Two weeks with Angus Australia
In September, Angus Australia hosted Marcus Oldham student Keira McDonald for two weeks as she undertook a placement as part of her agribusiness studies.
Following the completion of her time at Angus Australia, Keira has supplied a wrap up of her time spent with the society.
Read her report below:
Over the past two weeks, I have been spending some time with Angus Australia as part of my industry placement for my agribusiness studies at Marcus Oldham.
University placements are an interesting concept — they’re compulsory, but there’s so much freedom around where you go, what you do, and who you work with. It would have been easy to choose a business I already knew, somewhere close to home, and with familiar faces. However, I felt that doing so would make it harder to find my feet after graduation because my understanding of the industry’s opportunities was limited. So, my main goal when deciding where to try to find placement was to expose myself to as many different career possibilities as I could.
I grew up in Western Victoria and have always been heavily involved with my family’s caravan park. I had very little agricultural knowledge. After finishing school in 2021, an interest in learning more about the industry had sparked and I was fortunate to land a farmhand position with a mixed farming operation just south of Ararat. I gained so much knowledge, but more importantly I was surrounded by a wonderful family and team who introduced me to so many incredible people within the industry.
With an innate drive to help others, I realised the agricultural community was the group I wanted to support in any way I could. Eager to explore how I could make a meaningful impact, I was grateful for the opportunity to take on an admin role with an Angus stud in NSW. Here I met Nancy Crawshaw during an open day presentation. It was fascinating to observe Nancy’s engagement with farmers. I appreciated her ability to tailor her presentation to the individuals in the room, ensuring they got value out of her service.
Nancy’s genuine desire to add value and build a trusted rapport with each individual, backed by her knowledge and skills, left a lasting impression. So when the time came to decide on my work placement, she was the first person I contacted, and I am so grateful for the outcome.
During my two weeks at Angus Australia, I was fully immersed across the business, even getting the chance to interact with CEO Scott Wright and some board members. I spent one week on the road with Nancy as she visited members in South-East NSW. These members generously shared their insights into the industry, where they see it going in the future, and the challenges they face, while also encouraging me to participate in the discussions. These conversations not only expanded my knowledge but gave me a better understanding of the people involved and the pivotal role Angus Australia plays in the future of the breed and the broader beef industry.
In addition to the week on the road, I spent some time in the Armidale office. Here I was able to spend time looking at different aspects of the whole business including Member Services, Marketing, R&D, Administration, Accounts and Human Resources. Prior to coming to Armidale, we did some planning and developed a list of questions to guide the week and ensure I made the most of my time. The staff were all quite welcoming, organised, knowledgeable, and honest, creating an enjoyable experience.
I was asked to reflect on my key takeaways from my time at Angus Australia. These aren’t industry-specific, and some may even be generic, but given my prior beliefs, these have been the most relevant and meaningful for me.
- Ask Questions.
A common theme among both staff and members was the encouragement to ask questions. I won’t lie – I was quite nervous coming into this experience, especially given my limited knowledge of the industry. However, everyone was incredibly open and honest and valued my perspective. In fact, I found my curiosity led to some engaging and thought-provoking conversations I don’t think would have happened otherwise. - Building Culture.
I am very interested in people and what builds a good culture. Throughout the week, I gathered various insights on this from people across the organisation. A common response was that a positive culture includes a genuine desire to help others succeed. By doing this, you create a sense of value, reduce unhealthy competition, and inspire people to work together towards a common goal. I hope to be able to improve on this within my personal life and career.
I would like to extend a big thank you to Angus Australia and everyone I met along the way. This experience has taught me some very valuable lessons that will benefit me throughout my career, hopefully within the agricultural sector.
