Two of Magnolia Lane’s newest recruits are reaping the benefits of studying whilst working with a hybrid working week to fit in their final studies. Trainee Brokers Saul McCredie and Sam Bignold built their working weeks to manage their final semesters at university, ultimately working a 4-day week until their studies complete.
Sam is in university every Wednesday. “This set up is perfect and allows me to complete my studies without overwhelming the week. But most beneficial is being able to finish my degree one year earlier as I can study three units during that day, whilst building my work experience” says Sam. A designated space in the Magnolia Lane office has been set up to accommodate a quiet area where they are able to log into lectures.
Saul logs into university two afternoons a week either at home or in the office. “Having the option to log in at work is so handy and means I’m always at ease knowing I can make my lectures, even if it is a particularly busy day in the office. It’s also a great feeling when you can marry together what you’ve learnt at uni with real life scenarios and vice versa. It definitely speeds up the learning process.”
Saul is studying a Bachelor of Business with a double major in Finance and Marketing at UTS and Sam a Bachelor of Commerce at Macquarie University
Director Angus Askew says the decision to employ students was an easy one. “From a team development perspective, employing university students that can work and study concurrently is a massive positive.
A key development model focuses on the need for education, exposure and experience in professional settings, this arrangement provides for all three elements and works to build Saul and Sam’s confidence during their first few years in the industry.
Obviously is it of long-term benefit to the company that both Sam and Saul finish their studies, but more importantly giving them the option to start their broker careers simultaneously is going to fast-track their overall development.
What’s more, we as a company can learn from both Sam and Saul and keep on top of what Business, Finance and Commerce students are learning. The world is fast changing and so are working practices, technology platforms and even finance institutions and if we want to remain a modern business, this is par-for-the-course.“
In addition, Broker Angus Lennon in the Orange Office recently graduated with an Agribusiness degree from Marcus Oldham Collage.
As Magnolia Lane continue to grow, we are always interested in speaking to great candidates for both our Broker Team and Operations Team. Contact our HR Partners Partale on 02 8021 6369 for more information.