tourism Australia. These can range from the things you've learnt, skills that you’ve acquired and attitudes that matches with the TA way. Ultimately, we're a fun, positive and innovative company with a friendly attitude to boot!

The marketing graduate program allows you to rotate into different teams to experience various parts of the business. I am currently eight months in to my second TA placement with Global PR and Advocacy. Previously, I spent seven months in Digital Marketing and my next rotation will be with the Creative Campaigns team.

My tasks in PR include supporting and managing our Friends of Australia Advocacy Program as well as establishing and maintaining influencer relationships to support our campaigns globally. Alongside these talented storytellers, I develop key messaging and story angles to support Australia’s brand through media distribution channels in our international markets. I am also member of the United Taskforce and the Social Club (responsible for planning all things social at TA).

The best thing about working at TA are the people we work with, both in the organisation and the broader tourism industry. From contributing to new campaigns, to planning exciting events – there’s always something to be excited about at TA. The culture at TA is to challenge the norm, take risks and learn from failures. Day one on the job was the launch of our Super Bowl Campaign and the excitement hasn’t stopped since. 

Big, bold and colourful, Australia is utterly unique. From the outback to the coast, to the icons and the undiscovered, each destination has its own charm and character. Food, wine, nature, beaches, wildlife and genuinely friendly people - It’s a pretty good gig selling Australia to the world.

My advice for any aspiring Tourism Australia graduates is to be passionate. Your passion – for your field of work, for the things you love, and for Australia - is what I believe will be your biggest drawcard in securing a position at TA.

Tourism Australia has given Linh the opportunity to learn practical skills in a field in which she intends to develop a career in, and recommends Tourism Australia, if appropriate to the career field of choice, for those considering applying for work experience while at university.

Along with her team, Kitty’s role considers the importance of workplace relations and helps reassure progressive change within the organisation. Tourism Australia has supported Kitty in her professional development, teaching her the importance of voicing opinions and inspiring change.

The multiplicity of projects she has worked on includes; the Reconciliation Action Plan, parental leave handbooks, and recruitment strategies. Kitty sees the work environment as inclusive, vibrant and incredibly hard-working, and would recommend Tourism Australia for prospective interns and graduates.