I’m in my third year of a Business Administration degree at ANU, majoring in Management and minoring in International Business. I’m a very organised person and have always been interested in the administration side of business. This degree was ideal, as it allowed me to complete courses that would form part of a Commerce degree whilst also specialising with a greater administration and management focus.
I’m still not a hundred per cent sure what I want to do after my degree, but thankfully I still have a year-and-a-half left! I’m considering joining the Royal Australian Air Force as a Logistics or Personnel Capability Officer. Alternatively, I would be an Executive Assistant in the corporate world.
I’ve been involved in the Burgmann Alumni Mentoring (BAM) program since my first year and believe it’s a great opportunity to connect with Burgmann alumni who are working in an area of interest. Both years, I wanted to hear from my mentors about their experiences, how they got where they are, and what they wish they had known at my stage in life.
The BAM application form asks questions that help match you with the best possible mentor. This includes the career area or industry you are interested in, whether you want to work in a metropolitan or regional area, and what you hope to get from the program.
When you are assigned your mentor, you receive their contact details and a small description of who they are and what they do for a living. It’s then up to you as the mentee to initiate contact. Some mentors, if in Canberra, will choose to meet up for coffee, whereas others prefer a phone or Zoom call.
Last year, I was paired with a large-scale event organiser who owns his own company in Sydney. For those who know me, this was a perfect pairing! In my application, I mentioned I was interested in the organisational side of business and that I enjoy organising events. It was great to hear about my mentor's experience of getting to the stage of owning his own company, and also about some of the events he has been involved in.
It’s really useful to hear what a mentor’s career path has been and how they arrived at the job they have today. A key learning I took from conversations with my mentor was that you will not always follow the traditional path of your degree. Instead, you can end up doing—and loving—a job that is not related to your degree at all.
It was also really interesting to hear how COVID had impacted him and what he was doing to overcome the obstacles caused by COVID.
BAM is such an amazing experience, and relatively unique to Burgmann. It can provide mentees with more clarity regarding career paths, as well as a contact for further questions regarding the mentor's industry and career path. I would highly recommend getting involved in BAM, regardless of what year you are in at Burg. It’s very much a case of getting what you put in, so it’s fully in residents’ hands regarding their success with the program.
Lucy Coote
(2019–2021)
Lucy is also honing her practical skills and gaining valuable skills in Business Administration as Secretary for the Burgmann Residents’ Association (BRA) and Minute Taker for the Burgmann College Alumni Association (BCAA) Committee.
