Experience

I worked as an Academic Support Assistant at Massey University, supporting students with programming and software development coursework. What I enjoyed most was helping someone go from being completely stuck on a problem to actually understanding why their code was not working and how to approach it properly.

A big part of the role was answering questions, explaining technical concepts in simpler ways, and helping students build better problem-solving habits instead of just giving them the answer. I also worked as a marker, reviewing student submissions against course requirements and giving clear, consistent feedback.

The role made me much better at communicating technical ideas, reviewing code critically and adjusting how I explain something depending on the person I am helping. It also gave me a different perspective on programming, because teaching and marking often forces you to understand a concept more deeply than simply using it yourself.

I've had the most fun and personal growth in this role. I supported a residential community of about a total of 550 students at my time in Massey Halls Auckland — Te Ōhanga Village, and no two days were really the same. Some days meant planning events and getting people involved in the community; others meant helping residents through problems, answering questions, or dealing with situations that needed a calm and practical response.

A big part of the job was making the village feel welcoming and connected. I planned and facilitated social events, checked in with residents, worked alongside the wider accommodation team, and helped with after-hours support when issues came up. Over time, I became much more confident communicating with different personalities, handling conflict, taking initiative and making decisions independently.

More than anything, the role taught me how to work with people. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, helped me become more organised and dependable, and gave me a lot of experience leading, supporting others and adapting when things did not go to plan.

I worked as a Checkout Operator at PAK’nSAVE Wairau Road, one of New Zealand’s busiest supermarkets, and it was probably my first real experience working in a genuinely fast-paced environment. During busy periods, there was very little downtime, so I had to learn quickly how to stay efficient, accurate and friendly even when there was a constant line of customers waiting.

A lot of the job came down to communication and composure. I was dealing with different people all day, handling payments, fixing small checkout issues, answering questions and making sure customers still had a good experience even when the store was packed.

It taught me a lot about reliability, teamwork and working under pressure. I became much more comfortable dealing with people, managing repetitive work without losing attention to detail, and keeping a steady pace during some very busy shifts.