I attended: University of Wollongong

And graduated with a: Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics/Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) Economics

My DESE job title is: 2020 Data Graduate: Data analyst

My job is about: Understanding and tracking the experiences of employers across the country and using a variety of data sources to produce reports and presentations that help policymakers, employers and job seekers to understand the labor market. I also help with the design and upkeep of one of the Department’s biggest nationally representative data sources, the Survey of Employers’ Recruitment Experiences. My branch, while populated by lots of economists, has people with qualifications across the social sciences and mathematics. With a bit of reading, people from many academic backgrounds could pick up the skills to do my work.

The coolest thing about my job is: Learning about the unique challenges in faced in every pocket of the country. Moving quickly to gain detailed insights in response to major events in the economy this year.

A challenge I have experienced in my work is: Attention to detail. I thought I was good at it, but this skill is needed on a whole new level.

2 pieces of advice for yourself when you were job hunting...

1.  Be perseverant. Don’t get demoralized by all the rejections – this is actually the second time I went for the (formerly) Employment Grad Program, and the advice to upskill in Economics from a panelist (who now works in my Branch) pushed me do Honors and be successful the second time around.
2. Find alternative avenues. I couldn’t get a relevant internship through major online intakes, so I approached agencies directly to find opportunities that aren’t available otherwise.

Favourite place to go in Canberra: Transit Bar – great local live music up close.