Robert Blanch

Discipline: Business

Location: 470 Pitt Street Haymarket, Sydney

Contact email or number: robert.blanch3@transport.nsw.gov.au

Job title: Business - Communications and Marketing Graduate

Work experience: Prior to starting my role in the TfNSW Graduate program I was employed as a Marketing Coordinator for McMahons Transport. In this role I was responsible for creating digital business to business marketing material, creating email campaigns and analysing the success of these campaigns. I also curated three social media accounts for the business across multiple platforms. Before commencing at McMahons I owned 14Manning, a cafe located on the South Coast of NSW in Kiama. Starting the cafe from scratch with my partner, we employed 26 staff and were responsible for the daily running of the business, marketing the business and all finances associated with the business. Running my own business was a career highlight before starting with Transport, though balancing full time university and operating a business certainly had its challenges. I was also a McDonalds manager for over five years. This experience was invaluable, equipping me with a range of transferable skills. I was responsible for leading teams of up to 150 staff, rostering, customer service, achieving KPI's, staff development and the daily running of stores. This was a challenging role that required the ability to not only multi task but to prioritise tasks depending on level of importance and when they needed to be done by.

What are you looking for in a mentor? I am looking for a mentor who is able to help me develop my skills in the communications sector while also help me gain a greater understanding of the public sector and how to navigate this space for future career development. Ideally I would like to connect with a mentor that is willing to discuss their own career experiences and share their journey. While my current area is in communications, I would like to meet a mentor from any discipline as I feel shared knowledge is a great thing and having a broader understanding of Transport as an organisation can only be beneficial.