Your Name: Peter

Your Job Title: Management Cadet

University Attended: Macquarie University

Degree qualification: Bachelor of Commerce

Year of graduation: 2019

What's your job about?

I am currently in my third year of the management cadetship with MMEM. As a management cadet I have learnt the business from the very base, beginning in the warehouse, and then learning every single office role. I have also rotated through a lot of different branches witnessing different management styles and the way in which different branches are run. Along with this the company has sent me on many training and leadership courses. These can be run by various suppliers or external trainers. These are external trainers from outside of the industry who specialise in leadership or sales training. I can truly say that no two days are the same and there is so much variability to the job. There is no typical day or typical week, as one day you might be trying to win a project job for a customer worth several million, whereas another day, you’re trying to organise a couple thousand-dollar delivery for an extremely important customer. It is a lot of fun, and the customers I interact and work with are all great people and make for interesting chats. The role is incredibly rewarding and the sense of camaraderie with my team is amazing when we’re working towards a common goal of trying to run the most efficient and profitable business.

What's your background?

After high school I graduated from Macquarie University with Bachelor of Commerce, Majoring in International Business in 2019. I believe this would be a very similar experience to many people reading this and are students looking for a role out of university like I once did. I joined MMEM at the beginning of 2020 where I saw firsthand many things I learnt at University. This was exciting to the theoretical in practice. Things such as management, supply chains and ways to be adaptable are all prevalent. I feel valuable to my team because I take an active role in the branch. This opportunity is definitely what you make of it and contains many extremely rewarding experiences and benefits.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

They absolutely can, just as long as they’re dedicated, driven, and enjoy being around other people. If so, they would thrive in this role. Having people from different backgrounds is a way a branch can be extremely successful as it allows people with completely different viewpoints and experiences to contribute and suggest new ways of doing things. The reason this is so great is that it allows for a branch to be as successful and efficient as possible because it’s so open to being improved upon.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

I love the problem-solving aspect of my job. Customers will bring me a problem or issue they have and then it is my job to find one or many solutions and then present these to the customer. It is incredibly rewarding and fulfilling when these solutions are then carried out successfully. I often know I am doing the right thing because customers love to let you know and are full of encouragement especially when they realise you don’t have an electrical background like myself. They are never short of praise especially when you get them out of a tight spot.

What are the limitations of your job?

You must be ready to embrace an industry you most likely never knew existed! Entering into something I never even knew existed before and trying to learn all the nuances and intricacies of the industry was somewhat overwhelming at first. I will say though; you do learn all these very quickly. There are also a lot of business relationships to balance and when you first join you are in direct communication with so many shareholders, where your actions have potentially positive or negative consequences. It is a lot of responsibility but another aspect of the role which makes it so rewarding.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

Don’t be afraid to take risks now, you have an incredible degree of freedom
Even though you will, don’t leave that assignment until the night before
Remember to have fun

Your Name: Nikki Monda

Your Job Title: Graduate Cadet

University Attended: University of South Australia

Degree qualification: Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing)

Year of graduation: 2020

What's your job about?

MM Electrical is an Electrical Wholesaler. They distribute electrical, communications and data, solar, lighting and associated electrical components and products to contractors across Australia.

No two days are the same in my workplace as a Graduate Cadet. Being a part of the graduate program means I am exposed to different aspects of the company all the time. Learning different skills and expanding my knowledge means I am able to make a decision on a clear career pathway, that I would like to follow within MM.

Throughout the course of the program, I have been exposed to many different workplace environments working within teams both big and small. Not only has this been beneficial in gaining a greater understanding of industry knowledge, but it has allowed me to learn different management and sales styles which will help mould my own.

This experience has also allowed me to come across many different personalities which at first was daunting to me as a young female in a male dominated industry. However, if anything being thrown into these situations has accelerated my growth in communication and people management skills and which will not only benefit me in my future career but in my general everyday life.

What's your background?

I grew up in little old Adelaide and got my job with MM Electrical straight out of Uni in 2021. I always loved Melbourne and big cities, so when I finished Uni, I had the Urge to move here. As MM is a nationally recognised company, I was able to do so while ensuring my career was stable while I moved states.
The most important stages of my life so far have been school and uni. I learnt a lot and made some lifelong friends. Moving to a different state was another major life change as I left everyone I knew and had to learn to be independent and look after myself. It’s made me put myself out there a lot more and I can see that reflected in my work, as it has allowed me to easily engage with customers.

I got my current job through a recruitment agency that helps Graduates straight from Uni. I was so fed up with applying for post graduate jobs and looking at graduate opportunities, I got to a point where I honestly didn’t think I would find one! Applying with an agency was the best thing I did as they helped me list out what I wanted in a career (i.e., job stability which was a major thing for me with Covid) and connected me with companies that were a great match. That’s how I ended up here at MM.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Absolutely! I was sceptical when I first started as I was a female with a retail background and a Business Marketing Degree. I thought; who on earth would take me seriously within a trade industry?! Yet here I am almost 2 years later, and I have customers who come directly to me to help create solutions to their problems and answer their questions. I honestly believe if you have a good attitude and mindset and are willing to learn, you will succeed! All the tools are given to you but it’s up to you to use them correctly.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

Honestly what I love the most about my job is learning new things every day. The industry is just full of knowledge and learning, and its very rewarding when you can help because you’ve got the right knowledge to solve their problem.

What are the limitations of your job?

Some days can be long, but you have to be willing to sometimes sacrifice a bit of time to get everything done.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

Make sure you stay up to date with all your lectures and tutorials because if you fall behind it is not fun to play catch up.
Enjoy all the student discounts … trust me; you’ll miss them when you have to pay full price.
Have fun, meet new people and make lifelong friendships.

Jordan

Your Name: Jordan Smith

Your Job Title: Graduate Cadet, Internal Sales

University Attended: Monash University

Degree qualification: Bachelor of Commerce

Year of graduation: 2020

What's your job about?

The company I work for, MMEM, is one of the leading electrical wholesalers in Australia. Being an electrical wholesaler, the core of their business involves supplying domestic, commercial and industrial electricians with the goods to suit any and all applications.

Within my role as a Graduate Cadet, a large aspect of my work involves sales, both internally (within the store) and externally (going out to see customers), as well as quoting jobs that range from small domestic renovations to projects worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Furthermore, as a part of my cadetship, I am also exposed to various other roles within the company such as working in the accounts payable and as a Purchasing Officer.

Along with this, I am also given the opportunity to spend time working across a variety of stores which allows me to experience how businesses of differing sizes operate. These businesses are incredibly different from one another which allows you, as a Cadet, to gain knowledge on the various ways to run a business which is a large reason why the Graduate Cadet program exists.

What's your background?

I grew up on a small farm near Goroke in Victoria which is located West of Horsham near the South Australian border. Don’t worry if you haven’t heard of it, not many people have. Coming from a small town of roughly 300 people, moving to somewhere with over 3 million people in Melbourne for university was a really big jump for me. It certainly took some time to get used to having everything located so close to me as well as the hustle and bustle of the city.

After graduating from university in 2020, I was offered a job with MMEM via a recruitment agency. I can safely say after the number of emails and applications that I sent applying for jobs, going through a recruitment agency was the best decision I made. Through them I was able to gain access to interviews with companies that were not only renowned but were also a good personal match for myself.

One of the large aspects of MMEM that drew me towards them is that they are one of the market leaders nationally in their industry. This gave me the confidence to accept their offer knowing that I would be getting access to a great working environment as well as a stable job whether I chose to move back towards regional Victoria or stay within Melbourne.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Definitely! I came from a background where I knew incredibly little about the electrical industry. Naturally, it was very daunting moving to an industry that I was unfamiliar with but MMEM was able to support me with training sessions with suppliers in order to build up my knowledge. This allowed me to fast track my knowledge and along with this, each store I have been at has had amazing people working there who were always happy to help me understand something.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

One of the aspects of my job that I love is learning about the industry. I have always been a curious person and this role rewards your curiosity incredibly well as it allows you to help so many more people by solving their problems. Being able to help someone out of a bind and seeing their gratitude has got to be one my favourite feelings.

What are the limitations of your job?

Some days you will likely have to stay at work a bit longer in order to finish off everything that you need to get done.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

Physically go to the lectures. Saying you will watch them afterwards leads to a large amount of procrastination.
Don’t schedule any classes after the uni pub night. Just because they are in the afternoon doesn’t mean you will feel good by then.
Make the most of the opportunities you get. The last thing you want to have is regrets from your time at uni.

mm electrical

Jordan

Your Name: Matthew Ceravolo

Your Job Title: Graduate Cadet at MMEM

University Attended: RMIT University

Degree qualification: Bachelor of Commerce (Economics and Finance)

Year of graduation: 2020

What's your job about?

I am currently a Graduate Cadet with the MMEM Group! MMEM look after a number of Electrical wholesale businesses across the country. My role within the given store I am placed at has varied over my time with the company. However, in my first year I’d attribute much of my work to overseeing the sales side of the business. On a day-to-day basis, I have been looking after clients to service their everyday needs as well as a few more intricate projects (work that requires quoting etc). Problem solving and finding solutions for customers plays a prominent role in any given day, however relationship building and getting to know each and every person that walks through the door is also extremely important.

What's your background?

I grew up in Yallambie, a small suburb north of Melbourne. After school I attended RMIT university where I studied a Bachelor of Business (Economics and Finance). After graduating the plan was to travel Europe for a month or so with my partner, however covid happened ☹. Considering travel plans were placed on hold for an indefinite amount of time, I figured it would be a great time to jump into a future career, which just so happened to be the MMEM Graduate Program! I had always been passionate about business so the program seemed to be a natural fit for me.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

I believe that this role would be perfect for a number of people from different walks of life, as long has they had the fundamentals to grow within a ‘person to person’ environment. Relationship building, problem solving abilities and teamwork may sound slightly stereotypical when describing attributes needed for a role, however to be working in an industry that so heavily relies on creating bonds and trust between people, they are a must!

What's the coolest thing about your job?

Although there are many positives about doing a job like this, there are one or two drawbacks. For example, the role requires additional hours on weekends as well as overtime (sometimes) if required. There will be occasions where you are ‘thrown into the deep end’ testing your ability to overcome challenges that you may not experience in other lines of work.

What are the limitations of your job?

Although there are many positives about doing a job like this, there are one or two drawbacks. For example, the role requires additional hours on weekends as well as overtime (sometimes) if required. There will be occasions where you are ‘thrown into the deep end’ testing your ability to overcome challenges that you may not experience in other lines of work.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

If I could go back in time and give myself advice while I was at Uni, I would simply say this:
Enjoy your time and what you are learning, the more passionate you are, the more you can understand what you are learning. I’ve found that the more you enjoy what you are doing the more you will take in, always give it your best!