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experience


Stephanie Vaccarella Bachelor of Business and Commerce (majoring in Marketing, sub-major in Human Resource Development), University of Western Sydney.


Stephanie used the graduate application process to her advantage, honing her skills at several interviews and assessment centres before landing a graduate position with Microsoft Australia.


How did you get your first job after graduation? Throughout my final year I applied for graduate programs aligned to my area of study (Marketing). I went through a few group assessment centres, one-on-one interviews, telephone interviews and psychometric testing, all of which helped prepare me for my current employer’s (Microsoft Australia) graduate interview process. With exposure to these different interview and assessment techniques I felt more confident and relaxed as my recruitment journey progressed. To know how to sell yourself well to potential employers is a skill, and it is generally something we don’t get taught how to do at uni. It can be difficult at first but as they say, practice makes perfect and with that in mind I approached each interview as a chance to refine my interview skills (it was also a good way to calm the nerves).


What does your current role entail? I work for Microsoft Australia as an SMB (Small & Medium Business) Marketing Manager. I work on various marketing campaigns directed to our customers and partners on


the value of our products and technology solutions. I recently organised the product launch for Microsoft Office 2010 to our customers which was lots of fun and a great experience. As part of the graduate program I’m offered the opportunity for comprehensive career training and development which sometimes takes place overseas in regions such as the US & Asia. I recently returned from Microsoft’s annual global conference in the US where I learned various new things about the company, trends in the IT industry, and most importantly I got to meet new and interesting people.


How did your degree assist you with gaining employment after graduation? My degree definitely helped me to some extent. It’s important nowadays to have a degree as this is usually the benchmark for most companies when recruiting new employees, especially graduates. What’s becoming more important is having interests, achievements and work experience outside of your university life, as this is what differentiates you from other graduates. Personality, confidence and enthusiasm are also important traits that I think help you gain employment.


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