At the halfway point of Northline’s Graduate Program, Nouara shares the surprises and lessons she has learnt so far.
You previously said that you were most looking forward to working in Analytics. Has this turned out to be your favourite rotation or has another department surprised you?
I have done two-week rotation in Analytics, and yes it was one of my favourites. I learnt a lot about Power BI and SQL and how the information feeds through to reports. The team were great and really patient in teaching me. They put a lot of effort into the learning aspect, which I really appreciated. It’s definitely an area I can see myself working in the future. The aspect of the department I liked the most was learning how to build reports. It was quite fun inputting the data and designing how the graphs and dashboards would look for the users!
A department that really surprised me, was Finance, I really enjoyed working there. I loved seeing how they build targets, how they manage the money and how they develop strategies. I like numbers, it was something I was good at in school, so I found working in finance very interesting.
Have you thought about what you might do once the program ends?
I would love to continue my career in Northline, if there is an interesting position available once I have finished. I have worked in most areas of the company and met a lot of Northline employees which has helped me become more confident and comfortable.
Before starting a new position, I hope to go home to Brazil for a few months I haven’t been home or seen my family for eight years. But I would love the opportunity to come back to Northline once I have seen my family.
If you could give a new graduate one piece of advice, what would it be?
I think to be open to trying new things, even if you think you won’t like it. Just try your best to learn, you can surprise yourself sometimes. I didn’t expect to like Finance as much as I did, and I hadn’t even considered Analytics until I got involved and starting hearing more and more about it. And I thought to myself ‘yes, I like that and that is something I can see myself doing.’
So just be as open as you can, you won’t get another chance in life to work in so many different areas and get to know yourself. Being open will help you to build relationships with people.
And don’t be afraid to ask for help! Everyone at Northline wants the best for you and will support you however they can.
How would you summarise Northline’s graduate program for those that are interested in applying?
I think the program is great to help you figure out what it is exactly that you want to do and really learn about yourself, your strengths, your weaknesses and address them. It’s a great way to build work experience and your confidence.
In my personal experience, I have loved the program and met so many great people and built lots of great relationships.
What has been your most memorable moment during the program?
When I was working in the depot, I was unloading a truck with a forklift and the supervisor told me that I was the first female at their depot to have done that. I thought ‘okay that’s pretty cool…’ and I felt very proud of myself. It’s definitely not something I would have done if I hadn’t been on the program!
I also really enjoy the Social Club at Northline in Adelaide, it’s fun to get to know people outside of work, bond and take part in fun activities like quiz nights!
Read Nouara’s interview from her early days of the program
Nouara joined Northline’s Graduate Program in 2022. She hopes to gain real-life work experience and career development within the logistics and supply chain industry. Nouara joined us for a question and answer session to find out her favourite moments so far.
What did you study at university? I studied Bachelor of Business (Marketing) and Bachelor of International Relations.
What do you hope to achieve during your time at Northline? I hope to develop as much knowledge as I can about the organisation to be able to solve problems and improve company processes while helping Northline to achieve its goals. I also want to develop strong relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.
Why did you apply for the Northline Graduate Program? I applied to the program because I thought was a great opportunity to be able to work in different areas of the company. I also wanted to focus on my career development and to learn more about logistics and supply chain.
What are your plans for after the program? I plan to travel back home to Brazil to see my family and start a Masters, hopefully in Business Analytics. For my future career, I hope to find a department during the Graduate Program that I am truly passionate about and become a leader in Northline.
What department are you looking forward to working in the most? I am looking forward to working in the departments that focus on business improvement, this is the area that interests me most. I think the diverse range of departments will really help with my career development.
What has been your favourite moment at Northline so far? Definitely when I started to drive a forklift, it was a lot of fun! It was also a great chance to bond with the other graduates on the program.
