As a proud born and raised resident of Western Sydney, I’ve always had a strong interest in pursuing a career that somehow will contribute to the future of Western Sydney and its community. I’ve always been a creative, enthusiastic, and adventurous learner that is keen to take on any learning opportunity that comes my way.
Last year an incredible opportunity did come my way which I grabbed with both hands. Just a couple of months after graduating from East Hills Girls Technology High School in 2020, I was fortunate enough to be one of the four trainees accepted as part of the Trainee Program at the airport. I was so excited!
I’ve always had an interest in communications, in particular the social media aspect of it, but I also am a real people person so the opportunity to engage and work with the community was something that really excited me about this opportunity. I began my traineeship at Western Sydney Airport in May 2021, and that’s when I realised that I couldn’t imagine anything better for my career at this stage.
I was only 18 when I was given this once in a lifetime opportunity to work and be a part of one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Australia’s history. I have now been a part of the Corporate Affairs team at WSA for the past seven months and I have experienced and learnt so many different things that I would never have had the opportunity to do without this program which I will forever hold onto throughout the rest of my career.
My time has been spent working with both the Community Engagement team and the External Affairs team. They’ve turned my experience working across both sides of the business unit into a fun game of winning my allegiance. Every now and then my colleagues from both side of the team will jokingly ask me “So which side of Corporate Affairs do you enjoy more?”. I know they are just joking around but, in all honesty, I still can’t choose! Both roles are so unique and intriguing in their own way and I am lucky that I can be exposed to both sides of these incredibly unique worlds.
Working with the community engagement team, I am able to meet our local community members, visit schools and engage with our wider community members at events and talk with them about the opportunities that the airport is going to bring for Western Sydney.
It makes me proud to be able to tell kids at the schools who visit about all the local jobs that will be created with the new airport, how much progress we have already made and to share my experience with other students in hopes to inspire them with my story. It is crazy that I was just like them last year and now I am working at the airport!
Even though engaging with community and stakeholders is still a large aspect on the External Affairs side of the team, we do it from a whole different perspective which makes it exciting in a completely different way
Through social media and creating content we are able to engage with a wider digital community through creative and fascinating ways. I’ve had the chance to work with our social media team and assist with planning and producing content, but also by being encouraged to pick up the camera and create the actual content myself, which I’ve taken a lot of pride in publishing on our social pages.
However, External Affairs isn’t just social media. I’ve worked with our very talented Media and Stakeholder Managers to engage with important stakeholders on presentations and major media announcements that have received coverage across Australia.
In my seven months at Western Sydney Airport, I’ve had the chance to participate and assist in the organisation of two major media events - The awarding of the Western Sydney International Airport terminal contract and the commencement of work media event for the terminal.
The best part of being involved in media events is going home that day, watching the airport coverage on TV, knowing that my team and I made that happen. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind experience.
When I first started working at the airport, it was quite daunting. I was the youngest in my team and besides an enthusiastic and excited energy, I had no experience in the corporate world. My colleagues and the wider WSA team have been so nurturing, engaging and welcoming.
I have found great mentors that I look up to and teach me valuable skills that I will continue to use throughout the rest of my career. It’s been an amazing experience working at WSA over the past 7 months and I look forward to the new adventures that await me and my colleagues at Western Sydney Airport in 2022.
