SSC Graduate at Coles
What I love most about Digital is the fact that it is so broad and provides so many different opportunities. As Digital includes IT, Coles Online and flybuys there are endless functions and teams to be a part of. This variety enables you to develop many skills and puts you in the position to really know what role you want in the future.
One of my favourite experience has been organising a technology booth at our strategy day to showcase the latest and greatest digital has to offer to everyone in the support centre (such as using VR for training in stores). I also think it’s cool that the Digital function holds ‘hack-a-thon’ events that I always try and take part in to come up with the next innovative idea that Coles can implement.
My biggest takeaway so far would have to be that the more you put your hand up to be accountable for, or to be a part of, the more you will get out of the program!
I would not say you need extensive IT knowledge to succeed in Digital as a many activities rely on soft skills rather than technical skills. Also there are many teams that do not require the typical ‘IT’ skillsets such as coding and database management, however I have found having some knowledge is always useful.
I have done a business information systems degree myself and I would say it has laid the foundations for me to understand core concepts and to tackle problems quickly as well as ask the right questions.
I chose Coles (one of the largest retailers in Australia!) because I have always worked in retail and love the fast paced nature of it. I also chose to work here because I believe there are few companies that would provide more opportunities than Coles to work with such a wide variety of digital technologies as we have so many customer and team member touch points and offerings