Why Coles?
As someone who had worked in retail whilst studying at University, I was always fascinated by the fast-paced nature of it. The opportunity to work for one of the largest retailers in Australia and ultimately be involved in making legal decisions that would affect the company’s overall business decisions, relationship with stakeholders and reputation, was an invaluable opportunity that appealed to me.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
As a legal grad who came straight out of university, one of my favourite things about working in the support centre is just how invested the legal team is in training and mentoring the grads, through developing our legal skills and ensuring that we work on tasks that we find meaningful and rewarding. I’ve always felt supported as a graduate, and my team goes above and beyond to expose me to meaningful and interesting work across different areas, whether it’s reviewing a contract between Coles and a supplier or providing legal advice to the business around issues regarding competition and consumer law.
What advice would you give other grads?
Whilst starting any full-time job (especially the Coles Graduate program) is a big learning curve, from day one everyone in your team is right behind you and is invested in your growth as a professional as well as a person. As cliché as it might sound, my tip would be to make the most of every opportunity. If there is a particular type of work, you’d like to get involved in, or even a particular skill you want to develop, make it known to your line manager and your broader team, and they will be happy to assist you.
Does Coles support flexible working?
It does indeed. Coles is very flexible in allowing grads (as well as most staff in the support centre) to work both remotely and in the office.