Auckland University Commerce Students' Association

A huge shout-out to the Auckland University Commerce Students' Association and Eva Kulkarni for pulling together this speed-networking event connecting students with FMCG companies! Valuable insights gained promoting FMCG as a career of choice - while enjoying some delicious treats. 🍫🍦 NZ Food and Grocery Council's Talent & Diversity Working Group supports these types of events to promote FMCG. If your team wants to be involved in the next one or is keen to find out more, get in touch! Isi Tupou Raewyn Bleakley Sailen Mudaly Rachel Clayton Janine Baldwin Kelly Smith, MBE Jamielle Clayton-Greene Lance Dobson Keezia Haste Emily Rubin FMCG Futures Internship Programme

Thank you for joining our event and providing insight about Griffin’s Snacks! It was a privilege to have both professionals speak with our students.

AUCSA x FMCG What an incredible evening connecting with professionals from the FMCG industry. We gained lots of valuable knowledge, along with enjoying some muesli bars, ice cream, and other goodies! Questions varied from, how did you get into your role, and what is some advice for someone trying to enter the industry? To, what do you enjoy most about your career, and what does your day-to-day life look like? All questions were met with thoughtful and inspiring answers. A big thank you to ZURU, Foodstuffs, Griffin’s, and Unilever. We appreciate your time and answers to our many, many questions. It is without a doubt, that many students have found a new, or confirmed, interest for FMCG.

First Panel Experience at The University of Auckland. What an Incredible Day! I spoke at the Auckland University Commerce Students' Association Recruitment Series panel on Friday! 🙌 ✨ Key takeaways: 💡 Transferable skills: Strong people skills and problem-solving are essential in any industry. Every company has a problem, figure out how to solve it! 🤝 Networking matters: Aim to meet at least one new person at every event. You never know what opportunities might come your way. 🌐 LinkedIn opens doors: Build your network and make the most of it! 🧠 Mindset matters: Balance is different for everyone. When my son was little, I struggled to balance work and parenting. Now that he’s a teenager, I’ve learned to focus when needed but be present when it counts. 🙏 Thank you to Mya Ruediger and Eva Kulkarni for hosting! 🙌 Special thanks to my fellow panelists Hassana Kirkwood 💃🏽, Xaviere Murray-Puhara, and Tom Wu, you were amazing! Mahia Recruitment, Tech Taniwha Tom – Your insights about Go Bear AI (helping people find jobs with AI) were truly inspiring. 👏 Shoutout to the students who spoke with me afterward Devanshi R., Daniel Wiranata, and Gabriel Peralta excited to see where your journeys take you! 🙏 Big thank you to Olympic33 for the opportunity to give back and inspire the next generation in tech. And finally… Thanks, Tom, for sharing your story about being bitten by a dog during door-to-door sales another reason tech wins! 🐕😂 #Networking #TechCommunity #CareerGrowth #FutureOfTech #AIInnovation #GoBearAI #MindsetMatters #Balance #MahiaRecruitment #TechTaniwha #O33 #Olympic33 #WomenInTech

The last day of our recruitment series with an incredibly informative, inspiring, and entertaining panel!! Today’s Business Analytics and Information Systems talk was filled with such good insight, advice, and laughter. Some key takeaways include: • Take risks and opportunities. Put your hand up and put yourself out there. • Find time to relax and rewind. Spend time with your loved ones, but if you prefer being alone, choose that option. How you recharge yourself is different for everyone and up to you to decide what makes you feel good. • Go with your gut and find the right fit for you. • Good people skills are essential. • People will always tell you how to do things and give you advice, but at the end of the day, you need to figure out what actually works for you. You need to move and try things out for yourself, instead of simply listening. A huge thank you to Hassana Kirkwood 💃🏽 , Nadine Young , Tom Wu , and Xaviere Murray-Puhara for taking time out of your busy schedules to join our event today. We appreciate all the valuable information and stories you shared!

I am grateful to have attended the Recruitment Series Workshop for Marketing, Management, and Consulting yesterday, hosted by the Auckland University Commerce Students' Association. It was an invaluable opportunity to learn from industry professionals Kyle Hannah, Amelia Hooper, Elaine Yeoh, Christine Abbott, Caitlyn Lambert, Benaya T. and Vineet Chuahan who shared their insights on navigating the recruitment process and standing out in today’s job market. 💡 Some key takeaways that stood out to me: - The value of putting yourself out there - networking and making connections can lead to unexpected opportunities. - Having confidence in your abilities - overcoming self-doubt allows you to take risks and explore new career paths. - Building in-demand skills - understanding what employers truly value can help you stand out in a competitive job market. It was also great to connect with other marketing professionals and like-minded peers. A huge thank you to the speakers and organizers for such an insightful session!

Have you noticed that viral trend going around about having coffee with your younger self? Honestly, I have no interest in having coffee with the younger me. I've outgrown her. I am not entirely sure that she would have stopped long enough to hear or value what I had to share anyway. With maturity, I've come to realise that advice packaged with the best of intentions isn't always welcome, unless its solicited. So this week, I was pleasantly surprised to be invited for a morning coffee with a group of bright young marketing minds from the Auckland University Commerce Students' Association, alongside an inspiring panel of marketing specialists, entrepreneurs, and management consultants. In them, I saw many versions of my younger self - curious, ambitious, and full of questions about how to get ahead, navigate and launch their dream careers. My advice was simple: Start looking at yourself as a BRAND. You can't market something for someone else if you haven’t first done it for yourself. Your personal brand is the one thing that is uniquely yours - so own it. Start small, be relatable, true to what you stand for and most importantly, stay consistent. My fellow panelists also shared advice that I wish I had heard earlier in my career: + BE INTENTIONAL. List your dream employers, reach out, and show them why you matter. + EXPERIMENT AND HUSTLE. Today's creator’s economy rewards action - build something or learn a skill and you will stay marketable. + WORK HARD - PLAY HARD. Your 20s are for both - embrace the experience fully. + DON'T GET STUCK ON IMPOSTER SYNDROME. Instead bring a great attitude, find mentors that model good habits. Don't be afraid of heights and build confidence within the work places that you join. + WELCOME TOUGH CONVERSATIONS. Growth happens when you are outside your comfort zone and become open to feedback A big thank you to Brianna Verspeek and Aurora Chen for inviting me to sit on today's panel and a big shout out to my fellow panelists: Christine Abbott, Amelia Hooper, Vineet Chauhan, Kyle Hannah - great respect for each of your journeys and the wonderful perspectives you each shared.

Lessons from my wonderful co-panelists at the Auckland University Commerce Students' Association event and what I wish I knew starting out... I had the privilege of speaking on a The University of Auckland panel this morning, sharing insights with students and early-career professionals about navigating the workforce, building a career, and handling challenges along the way. A few key takeaways from our conversation: 💡 As Christine Abbott said so well - a career path won’t always be linear... guess what? that’s okay. I didn’t follow a traditional route into the finance industry, but curiosity, adaptability, and saying “yes” to new challenges shaped my journey. Opportunities often come from unexpected places. 💡 Vineet Chauhan affirmed that transferable skills matter more than job titles. Adaptability, problem-solving, and communication will set you apart in any industry. Focus on developing these, and you’ll find doors opening in ways you might not expect. 💡 Your personal brand is more important than you think, highlighted Elaine Yeoh. Early in my career, I didn’t realise how valuable it is to intentionally showcase your skills and experiences. Whether through networking, sharing insights, or simply being vocal about your strengths, how you position yourself can create opportunities. 💡 Work-life balance is a rhythm, not a rule right - Kyle Hannah? Some weeks are intense, some are lighter, it’s about creating sustainability. Prioritising fitness, time away from screens, and knowing when to reset keeps me performing at my best. These conversations always remind me how exciting it is to connect with ambitious professionals at the start of their journey. If you’re in the early stages of your career, what’s the best advice you’ve received? Let’s keep the conversation going...

Recruitment Series Day 1 - Accounting & Finance What an incredible opportunity to hear from these industry professionals!! They shared such valuable information including, but not limited to: • Finding a work-life balance by scheduling time for yourself and spending time with loved ones • Finding the right career for you by trying out anything and everything! Going out for extracurricular activities, finding a part-time job, and trying out different hobbies • The power of networking and improving your people skills. Making connections is a huge necessity and this requires practice and putting yourself out there A big thank you, again, to Holly Manning, Jacklyn Lim, Amelia Wong, and Suzee Tran for the informative and inspiring talk today!

Looking for Speakers – AUCSA Recruitment Series! We’re looking for industry professionals to speak in a panel at our upcoming Recruitment Series! Auckland University Commerce Students' Association If you have experience in any of the following areas, we’d love to hear from you: 💻 Information Systems, Tech, and Business Analytics – Friday, March 21 | 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM 📊 Consulting, Marketing, and Management – Tuesday, March 18 | 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM This is a great opportunity to share your insights, inspire students, and give back to the next generation of business leaders. If you’re interested, comment below! Know someone who’d be a great fit? Tag them! Or reach out to our professional development team, Eva Kulkarni and Mya Ruediger Thanks in advance for your help! #AUCSA #RecruitmentSeries #CareerGrowth #Networking