My career growth at Objective has been an organic journey. I joined the company in 2018 as the Receptionist/Facilities Assistant.

With Christmas approaching and being new to Objective I thought it might be a great way to raise my profile in the office by taking on a project and volunteering to organize the annual Christmas party.

I quickly got to work planning the best party I could. I settled on a white theme, put together marketing for the event and watched the buzz begin to grow until it was finally the day of the party. Guests arrived in their best white get-up, champagne flowed, food was plentiful and delicious, games were played and by all accounts, the party was a success!

Off the back of this success, I was asked to be involved with planning and delivering our two large-scale “Activate” and “Collaborate” events for the following year as well as the next Christmas party, all of which were also very successful.

I am now working as the Events Marketing and Facilities Coordinator and am well on my way to delivering another year of #outstanding events!

Why I chose Objective

Before starting at Objective, I had just been made redundant and was feeling pretty low and useless. After what seemed like endless applications I received a call from Objective talent acquisition and was invited to interview. I had never worked in the tech industry but figured the skills I had were transferable to the position. I started to research Objective and get to know what they did, their products and most importantly for me, the culture.

As an out and proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, it was really awesome to read about some of the initiatives and campaigns Objective were promoting at the time. One that particularly stuck out to me was the "Showing Our Colours'' campaign, which promoted inclusion and diversity. I felt like it was saying to me "Hey you, you're different and we love that about you – come and work with us". It was exactly what I needed to hear. At the end of the same week I was offered 4 jobs with various companies and I chose Objective.

My previous jobs had been in quite conservative environments and I found it difficult to balance being myself with presenting professionally. Knowing I was entering a workplace where diversity was encouraged really influenced my decision to accept the role at Objective, and I'm so happy I did.

Over the years, I’ve learned that you have to be your own biggest advocate when it comes to career progression

DJ Apanui

Event Marketing/Facilities Coordinator - Objective

What I’ve learned about career progression

Over the years, I’ve learned that you have to be your own biggest advocate when it comes to career progression. So for anyone looking to find a job that’s the perfect fit with plenty of growth potential, here are my four top tips:

1. Put your hand up and say yes to as many opportunities as you can 

A great way to progress is quite simply reminding people you are there. Saying yes to new opportunities will raise your profile while letting people know who you are and the work that you do. People will also see you as a contributor and a team player.

2. Take charge of your direction

More often than not, promotions will not just be handed to you – you need to ask for them. Back yourself and take charge of your career path, monitor your progress and use check-ins to remind your manager of the work you are doing and how you are involving yourself in the company.

3. Find the right workplace

Choose a company where you are encouraged to progress. Coming from workplaces where opportunities were only given to people who had been working there longest or were part of the "It” crowd, I was pleasantly surprised to find opportunities available to me from day one at Objective.

4. Get involved with mentoring

Mentoring is a great way to improve yourself and others. Throughout my career, I have been both a mentor and am currently being mentored in my events role. I still have my own ideas and initiative to rely on but having the validated experience of someone who has "been there and done that" is priceless. Being able to refer to their experiences, both good and bad, is like having a cheat sheet to guide you to success.

    Growth opportunities at Objective

    Objective has recently implemented a job rotation program called "Boomerang". As part of the Boomerang program, you can apply to spend a day in the life of another role every six months. You spend one day in a role of interest and are assigned a mentor to shadow for the day. This is a great way to see and experience other aspects of the business and provide employees with growth options.

    "The Next Step", our internal job posting system, also provides employees with information about current vacancies and employees are encouraged to apply if they feel they are suitable for the role.

    On a personal level, I’m currently learning about office fit-outs for new premises as we move our regional offices to larger spaces. I am also learning the ins and outs of event management, including everything from production and vendor communication to digital events and stakeholder negotiation. I'm very excited to build my skill set further and take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way!

    Looking to build your career at an inclusive and forward-thinking company? Check out Objective’s current opportunities here.