APRA Graduate Program video transcripts
Hugo - video
Presenter: As an APRA Graduate you will be at the cutting-edge of a dynamic and fast changing industry.
Hugo: There's always so many new challenges in this financial service industry, there are so many new innovations, that might potentially alter the entire industry and APRA is very dynamic it often, it's on the pulse with this sort of developments and provide us with opportunities to update our understanding of the current state of the industry and prepare us for any potential threats or challenges.
I think APRA definitely provides us with a lot of opportunities to understand what new emerging challenges in the industry may be, so people talk about cryptocurrency and other various financial innovations for example just internet banking banks with only phone app presence all these things APRA provide us with opportunities to understand them, there will be workshops and presentations on these issues and we will be able to have a better understanding of these emerging products, and potential challenges and equip ourselves to potentially deal with them.
Before I applied for the APRA graduate program I only had a faint idea as to what APRA does I knew they are a financial service industry regulator and that's part of the reason why I applied for APRA, because I want to use my skills and knowledge to have a greater impact on the society.
As an APRA graduate we get involved in meeting with private entities very early on we don't wait, so as soon as you have meetings with private companies you'll be able to be in a meeting with executives and very senior people from those companies and you will have the opportunity to have a very direct conversation with them regarding risk management and how they deal with various issues and problems and this is a very unique experience that other private companies may not be able to provide if you were just a graduate. So, this is definitely one of the attraction point when I, for when I applied for APRA.
Kara - video
Presenter: As an APRA graduate you will protect the security of Australia’s financial assets.
Kara: When I was looking at different organisations when I was looking for a graduate role it was really important to me that I found an organisation that had values and a mission that I could relate to. And APRA's mission of protecting the financial assets of millions of Australians was something I definitely could relate to and I wanted to contribute to.
It's very motivating coming to work each day knowing that my work will go towards protecting those assets of everyday Australians. Through the rotation program I got an opportunity to move to the diversified institutions division where I was able to supervise a number of institutions. So through that rotation I was actually able to find something I really enjoyed doing and was able to move to that area permanently. My team members have really invested in me and helped me become the best prudential supervisor I can be.
Being a graduate at APRA is very unique because of the exposure that you get to the broader financial landscape. Being a graduate at APRA is also unique because of the exposure that you get to senior management internally and externally. I don't think you would get those experiences anywhere else.
Melisande - video
Presenter: APRA graduates get a broader view of the world of finance and engage with prudential professionals worldwide.
Melisande: I obviously started as a graduate, I have three children, I've worked part-time for 15 years. I have always found APRA to be incredibly supportive of my arrangements and flexible about the way in which I manage myself and my life, I've been fortunate enough to be on a number of international working groups, I've attended meetings in many countries, worked with prudential regulators and others from around the world both in Australia and in other jurisdictions and I think that's been a really good exposure to the financial system as a whole and in the learnings of another jurisdiction that might actually impact on the way Australia does things.
Once I started going off to industry conferences and other things, it very quickly became apparent that at quite junior levels within APRA you were able to engage with people much more senior than yourself on issues because a lot of people within a company are doing one job in quite a narrow slice of a company rather than looking across the entirety of a company or let alone the entire company or a sector, and I think that's one of the advantages of working at APRA that you really do get this very broad view I think, generally, we've got nice people.
The work is ridiculously interesting, there are multiple things that are interesting to do here so whether someone wanted to stay at APRA for their entire career, time at APRA is never going to be to anyone's detriment. They will learn a lot from it that will hold them in good stead in any role in the financial sector.
Reece - video
Presenter: As an APRA graduate you will have access to key executives in financial institutions.
Reece: In my time at APRA, there's been multiple occasions where I've sat across from senior management and executives and been asking them quite technical questions and we've had meaningful discussions about that.
At first, it was quite daunting to be even just sitting in the same room as people of this calibre. However, like anything, the more and more you do something like that you become surprisingly quite comfortable and more sure of your own capabilities. So I suppose going to a meeting like that, you know you're going to be talking to some very senior people and in doing so, you make sure you're prepared.
So when I would ask questions to these senior executives, I had done my research and they came back to me with either adequate responses and acknowledging the issues I may have brought up or let me know that they will look into that issue and address in due course. They took what I had to say seriously.
A typical day at APRA for me doesn't really exist, and I suppose that's one of the things I like about working at APRA. The work I do is quite diverse. So not any day is just the same. So for instance, one day I might be preparing to go on-site on a prudential review at a particular bank. The next it might be preparing for a presentation to go internally or externally.
Other days I might be conducting research or analysis on a potential public policy idea or issue, and then the next drafting assessments of particular plans or reports. I moved over from Adelaide to begin the APRA graduate program. So as part of that, APRA's supported my move in providing me a relocation consultant. So that made the move to a new city that much easier.
Veronika - video
Presenter: As an APRA graduate your portfolio is an industry holding more than six trillion dollars in assets.
Veronika: I started off as a statistics graduate in 2017, and a recent restructure has reshaped my role and opened up so many opportunities for me. So now my team monitors industry's financial position, and provides data driven insights to front line supervisors and executives. Back when I was in final year of uni it definitely didn't occur to me that APRA played such an important role in supervising and protecting policy holders, depositors and superannuation fund members.
Everyone at APRA protects millions of Australians every single day, and that really has encouraged me to apply for the graduate program because it means that I can give back to society and do meaningful work.
From the day that I decided to join the financial sector I've imagined myself to be stuck in one department in a financial institution, but being part the APRA graduate program has definitely proved me wrong, because I got to monitor the industry's financial position and performance as a whole.
I really like the culture at APRA, because they really want to invest in you as an individual, not just as an employee. When I started working in my team, I definitely felt that everyone was very helpful and eager to mentor new staff. Everyone was very inclusive. And not only managers, but senior managers and general managers are really willing to take your opinion and suggestions on-board so you would feel really valued from day one.
APRA really encourages a healthy work-life balance. I actually play touch footy and basketball every week and so our sports team consists of a range of people from graduates to executive general managers so you really get the chance to play sports with important people.