Participating in the 2007 Graduate Procurement Program was awesome!  After completing a Commerce degree majoring in Marketing and Economics I was able to apply my knowledge immediately in a job that was challenging.

My pre-conceived notions about the public service were swept away as I entered a vibrant, changing and challenging work place.  I never stopped learning throughout the program.  I also had many opportunities for networking with other graduates and meeting people from a range of government departments and agencies at planned events and casual catch-ups. 

My involvement with the Graduate Procurement Program in government has exposed me to managing and negotiating contracts in one of the fastest developing business sectors in the world.  Energy!  It is an exciting time to be involved in the energy industry, and in procurement, and helping to establish best practice in procurement across environmentally sustainable practices and projects. 

The program offers a friendly environment in which to develop professionally and feel supported through the networking and training opportunities.

The Graduate Procurement Program has given me opportunities for developing new skills and exposed me to avenues I never thought possible.  I work with QBuild who manage construction, maintenance and refurbishments of government buildings.  I’ve learnt about market analysis, tackling legal matters, constructing state-wide contracts and managing a portfolio of contracts.

As a procurement officer for the Queensland Government Chief Procurement Office and working in the Travel Management Unit I negotiate large scale government travel contracts from air fares to car hire to ensure value for money for all government travellers.

Procurement is a multi-faceted occupation and it draws on many different business and personal skills, because you are not just number crunching.  I have been able to apply practical knowledge and skills I learnt at uni such as supply market analysis.  My negotiation and interpersonal skills have also improved since dealing with supplier contracts and relationship management.   

I started as a procurement graduate with Queensland Health procuring Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products.  Since then I have learnt about preparing and evaluating tenders right through to the contract development and management stage.  It is important not to lose sight of the objectives of the tender and what we set out to achieve, a quality product that provides value for money. 

I have learnt a lot about ICT, but more importantly I have learnt that procurement is not just a purchase and pay process, but a much larger function that maintains business turnover.

Government procurement is a field where you can see your work and the benefits of saving money.  By procuring well, tax payers get more for their money and it’s good to know that I am helping the community.

By undertaking the graduate program, as opposed to going straight in to the work force, I was given many opportunities to keep learning and continue to build on working in a team environment, which was encouraged at university. It was important for me to learn as I worked as I hate getting bored so this is what attracted me to the program.

The workshops and networking were a major part of the graduate forums we attended.  It made the transition from my creative studies to working in something completely different, like procurement, easier. You are also allocated mentors and supervisors and if correctly utilised, these people become invaluable tools.

Working in a large organisation such as Queensland Rail gave me an opportunity to rotate throughout the supply division during the 12 month program.  Because of this I had a lot of variety, learning from different teams and learning more about the business, the systems they used to perform daily activities, and how they manage corporate contracts.   It also helped with developing my communication skills dealing with internal customers and external suppliers.