Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
2 seconds ago
EIT graduate Rebecca Mitchell has kicked off a career in human resources at Emmerson Transport.
Rebecca Mitchell graduated from her Bachelor in Business Studies in June this year and already landed her dream graduate job in human resources at Emmerson Transport.
Rebecca moved with her family from Scotland to New Zealand when she was six years old. After graduating from Taradale High School she started off with a social work degree but she says that it wasn’t quite the right pick for her. “I studied for a year and then took a year off to work in a supermarket and do some more research about what I really wanted to pursue,” she says looking back.
At that time, Rebecca’s partner was completing a degree majoring in accounting and it appealed to her, to the point that she came back to EIT to study a diploma in business. A paper in employment relations was a pivotal experience and sparked her interest in human resources.
“This paper also made me decide to jump on the degree. My highlight was definitely all the industry-based learning. We were always encouraged to build relationships with employers in the region and gained so much work experience.” Between her second and third year, Rebecca did a project with Fire & Safety Training and created and implemented a new recruitment process that is still in use to date.
Towards the end of the degree she felt slightly nervous about the upcoming job search. But then things just fell into place. “I found this job ad on Trade Me, literally when I was walking my dog and looked on my phone. I basically ticked all the boxes, applied, got an interview and ended up being the preferred candidate. I was stoked.”
Rebecca is reporting directly to the HR manager. She highlights that her boss is supportive and passionate about coaching her. “It’s a steep learning curve but I’m now in the process of taking over the recruitment. It’s awesome to see how the degree benefited me in my chosen career and that the theory that I studied fits to real-life scenarios.”
She says that she loves her job and stresses that the company is just like a big family with everybody being really welcoming. Rebecca is eager to work her way up and says that her ultimate career goal is to manage a HR team.
Her tip for school leavers or people who want to upskill is to do enough research before enrolling in a programme. “It should be based around your interests. Maybe try out one of the EIT taster courses and start with a certificate or diploma. You can always work your way up, level by level.
