KEEPING BUSY WITH BUSINESS SKILLS
Raechel Kaimoana thrives in a busy environment. “I’m someone that absolutely loves to be busy, otherwise I get bored!” she laughs.
She’s not kidding either. When she’s not working as a Service Advisor for Scania Wellington, Raechel is completing MITO’s New Zealand Certificate in Business (First Line Management) (Level 4) programme, has a role as Operations Manager of a local rugby league entity that competes nationally, and is a mum of two.
“I have a very busy lifestyle, but I really enjoy it,” she says. “I excel under pressure, working in fast-paced environments – I love the challenge!”
2021 MITO Business Skills - Māori scholarship recipient Raechel Kaimoana
Raechel joined Scania New Zealand six months ago and has a total of seven years’ experience in customer service roles in the heavy automotive industry. “No two days are ever the same in this job,” she explains. “Obviously there are tasks that have to be completed every day – responding to emails, taking phone calls, scheduling in bookings and invoicing work orders – but there are also other tasks that pop-up that you’re not expecting.”
It’s in these scenarios where Raechel flourishes: “when something unexpected happens that has to be resolved quickly, you get to utilise skills that you didn’t even realise you had. It unlocks the creative, problem-solving side of your brain, and I love that part of it.”
Raechel was the recipient of a 2021 MITO Business Skills - Māori scholarship. The scholarship covers the programme fee for MITO's New Zealand Certificate in Business (First Line Management) (Level 4), a programme that Raechel had been eager to complete for some time. “My only reason for holding back in the past was that I have a young family and wasn’t able to travel for the workshops,” Raechel explains. “Once I found out that they could be attended virtually, I jumped at the opportunity to upskill.”
With one more project to go until she completes the qualification, Raechel is already thinking about her next steps. “Completing the first line management qualification will allow me to enrol in the New Zealand Diploma in Business (Leadership and Management) (Level 5) she says. “Having both of those qualifications will set me up really nicely for the rest of my career in the industry.”
“From what I’ve learned in the first line management programme, and from my time in the industry, the only way I can go from here is up,” she says. “There are so many opportunities within Scania to move up in any department. I’m not going to limit myself – the plan is to keep my options open and see what happens.”
One thing she does know for sure, her passion for learning and upskilling will never stop. “I’m the type of person that always has to keep learning,” she says. “I have to always keep myself thinking – it keeps me entertained!”
She urges young people or those considering a career change to really consider the heavy automotive industry. “Think seriously about it and give it a go because it’s a super versatile industry – you don’t just have to be on the tools. There’s a whole lot of different experiences to be gained, and it can really take you places.”
