Updating Results

Westpac Group

4.4
  • 1,000 - 50,000 employees

Maren

I studied a Bachelor of Commerce (Liberal Studies) at The University of Sydney and on weekends I love to head to the beach for a swim.

Your Business Area

Explain what your business area does or their function within the group.

Generally speaking, the Marketing division focuses on understanding consumer behaviour and the market environment in order to enhance customer experience and product/ service offering. There are different teams that feed into this overarching goal and that work closely together to deliver key marketing activities.

Core marketing activities include: market research and identifying customer needs & wants, formulating strategies upon these insights, designing product/ service offerings, customer testing, and advertising creation. A big part of what we all do is optimisation – tracking and enhancing our offers, services, advertisements, and overall customer experience.

Motivation

Why did you apply for a graduate role at Westpac Group, and why your chosen business area?

I first decided to apply to the Westpac Grad program after hearing about the company’s great culture and development opportunities from previous grads. I was eager to kick start my career in an inclusive and stimulating environment, with a company that invests in their employees and the broader community – Westpac ticked all those boxes for me.

I chose to apply to this stream as it best aligned with my interest and background in Marketing and Psychology.

Rotations

To date: please provide an overview of the rotation(s) you have completed and, if cross functional, which business areas/groups you have worked in

I completed my first rotation in the Branding and Advertising team and then completed a rotation in Market Research & Design. I was given the opportunity to co-lead multiple advertising campaigns across Everyday Banking and Housing for both print and digital channels. I was also involved in managing brand partnerships and brand governance.

Projects

To date: has there been a project you have been involved in that you found particularly exciting or engaging?

One of my favourite projects so far has been the MECCA x Westpac brand partnership. Throughout my time on this project, I managed the distribution of MECCA gift cards to local Westpac branches with the aim of enhancing in-branch customer experience by creating a surprise & delight moment for those opening a new account. I learnt a lot about stakeholder management, brand partnerships and our national branch system.

Graduate Program

So far, what has been the highlight of the graduate program?

The highlight of the graduate program is the grad cohort – everyone is inclusive and fun. There are lots of opportunities for you to mingle with your fellow grads, whether that be at one of the Graduate Learning Sessions or over a drink after work. You’ll always have someone to talk to and to motivate you.

Westpac Group Culture

What is one thing you love about Westpac Group?

I think it’s great how Westpac stands by its values and encourages community involvement. Within my first few months, my team and I took our annual volunteering leave and spent the day working with Little Wings in Bankstown. It was a great opportunity to learn about our partnerships, to give back to the community and also provided a chance to bond with my colleagues.

For Uncommon Minds

What is unique about your ‘Uncommon Mind’?

I am a CDMO Grad but am passionate about sports.

To Wrap Up

Please describe your business area in three words.

Data meets creativity.

Where are they now?

Which part of the business do you work in now?

I work in the Insights & Analytics division within the Chief Brand & Marketing Office

What does your role entail?

I am a brand researcher. I conduct both quantitative and qualitative research that helps track Westpac’s brand health and is crucial in identifying opportunities to build and leverage the brand more strongly. Exciting projects include tracking the performance of in-market campaigns or unpacking how our diverse sponsorships & partnerships uniquely feed into the Westpac brand.

In what way did your grad program journey prepare you for your current role?

I started off my first rotation in the brand team and found my way into quantitative research towards the end of my graduate program. As a brand researcher I am now able to leverage both those experiences. The vast experiences you gather across your rotations allow you to upskill across multiple areas and therefore to bring a uniquely holistic perceptive to the table.

What are you most looking forward to?

There is so much to learn in the world of market research, so I am keen to upskill and play an active part in making Westpac more data and insights-driven.

What was unexpected / a surprise?

I am so glad and relieved that when you roll off the program, the grad community doesn’t die. Even though everyone is much busier in their new positions, the friends you made in your first year are there to stay and you can always fall back on them for support or advice.

Please sum up your Grad experience (to date) in three words.

Exciting, immersive, challenging.

Do you have any advice for when they come to seek post-program roles?

It’s important to be open and transparent – if you are interested in particular field then make that known. Ask if there are opportunities available and proactively integrate yourself in the work and the broader team.