Graduate Programs – Stories

Graduate Management Trainee (GMT)

Monique Di Gregorio

“I really wanted to challenge myself and get exposure new perspectives … I wanted a career where every day could be something different.”

Having completed the GMT program, I can honestly say that the experience was invaluable. I love the balance between real, hands-on work and professional development. It made for a perfect transition between university and full-time work; I was given real responsibilities while still getting any support I might need.

I really liked that I got to rotate through each area of the business. It gave me a great perspective of how the whole business runs and that’s set me up with a wide range of experience to take into my new role.

One of the most rewarding experiences of the year was seeing the results of my project actually having a positive impact on the business. I helped to execute the Pure Blonde Organic launch and seeing the billboards and radio ads I worked on out in public was such a rewarding feeling.

Supply Management Trainee (SMT)

Jacinta Poon

5.20AM

CUB’s Abbotsford brewery runs 24 hours a day, six days a week (seven during peak times), with three 8-hour shifts across the day. I am currently working the day shift, from 6AM to 2PM.

So it’s early morning starts this week – luckily, I live close by and there is almost no traffic on the roads. I arrive at the brewery by 5.45AM and head into the packaging hall.

6.00AM

As I walk through the packaging hall, I like to check on how the line is running from the shift before. This morning we’re running Carlton Dry cans, 24-packs. I head to the packaging office and do a handover with the last shift’s team leader, who lets me know about any issues on the line and how the current run is going.

6.30AM

I quickly scan my emails and notifications before gathering my team to run through what the day is looking like. I’m a team leader on the can line, leading a team of nine machine operators, three mechanical fitters and one electrician. I let my team know about any safety callouts, quality issues, and what we’re packaging on this shift. Today we’ll be sticking to Carlton Dry but changing to 10-packs in the afternoon, so there’ll be some prep work to get ready for that.

7.00AM

Next is a quick catch-up with the maintenance controller and unit manager to review any planned maintenance during the week. This is a good time to get an overview of whether we can expect any disruptions that we may need to work around. I usually try and sneak in a bit of breakfast around now, because once the line is really going, you never know when or where it’ll be all hands on deck.

9.00AM

Most of my meetings and planning takes place in the first couple of hours of the shift, and from then each day can be completely different. Some days everything runs perfectly, and the team and I are able to catch up on work or prepare for the next runs, but other days it feels like everything can go wrong.

I like to spend a lot of my time on the line itself, relaying messages to my team, checking on each of the machines’ performance, and getting a real feel for how everything is going.
Everything is running fairly well today, so I work with the team to start preparing one of the machines so we can change it from the 24-pack to a 10-pack configuration. We won’t be changing over for a little while, but it’s good to get ahead where you can. I also spend some time in the office ordering new stock and raw materials, confirming quality checks and working through a bit of admin.

12.00PM

I head down to the palletiser (this is the machine that stacks the slabs into a pallet) to check out a previously reported issue. One of the conveyor belts was moving erratically, causing the slabs to get blocked and run into each other. This slows down the efficiency of the run, but it can also potentially damage the beer slabs.

One of our fitters has to be brought over to get an idea of the issue – it appears the bearing and sprocket are worn down and need to be replaced. I work with our maintenance team to source these parts and they are quickly installed, keeping disruption to the line at a minimum.

1.00PM

We are getting close to the end of the Carlton Dry run, so I work my way down the line to make sure each machine is ready to be changed over to Mercury Hard Cider. Once we reach 26,000 cans of Carlton Dry, we begin the change.

The line becomes a flurry of activity. The filler is flushed and cleaned of any excess beer, Mercury cans are loaded in, slabs are replaced, and we are ready to go again. Before anything is packed, we do a test run so the cider can be assessed by our tasters. We only send the best out!

1.30PM

The day has flown by! I begin to collect my results from the day’s run and I prepare a short report on today’s activities. The next shift will be in at 2PM, and having that report ready helps minimise downtime between shifts.

The next team leader arrives and I run him through how the run went, as well as the issues with the palletiser. He’ll be keeping an eye on it during the afternoon shift.

I’m still relatively new in my position but leading a team has been a great learning experience. Both the on-the-job learning and the more formal mentoring and support I am receiving has really developed my skills.

2.15PM

All done for the day. I really enjoy being on the day shift, as it leaves heaps of time in the afternoon for myself and allows me to hit up a yoga session and catch up with some friends.

Technology Management Trainee (TMT)

Mack Thomas

“The culture at CUB is definitely the biggest highlight. Everyone is super friendly and easy-going but these are also some of the smartest people I’ve ever met.”

I initially applied for the program because I’m a big fan of the brands, but I was quickly drawn into the work I was doing. CUB is making huge strides on the technology side of the business, and every day I am facing new challenges.

One of the big projects I tackled was streamlining our internal processes to improve our financial forecasting. This would enable a more accurate and flexible approach to determining our future performance. It’s been really cool seeing my recommendations implemented and the resulting changes in the business. I definitely wasn’t expecting to be given the reigns so early on in my career, and it’s amazing to make that sort of impact as a grad.

I think what I’m most excited for in the future is the opportunity to do a stint with our Supply team – it would be a really cool development opportunity to see more of the production side of the business and apply my learnings from technology to a new area. I’m also pumped to see what the future holds for CUB. So far it has been unreal to see how fast-paced the beer industry is and I’m super grateful to be a part of such an innovative team.

*2021 is the first year that the TMT program will be running. In 2019, Mack completed the GMT program, during which he worked closely with the Technology team. Mack is now working in Solutions and Business Transformation as a Business Services Manager.

Analytics Management Trainee (AMT)

Lizzy Prosselkova

Who is Lizzy Prosselkova?

I was born in Voronezh, Russia and I was lucky enough to move to Australia at a young age with my family. Jumping forward a decade and a half, I studied at University of Melbourne where I completed a Bachelor of Commerce (Economics & Finance).

I really embraced university life, living on campus and participating in a wide range of different clubs and societies. During my course, I completed an internship subject in Bangkok and studied abroad in India. These experiences sparked a love of travel and helped me to realise the importance of South East Asia as an emerging economic hub. I also discovered that I loved statistics and econometrics and wherever my career took me, I wanted to tell stories through data. I am so grateful that I can do exactly that in my current role at CUB.

Outside of work, I love being able to pursue my other passions, including yoga, figure skating and hiking.

What attracted you to CUB?

The culture. CUB offers workplace flexibility. It’s all about finding balance and discovering what works best for you. I also love how my colleagues have become my friends, and how I feel supported in the office. This extends to the personal and professional support I receive from my managers.

What is the coolest thing about your job?

I never stop learning! Every day is an exploration of a new topic, whether it’s a new math function or working with a new department in the business. I love seeing how an algorithm comes together to solve real business problems.

There is a real sense in the company that mistakes and failures are learning experiences and an opportunity to grow. I really like this about CUB, as it encourages me to go outside the box and to try something a bit different. I know I won’t be punished for showing ambition in my work.

Do you have any advice for current students applying?

Before you start applying for grad jobs or anything else, just embrace student life and try to get involved! You’ll never have an opportunity like this again, so make the most of it. Keep stepping outside of your comfort zone and just have fun.

Don’t be afraid to be passionate about what motivates you; be confident but humble and most importantly, just be yourself!

*2021 is the first year that the AMT program will be running. In 2019, Lizzy completed the GMT program. However, throughout the year she focused on projects in data and analytics, making her experience a good reference point for what to expect as an AMT. Lizzy is now working as a Commercial Analytics Specialist.

Summer Internship

Jeremy Chadwick

6:25am-6:45am

Waking up is a bit of an adventure each morning, as I use an app that tracks my sleep and then sets an alarm based on my REM cycles. I don’t really know if I trust the app or if it really works, but even if it doesn’t it’s a nice placebo and I think I feel a little fresher because of it.

7:00am

A quick gym session. It is always hard motivating myself in the morning, but once I’m actually there, I always feel a lot better and I’m glad to have gone (even if it is just a quick one).

I follow this up with a shower and the short walk to the train station. I try and use the time on the train to zone out a bit; I put in my headphones, crank up whatever Spotify has discovered for me this week, and ready myself for the day ahead.

8:30am

CUB are really big supporters of flexible working; everyone gets to work the way that suits them. On any given morning I could be walking into a crowded house or I could be the first one in. Either way, I can’t go wrong with picking a desk, as the floor-to-ceiling windows of the 22nd level look over the city and the Yarra, giving me a view that I never quite get over.

10:00am

My first meeting of the day is with an external vendor who are pitching to my team. The first few meetings I attended felt a little weird, but my team quickly rallied around me and encouraged my contributions. It really helped me feel like a true member of the team, not just another intern shadowing meetings.

The meeting goes well, and my team discusses how we want to respond and what the next steps will be. I return to my desk and start working through vendor’s proposition so we can build it into our strategy for the upcoming year. Unfortunately, I can’t go into the details of what I’m working on, but I am really excited by how it has been turning out!

12:00pm

All us interns try to meet up for lunch each Friday to debrief on the week. As the clock approaches midday we have a highly contentious debate on who does the best sushi out of the three nearby shops, but eventually we decide and set ourselves up outside for a little fresh air and sun.

Over lunch we chat about what everyone got up to over the week to discussing where each of us are most interested in working around the business. Time flies and soon I’m heading back upstairs to close out the week.

1:00pm

Back at my desk and I’m going through some final prep for a meeting I’m running with HR reps across the business. I’ll be introducing a new process I’ve created for off-boarding interviews. I spend some time going back and forth with my manager on the finer details of the slide deck and reviewing my talking points.

I arrive early to the meeting room to set up Zoom (a video conferencing program) so the interstate reps can call in. My preparation pays off and everything goes well. I think my ideas were really well received and I got some good feedback to take onboard and implement.

2:00pm

I spend the rest of the day working through the changes to my project, as well as helping others across the business. The variety of work here keeps me on my toes and it’s a great introduction to the breadth of the business – plus it provides great networking opportunities. I never realised how much a company like CUB does – from brewing and logistics to sales and marketing, there’s a role at CUB for anyone.

5:00pm

For those who haven’t gotten away early, Friday 5pm is undeniably the most exciting time to be working at CUB. Everyone begins to migrate to our office bar – featuring incredible views across the city and just about every product in the CUB stable at hand. Everyone from across the company comes together to share some laughs. It’s a great place to ease out of the work week and get to know people you otherwise don’t get to interact with.

7:00pm

I get home after an hour or so at the bar to drop my bag and head back out again. Working all week definitely makes you appreciate the weekends a little more, so I try to get out and meet my friends whenever possible – even trying to wow them with some of my newfound beer knowledge!

It’s been a busy day and week, but also super rewarding. Looking forward to a couple of days off before getting back into it again on Monday!

Graduate Management Trainee (GMT)

Kaushal Kulkarni

Who is Kaushal Kulkarni?

I’ve always thought of myself as a naturally analytical person with an interest in all things business-related. So, after finishing high school I went on to complete a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) and Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) at Monash University. My time at university was a highlight, I made great friends, took part in societies and had the opportunity to complete a few internships as well.

In my final year, I applied for graduate programs and found that CUB’s GMT program stood out the most, with its cross-functional rotations and global exposure. Fast forward a year and a half, I’ve now finished the GMT program and have started my new role as a Team Leader on one of the bottling lines at our Abbotsford brewery.

Outside of work I’m either reading up on the latest NBA news and highlights or spending time with my dog, Snoopy, on the weekend!

What attracted you to CUB?

At university, a friend of mine completed CUB’s internship program and had nothing but good things to say, so I was pretty keen to put in an application for the graduate program.
I chose to apply for the GMT program specifically because of the breadth of projects I would have the opportunity to take part in. Having completed a double degree, I was tossing up between pursuing engineering or commerce as my first role out of university. The GMT program had the right balance of a technical immersion at one of our leading breweries, and business projects in sales, marketing and finance based at our head office.

In retrospect, the GMT program was the perfect way to get started at CUB. I developed my understanding in every function of the business, grew my network along the way and had fantastic exposure to the CUB leadership team as well – I couldn’t have asked for more. By the end of the 10-month program, I could make a well-informed decision about where I wanted to start my career.

What is the coolest thing about your job?

Honestly, no two days are the same when you’re working in a production environment! As a Team Leader on our bottling line, I’m responsible for production, safety, quality and managing a team of operators and tradespeople on a shift basis. Every day brings its own unique challenges and it’s up to me to tackle problems as they come and make the right decisions at the right time.

Tell us a little bit about your typical day in the brewery?

On the bottling line, the end-to-end process of filling bottles with beer or cider, pasteurisation, labelling and then the packaging of bottles into six-packs and cases takes place. I’m responsible for adhering to our production schedule, all aspects of safety and quality and managing a team of operators and tradespeople. Working on a shift basis means I rotate between three shifts every week.

I typically start the shift by receiving an update from the previous shift’s team leader on how we’re tracking production-wise and if there are any safety or quality-related concerns I should be aware of. I then run a daily meeting with my team of operators and tradespeople. I start off by mentioning any safety callouts and give them an update of our production schedule and goals for the day. As the day continues, I keep a close eye on our production efficiencies and address any breakdowns of our packaging machinery that we may face. I also complete a full walk of the line talking to everyone in the team about how their machinery is functioning and for them to raise any other callouts they may have to me.

By the end of the shift, I prepare a report summarising our production goals, safety or quality concerns and any technical challenges we may have faced, ready to hand over to the next shift.

Do you have any advice for current students applying?

Your time at university is a time to discover what your interests are and what motivates you – make the most of this! Having a good understanding of what drives you will help set out where you want to start your career.

Most importantly, be yourself when applying to graduate programs. Don’t be afraid to show your personality and what makes you unique.