I found out about the Graduate Program because my partner is in the Air Force had encouraged me to apply. He had great stories about Defence and the interesting work.
My experience with the program has been great, the highlight has been the social and experiential learning, especially the training on 5 Defence Values, Ngunnawal Language workshop and the base tours.
The base tours were great because I never thought this is something civilian staff could do.
I think it’s important to be part of program like this because we get the chance to try out different things that we won’t be able to when we’re not a grad anymore. This program gives me an insight into how our decisions can impact everyone in the future.
Looking forward, after all the cool experiences I’ve had as a graduate, I would love to be involved in the ADF exercises and that could involve attending briefings, researching and writing tasks and planning the exercises. I would love to witness the ADF exercises one day.
My advice to future graduates and STEM cadets is to not be afraid to ask for opportunities or experiences, because you won’t know until you ask. Use your time as a graduate to your advantage, because you won’t get these experiences and opportunities after you finish the program.