Tracey currently works as Portfolio Analyst for a large bank.

She holds a BSc/BCom (Science and Commerce) conjoint in Information Science and Marketing, with a minor in Economics.

1. When you were 7 years old you wanted to be... a veterinarian.

2. Name of the educational institution(s) you graduated from
Otago University

3. Why did you choose your major(s) or specialisation?
My majors were Information Science and Marketing, with a minor in Economics. I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do after high school and around that time there was the buzz about the IT industry taking off so I figured that there would be good job opportunities after graduation. Marketing sounded like an interesting, and perhaps glamorous industry to get into, and it was something that I could relate to in that every business does some sort of marketing and people are exposed to marketing on a daily basis.

4. How did you find your first job?
I saw a position advertised in the newspaper which interested me and looked like I had the right skills for (or at least could learn). So I emailed my cover letter and C.V. through and I got asked for a first interview.

5. Describe the interview process you went through to obtain your first position after graduating
I was interviewed by the manager and a senior analyst in the team and it was fairly informal which gave me a feel for the culture and the team. Then they asked me to come back for a second interview and then to do some psychometric testing.

6. What training was made available to you by your employer in your first role?
There was an induction booklet and I had a 'buddy' in the team. There was lots of on the job training, such as using specific business systems and databases. The first few weeks I had SAS sessions with a SAS contractor, and later on I went on a SAS Macro course and did a Direct Marketing course.

7. Describe some of the roles you have held since your graduate level position
I was interviewed by the manager and a senior analyst in the team and it was fairly informal which gave me a feel for the culture and the team. Then they asked me to come back for a second interview and then to do some psychometric testing.

8. Have you found your degree useful in your working career? Why (or why not)?
Definitely, because I am programming and dealing with data and databases everyday. Although I never learnt SAS at university, other programming that I had done and learning about databases, etc, has given me a good base to understand what I do now.

Though it's not all about what degree you do, it's also about the skills you learn while at university, like how to write a business report, research skills, presentation skills, time management and the ability to learn new things! These are valued by employers too!

9. What are your plans for the next 5 years?
I would like to travel and work overseas. Living overseas would open up more opportunities and possibly expose me to different and interesting areas that my career could go into.

10. What advice would you give an upcoming graduate looking to kick off a successful career?
Go to the Career Fairs that your university organises where companies come to talk about their graduate programs and start applying for the ones that interest you - probably at the start of your final year. You should be getting your C.V together well before you graduate and make use of the career resources at your university.

Stay positive! Job hunting can be a mentally draining process and you may feel like you're getting nowhere fast. Remember that most people don't always get the first job they apply for.