Reaching the Halfway Point of her Traineeship
Eliza is a social media trainee at AFL SportsReady who has reached the halfway point of her traineeship. She reflects on how much she has developed and changed in the past six months, from needing a lot of guidance at the beginning to working autonomously and feeling more comfortable in the team setting. Eliza is grateful for the support and mentoring she has received from her team, mentor, field officer, and educator, which has helped her work more efficiently and complete tasks autonomously. Recently, Eliza has participated in larger team projects, such as planning major events and campaigns, including the AFL SportsReady 2023 graduations. As a first nations Trainee, Eliza has also had the opportunity to deepen her cultural understanding through the Yarning Group, visiting different places and learning about the importance of culture in running a successful organisation.
Hi, my name is Eliza and I am the social media trainee at AFL SportsReady. This is the third blog of the series, where I provide an insight into the experience of a young person completing a traineeship.
It is a surreal feeling to be at the halfway point of my traineeship. I had not realised how much I had developed and changed until I looked back at how much I had accomplished in the past six months. From changing supervisors to having the opportunity to get involved in bigger projects. I have definitely experienced a noticeable transition throughout my traineeship. From needing a lot of guidance at the beginning to working autonomously and now feel more comfortable with contributing in team settings.
The amount of support and mentoring I have received from my team is invaluable and has contributed immensely to my experience as a trainee. All of the countless hours of workshopping and reviewing work has helped me reach the point where I am now able to work pretty autonomously and can complete tasks much more efficiently than when I first started in my role.
The support networks offered to trainees are what have made the program work so well for me. Working full-time while also completing the education component was something that I found to be very daunting in the beginning.
But having the support of my team, mentor, field officer and educator has been a great support throughout my journey.
Recently, I have been able to start participating in larger team projects. Including the planning of major events and campaigns. Events we’ve been planning for are the 2023 AFL SportsReady graduation ceremonies. Which are being held across the country. The experience of being a part of such a large project has been invaluable. An opportunity that I would never have had the chance to experience without my traineeship.
I have helped with a lot of administrative tasks, assisting with the production of materials for the events. Also viewing the venue and being a part of the staff graduation committee and regularly attending meetings.
All of this has provided me with an insight into all of the meticulous planning that is required and the many challenges that come with planning events with hundreds of people.
Throughout my traineeship, I’ve not only grown professionally, but I have been able to deepen my cultural understanding. As a first nations employee, I had not anticipated there would be opportunities to learn more about my culture. One of these amazing opportunities was being able to be a part of the Yarning Group. This group is comprised of staff members and is run by AFLSR First Nations Mentor, Ralph White. As a group, we visited a range of different places including Koori Court, Melbourne Storm and Djirra, to learn about the importance of culture in running a successful business/organisation.
I have already learnt so much during the first 6 months of my traineeship. I can’t wait to see how much changes from now until I graduate. Stay tuned for my fourth blog, to learn more about my journey as a trainee.
Check out other stories from my Journey!
My First Week at AFL SportsReady!
Connection, Culture & Learning New Skills
Reaching the halfway point of her traineeship
Trainee’s Journey Leads to Self-Confidence
Eliza’s Traineeship: A Year of Industry Insights
AFL SportsReady began a journey of providing quality job opportunities and launching the careers of thousands of young Australians. Come and join Trainees like Eliza who have already taken advantage of the diverse and thrilling opportunities. Kickstart your career with us today!
Filling out our expression of interest form can be a useful step if you are unable to find a specific job opening. This can help us identify candidates for future opportunities and reach out if a relevant opportunity becomes available.
Images:
Victoria Park, AFL SportsReady Head Office, Victoria.
AFL House with the Marketing Team.
Eliza with teammates at Victoria Park, AFL SportsReady Head Office, Victoria.
This series includes current and former trainees demonstrating the benefits of the traineeship program, and how this pathway allows them to follow their passions.
This article is part of our partnership with the National Careers Institute (NCI). To highlight the real benefits of Vocational Education and Training (VET)
