Jack Campbell worked part-time as a sales representative, captained the university’s football team and was an active member of the business students society — all while completing his final year of a full-time business degree.
Insights: Jack Campbell says gaining real-life work experience while still at university sets students up for life after graduation.
“Having that kind of responsibility developed the leadership capability that I have today,” says Campbell, who now works in a national account sales role at Procter and Gamble, the multinational consumer goods corporation.
The learning approach at Macquarie University also helped. “You do a lot of group projects that foster an environment of teamwork,” he adds.
Multiple commerce units gave him an insight into what goes on behind the scenes in large corporate companies with marketing and product launches which he was able to experience firsthand in his final year while working at Arnott’s Group, Australia’s biggest biscuit maker.
Getting a foot in the door
“It’s the number one thing I’d recommend to students — to get real life work experience in the field you’re interested in while studying and get a foot in the door so you’re set up when you graduate,” he says.
Campbell’s current role at Procter and Gamble is managing 1300 independently-owned and operated IGA supermarkets nationally.
“It involves a lot of agility and flexibility. It’s about learning to prioritise. You think you’ve reached your capacity and then you become more efficient and you can take on more — that’s what I learned at Macquarie.”
Campbell was hired by Maddie Lee, the company’s talent acquisition manager for Australia and New Zealand, and also a Macquarie alumna.
“Jack shows great communication skills and he’s good at dealing with people which makes him stand out as a candidate for P&G,” she says.
Holistic outlook
His “holistic outlook” also means that he’s a great asset for the company, she says, because he’s part of the indigenous inclusion network and also the company’s social club which organises internal company events.
At the helm: Macquarie University alumna Maddie Lee, Procter and Gamble’s talent acquisition manager for Australia and New Zealand.
Lee understands the meaning of having a holistic outlook. When she was a psychology student at Macquarie, one of the highlights for her was going on exchange to the University of Waterloo in Canada for a semester which broadened her world outlook. “I really loved Canada and I actually cried when I saw snow falling from the sky for the first time,” she says.
Lee was so passionate about exchanges that she became president of the Macquarie Exchange Society and got to network with a lot of students and inspire them to go on exchanges. Simultaneously, she was part of the Peer Mentoring program welcoming new arrivals to the campus and eventually became a peer leader, training other student mentors.
The point of difference with Macquarie is that the university really prioritises practical work experience.
Directly related to her future career was the PACE (Professional and Community Engagement) program where she developed skills and strategies to succeed in the workplace.
Through PACE, she also volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House at Westmead Children's Hospital and worked with children awaiting medical treatment.
“The point of difference with Macquarie is that the university really prioritises practical work experience — it’s integrated into every degree — and that helps every student build themselves as people,” she says. “Not every university has that focus.”
JACK CAMPBELL
Degree: Bachelor of Commerce. Graduated 2018.
My job: National Account Manager, Procter and Gamble
MADDIE LEE
Degree: Bachelor of Science (Psychology). Graduated 2018
My job: Human Resources, Talent Acquisition Manager Australia and New Zealand, Procter and Gamble
Three ways MQ supported us to be job-ready:
- Leadership skills: “I worked part time as a sales representative, was captain of the university football team for the University Games and was involved in the business students’ society. Having that kind of responsibility developed the leadership capability that I have today.” - Jack
- Teaching methods: “You do a lot of group projects that foster an environment of teamwork.” - Jack
- The PACE (Professional and Community Engagement Program): “The point of difference with Macquarie is that the university really prioritises practical work experience — it’s integrated into every degree — and that helps every student build themselves as people. Not every university has that focus.” - Maddie
How I apply what I learned at Macquarie in the workplace:
“I currently manage 1300 independently-owned and operated IGA supermarkets nationally. It involves a lot of agility and flexibility. It’s about learning to prioritise. You think you’ve reached your capacity and then you become more efficient and you can take on more — that’s what I learned at Macquarie.” - Jack
Advice to prospective students:
“Be active. No matter what degree you’re doing, get involved. Get work experience and different experiences, like volunteering, going on exchange or joining a club. Because it’s also about building yourself as a person. When I am looking at prospective employees, it’s not just their technical skills – we can teach them that – but the soft skills, the leadership and management skills that they can learn at university and then be able to tackle situations in the workplace.” - Maddie.
