Conor Carroll

The Graduate Program at Tourism Australia (TA) has kickstarted my corporate career. When I finished my Bachelor of Commerce and Arts at the University of New South Wales, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, although I always loved to travel. My first interview with TA was online - from a hostel in Berlin. This may have scared away a more traditional employer, but TA lives and breathes tourism, and I realised that they were my kind of people. 

I've been incredibly lucky to work with amazing teams during my time at TA. I started in Strategy & Research, working on the Consumer Demand Project (CDP), which tracks traveller demand to Australia. Given that this was during a period of geopolitical tension, the team played a crucial role in supporting industry. I also travelled to Hobart for a presentation to Tourism Tasmania, and I felt a lot of trust from the team even though I was new to my career.  

My next rotation was in Campaigns during the Come and say G'day 2 (CASG 2) brand launch. Being the global headquarters (rare for Australia), the Sydney team ran the rollout of our latest campaign across the world. Being exposed to the strategy and execution behind CASG 2 was an amazing opportunity, and I helped the team localise to each market in APAC while working on other partnership campaigns and streamlining admin processes. 

Finally, I have spent the last 6 months in Distribution & Partnership. I have attended partner meetings, worked on partner selection and reporting, helped co-ordinate events, and edited content for travel agents on the Aussie Specialist Program.  

The best part of working at TA is that development doesn't stop with structured rotations. Half way through the Grad Program, I took another temporary role in the Strategy & Research team, working on Corporate Planning and Tourism 2035, which was a fantastic opportunity for a junior employee to work on long-term strategy. I have also been put forward for the ATEC Elite Program, which is a leadership training program for tourism professionals under 35. I would greatly recommend applying for the Graduate Program at TA.