Throughout the grad program, I've had the opportunity to work closely with an incredible mentor who's been both supportive and empowering. I've felt trusted to take ownership of projects while still having guidance when needed, which has helped me grow professionally and build confidence in my work. Along the way, I've developed skills in a range of new software tools and gained hands-on experience working in an agile environment.
The 3-day induction that the we had in the beginning as graduates was really fun as we were able to learn more about Contact through fun, relaxed activities. It also brought the graduates closer, which is great as we were all new to Taupo and didn't know anyone. It didn't help me much in terms of transition into my role but that is to be expected as the 3-day induction is not meant to train you specifically for your role. I did find that integrating into my team wasn't the easiest but looking back I was able to learn a lot and it was a challenge that made me grow as an engineer. Communication has been mostly great but you have to be proactive and firm to get your answers.
Training and development is primarily on the job. There's a yearly allowance for attending development opportunities like conferences, and you're free to attend any seminars that you're interested in. Mentoring opportunities are there if you look for them, and we have a coffee roulette system you can sign up for, allowing you to meet people around the company.
I learned data engineering and improved my communication and presentations through rotations. I even got a few certifications during graduate rotations and the company paid for them