Life After Uni: What to Do if You’re Not Ready to Launch into a Career Yet

If you don't want to jump straight into a career yet, there are plenty of ways to spend your time productively, like finding an internship or a graduate program that combines the best of everything.

One you might not have considered before is the Coles Group Graduate Program where you can dive head first into the engine room powering our local supermarkets. With a bunch of opportunities on offer (they have 20 different business areas to choose from!), you're sure to get to know yourself more and get a better understanding of what you want out of your next steps.

Here's why it could be a viable option to expand your skill set and soft launch you into the working world.

You'll get some real experience under your belt.

At any job interview, you're going to get questions about your experiences working in the field – how you've handled challenges and examples of leadership you've shown. So, it's going to come in handy having some real experiences to brag about.

As part of the two-year grad program with Coles, you’ll be in charge of your own projects and your development program will be tailored to you. You’ll also try your hand at an "Innovation Project" with the top-performing teams invited to present to the Coles Executive Team on a real business challenge.

That’s the kind of experience not even uni can equip you with, and it will be worth its weight in gold on your resume in the future.

There's something for everyone.

If you’re not sure what direction you want to head after uni, the best thing you can do is put your hand up for everything. The more you can get a taste for, the more you’ll know what’s for you (and what isn’t!).

The Coles Graduate program offers 20 business areas to choose from so it’s pretty likely you’ll find a path that’s right for you. They’ve got opportunities in everything from buying and trading to Coles Liquor, finance, e-commerce, agricultural business and more.

You’ll complete four six-month rotations in specialty teams, giving you the chance to learn a thing or two about your chosen function. You'll also have the option to change functions after the first year if you want a broader experience.

Oh, and the best part? There's a team called Coles Own Brand who develop and innovate Coles products and they get paid to taste test everything from desserts to health foods! Sign us up!

You'll expand your network and fast-track your career.

With more than 130,000 team members working in 2,500 stores nation-wide, Coles is one of the biggest companies in the country.

That's an epic opportunity to meet lots of people who could help you in the future. Leaders who could provide references for future jobs, mentors who could guide you through the formative years of your career, fellow grads who could become wonderful friends and team mates! 

We've all heard the saying "it's not what you know, it's who you know" and there's no better place to network than within one of Australia's largest organisations. 

The Coles Group Graduate Program could be the answer you're looking for to open a whole heap career doors you hadn't even considered yet.

Applications close on Wednesday 6 April so get to typing and apply now!