Growing up in the Mackay region and being at of forefront of the mining    industry, I always knew I wanted to work within a company supporting these communities and industries. For me, Hastings Deering was the obvious choice as they do just that! Despite operating on an international level and being directly affiliated with CATERPILLAR, one of the world’s most recognised and respected brands, working for Hastings Deering is like being part of a family. The support and development Hastings Deering provide extends beyond just communities and the mining industry, it is translated into everything the company engages in, including employee experience and development, with the program providing the opportunity to rotate through a plethora of finance functions.
Hasting Deering is a subsidiary of Sime Darby Berhad, a multinational corporation with operations spanning throughout Asia, Australia, the Pacific Islands and New Zealand. As a graduate, I have been exposed to a range of work on an international scale, having liaised directly with the stakeholders involved in the acquisition of our New Zealand subsidiary, Terra CAT. Opportunities to engage in multinational operations do not end here, throughout my rotations I have also had the privilege of working with the External Reporting team to prepare financial statements for submission to Sime Darby, and in the next few months I will be joining our Corporate Assurance team who frequently travel to business centres located throughout all areas of our operations. 

I was surprised to discover just how diverse and complex HR really is, especially within a global and breakthrough organisation such as Hastings Deering. The enormity, complexity and exposure to an ever-changing environment catapulted my development and genuine passion for working within the People function, with various client groups and the organisation at large. The Graduate Program has exceeded any expectations that I had and has given me the exposure that I need to create and expand on my own brand as a HR Graduate and make my mark, however small, within each rotation and function that I had and will have experience with over the course of my HR journey. 
My initial expectations of the regional rotation was that I would be more heavily involved with the same work that I was doing in Brisbane however I would just be based in a different location. However, I can say now having gone through it that this rotation has been another ‘’light year leap’’ in my career journey. Since commencing in my regional rotation, I have been lucky enough to also travel to Townsville, Rockhampton, Moranbah and Emerald and have exposure to more complex work which involved engaging and assisting the relevant HR Business Partners in transactional and strategic activities and projects spanning across the CQ, NT, SEQ and FNQ regions. This rotation has come to provide me with the opportunity and equip me with the relevant skills and knowledge to become a dynamic and well-rounded individual and professional. 

I completed my mechanical engineering degree at the University of Queensland, and it taught me great technical skills and teamwork/leadership skills that have proven me well during my time working at Hastings Deering. I was also able to complete my 450hrs of required work experience through our Engineering department and stayed on part time throughout my last year and a half of studies. I really enjoyed the mix of study and work which motivated me to get into the industry straight away! Currently my hat is hung in the Mining Equipment Assembly area. I work with the leading hands and various trades to provide feedback to Caterpillar whilst also working with the Engineering department to improve our mine-site extras offerings to our customers. This role allows me to gain huge insight into our build processes and how we achieve our final product.

It is a very exciting opportunity to be a part of the Engineering Graduate Program with Hastings Deering. Gaining exposure to a broad range of business areas throughout the rotation enables you to build on your university studies and develop a well-rounded skillset as a young professional. 
My highlight thus far is being involved in the latest CAT 994K wheel loader project during my time in the Equipment Assembly department. This covered aspects such as base machine assembly, performance testing and quality assurance - all the way through to final delivery. I particularly enjoyed the collaboration with other departments in this process and how the team continually improves safety initiatives in their commitment to our No Harm culture. Experience in the operational side of the business provides a safe, practical and hands-on approach to learning, offering a great foundation for early professional development. There is a wealth of industry knowledge within Hastings Deering, the people are great, and I have really benefited from the mentorship I have received along the way.

When I first started at Hastings Deering, the Finance program was over a three year period. I rotated through General Ledger (6 months), External reporting (3 months), Commercial (6 months), Credit (3 months), Procurement (3 months), Treasury (3 months) and Internal Audit (1 year). I truly appreciated and enjoyed the ability to experience so many rotations, allowing me to learn new things from each department, work with different people and face different challenges. This then gave me capability to connect my understandings from each area, giving me a clearer depiction of how the business operates. I do believe that the durations in some departments could have been lessened and that is why the current finance program is now a two year program instead of three.
I was also given the opportunity to be part of the Flexibility and Inclusion Initiative, which is designed to create an environment where all our people feel like they belong. There are 5 groups within the initiative; Culture, Gender, Abilities, Generation and LGBT. I am part of the Gender team and some examples of what my involvement entails includes the running and organising of fundraising events, global celebration events (e.g. International Women’s Day), creating and presenting dashboards of gender statistics within the business, working to improve or introduce certain policies and so much more. I have also had the privilege of being on the receiving end of the program by being able to work part time hours after returning from maternity leave and working flexible hours currently to suit my family needs.

The business graduate program provides you with a platform to gain valuable business understanding and skills by working in sales, marketing, and product support teams across both the mining and construction industries. As part of my rotation I am currently working in construction, where I have been able to experience both the operations and customer facing sides of the business. During my first year with Hastings Deering I have been able to put into practice what I learnt whilst at university and given the opportunity to collaborate with key stakeholders within the business on a range of exciting projects.
What interested me most about Hastings Deering was the wide range of experiences and skills that I could gain from being involved in a structured graduate program. Furthermore, I was drawn to Hastings Deering’s belief that their people are their advantage; belonging to such a positive and progressive culture has made it a great environment to come to work each day.

I joined Hastings Deering in July 2019 as a finance intern over the final semester of studies. The role allowed me to get to know the team members and broaden my understanding, as well as provide me with the opportunity to learn and familiarise myself with the necessary technical knowledge prior to commencing my graduate program.
My onboarding process involved a full tour of the 98 Kerry Road facility and an introduction to each of the finance members on their teams and roles, followed by a various health and safety modules and a lesson through the applications I will be required to use and how they operate. During my rotation in January, I was further provided with a two-week handover period from a fellow graduate (Ethan) on the new role I was to take over. 
Currently I am in the commercial finance rotation where my main responsibilities focus on the monthly reports. This involves consolidating the monthly financial outcomes of the group’s entities across Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and New Zealand to provide an overview of the financial position for the CFO and the parent group Sime Darby.

I completed my first CPA subject last semester (May 2020) when the business was directed to work from home. I always anticipated working full time and balancing study was going to be a challenge, however doing this during the height of the COVID lockdowns was another realm. Thankfully, the graduate catch up's during this time really helped me identify useful tips and tricks that the other graduates were also using. Additionally, the support from HDAL was very accommodating and provided me with the flexibility to study during my suitable hours and helped support me during the exam period. 
On the 1st July 2020, I officially started as a permanent team member of the Group Corporate assurance team as an auditor. It has been amazing and my time during the graduate program has been very beneficial as I have been able to leverage off the knowledge and relationships I’ve built during my  finance rotations and bring that into my new role as an auditor. Additionally, as the Group Corporate assurance team sits at a Sime Darby level, my stakeholder engagement also extends to the Motors teams in Australia and New Zealand and so I have been able to continuously learn more about the Sime Darby Berhad business with both Industrial and Motors division engagement. 

The IT graduate program at Hastings Deering has provided me with a unique and diverse opportunity that covers the many aspects the field has to offer. Each rotation can range from developing software solutions that solve the business’ problems, to focusing on designing the end-user experience for our application’s customers. A constant throughout the graduate program was working on the digital transformation of the organisation; designing and developing applications that re-think how technology, people, and processes can enhance business performance. This culture that strives for constant improvement creates a positive environment where learning and achieving outcomes is essential for what a graduate program should offer. 
In one rotation I was given the unique opportunity to work as a User Experience Designer, where I prioritised advocating for the end-user’s needs. This involved interaction with a wide variety of subject-matter experts and finding their desires and pain points throughout their user journey. This included assisting in facilitating design thinking workshops - which was an important and exciting skill to build, not only among designers but is applicable across all areas of business. This unique and modern user-centric approach that focuses on utilising cross-functional teams was a key stand-out the program has offered to develop my career in IT.