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I only recently heard about the 'Great Resignation' on the news and it also got me thinking about completing the Adelaide Graduate Award programme.

In terms of the 'Great Resignation', some research forecasts millions of people resigning from the global workforce and quitting their jobs post-pandemic. According to the research, the main driver for the mass resignation is experiences throughout the pandemic. Individuals are now evaluating what work means to them or what role it plays in having a meaningful life.

As a mature aged-student, I find that this period back in full-time study during the pandemic is fortuitous. It's allowed me to reflect on my values and also assess my employability skills. As an HDR student especially, I've had this opportunity to really focus on a passion while also keeping my eyes on my goals after I graduate and envisioning the kind of life I want to live from here.

I registered to take part in the Adelaide Graduate Award during the first year of my candidature and I am pleased to have successfully completed the programme. While writing up the required reflection piece, I realised that one of the critical elements for me in terms of deciding which organisation I'd like to work with is shared values. Similar to personal core values, organisations and institutions also have their company values which shape their culture. I noticed that the extra-curricular activities I undertook as part of the Adelaide Graduate Programme were all with companies and groups that share the same values that I had - be it 'succeeding together' or 'trust'.

During my Ph.D.  candidature, I served as the Board Treasurer for a not-for-profit organisation. My main responsibilities included preparing financial reports but also giving input and advice during our leadership meetings. I managed the financial affairs and also represented the organisation an international conferences. I was a bit nervous as this was the first time I had ever assumed a Board Treasurer role but quickly realized that I had the support and trust of the members of the organisation which motivated me to do an excellent job. It was teamwork that was greatly guided by sound leadership. The entire experience was extremely valuable. It taught me to be confident in my ability to lead and have a voice in leadership. I was working with such a great bunch of passionate volunteers and this was a really strong motivator. The entire experience allowed me to improve employable attributes of honesty, integrity, reliability and positive self-esteem.

I was also invited as a panel speaker at a careers event at Flinders University where I completed a master’s degree. The panel was designed to illustrate a range of career trajectories available to postgraduate students after graduation. Although I would normally shy away from public speaking engagements such as this one, the experience helped me to practice preparing for “interview-like” moments. I was able to show that I can control my nervous emotions by preparing well in advance.

I also took part in the university’s Global IQ program. Engaging with other students from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds not only allowed me to learn more about themselves as individuals, I also learned so much more about their culture. There were times that communication wasn’t the easiest but I found ways to establish a connection by using active listening skills. I was able to find common interests and used this to form a connection that allowed us all to work better as a team. This will be useful in any future paid work I am engaged in. Given the pandemic and the changing nature of work, like engaging in remote work, being able to work in diverse teams will be valuable.

What skills do you think will be important for you to hone before joining the workforce? What are the things that you value in a workplace and in a work team? How would you describe meaningful work?