The document discusses the experiences and perspectives of graduates. It notes that graduates come from different backgrounds and may have different expectations, but there is little personalized support throughout the application and placement process. It also notes that the process is very competitive yet employers depend on graduates to support each other. Prototypes were created for ideas to better support graduates in exploring their interests and strengths, including a quote book and a longitudinal app or website. Testing provided feedback on how to improve the prototypes and potential challenges with making disruptive ideas a reality.

2. “You are expected to know what you want early. That is
hard for generalist studies like Economics”
“Lots of effort is required to get through the application process, you
have to be really committed”
“I probably really needed career advice”
“You have to get the timing right in so many places as you try and get the right job”
“Its interesting to see the differences between those grads who have worked before
and those who haven't. If you have you don’t have the romantic view of working life
anymore”
“No one teachers you how to book a meeting room or send a fax at Uni”
“We don’t know how to question the status quo? Or to share what we see
as fresh eyes”
“I just didn’t want to do Admin anymore – I wanted more
autonomy and to be more in control of my career ”
“We get a lot from the Grad network. Now I am starting to think about
mentors”
“I don’t know where I will end up but I feel lucky to be here as its
been good to me”
Not much personal/personalised
support through the process –
like Career support, Self
actualisation support or mentors
“I agree I am addicted to choice and not sure that helps me
make decisions”
“There are lots of opportunity and choices available and some of the websites
are terrible and don’t represent themselves well or offer support ”

3. Unable to observe behaviour
Not much personal/personalised
support through the process –
like Career support, Self
actualisation support or mentors

4. Thinks the process is really hard and repetitive – its about the companies and not
about you getting placed in an appropriate place
Thinks choices are really important and to never shut any
options down
Thinks the employers could do more the all the information they
collect through the process
Thinks that not enough is done to maximise the opportunity presented
by these new fresh faces and their ideas
Its not clear what a “Grad” is any more – 50% of the Grads in her
in-take had work experience already
Not much personal/personalised
support through the process –
like Career support, Self
actualisation support or mentors
There are different types of
“Grads”. They have different
backgrounds and different needs
and expectations which are not
recognised throughout the
process
There is some useful external
intelligence available here –
external perceptions, and
modern ideas to assess some the
challenges the businesses face

5. Confident and grateful for
the grad opportunity
Not committed to a “single” role or even profession
Empathy for a task ahead of all the new Grads coming in to the program – the effort
it takes, the reality hit when they realise work is hard and its not as romantic as they
perceived it to be”
Its important for the Grads to help each other – that’s a really positive thing to do
even though they kind of compete with each other for placements and jobs
Not much personal/personalised
support through the process –
like Career support, Self
actualisation support or mentors
There are different types of
“Grads”. They have different
backgrounds and different needs
and expectations which are not
recognised throughout the
process
It’s a very competitive situation
but employers depend on this
group to support each other
There is some useful external
intelligence available here –
external perceptions, and
modern ideas to assess some the
challenges the businesses face

6. Problem Statement
Stakeholder Needs Insight
NEEDS A
WAY TO
BECAUSE
A Graduate with work
experience of 6/7 years who
is not yet committed to a
profession or job. She is
addicted to choice and a very
adaptable person.
She feels very lucky about
where she has ended up and
is enjoying the graduate
experience. She learns a lot
each day and she is very
confident that she can
contribute.
To be able to self actualise
and get to know what is
truly important to her so
she can channel her energy
and effort into a role which
will contribute to the
organisation she works for
but also her own personal
needs
It is a very competitive
environment and takes
much effort to get from
school to a company and
job that is fulfilling. It is
helpful for everyone
involved for the Grads to be
on a journey that is
satisfying as early as
possible

7. Ideation
- Produce and deliver a new study unit at school
- Produce and deliver new courses at Uni
- Product and deliver courses in Grad programs
- Build and offer Private courses
- Invest in a series of books
- Place Mentors at school
- Place Mentors at Uni
- Have Mentors assigned in Grad programs
- Post the Grad programs offers to buy
- Develop Parents training programs
- Develop Employer knowledge programs
- Influence the current programs in schools
- Influence the current programs in Uni
- Influence the current approach taken in the grad programs
- Develop communication programs through online
- Develop communication programs through mainstream media - Magazines
- Work with business councils to integrate need and methods
- Work with teaching associations to integrate need and methods
- Work with church groups
- Leverage recruitment agencies messages and programs
- Leverage Student bodies within Universities
- Leverage support groups for trade apprentices
- Investigate appropriateness of messages for Unions
Content/Channels/Motivators/Audiences/Process sequence
Build new/influence existing
School/Post school/Post uni/trades/employers
- Investigate Superannuation channels for sharing methods
- Employment focused Government areas
- Employers for triggering further study in areas of importance
- Quote books relating to doing whats important as a job
- Screen savers to support whats important messages
- Build an App
- Utilise gamification to trigger importance factors
-Create a spokesperson/leader personality
- Approach student councils and integrate into the open days at Uni
Some idea groups

8. 3 Different Ideas
Practical Disruptive Favourite
QUOTE BOOKS
Develop specific “Quotes” book to create
consideration of what's important to an
individual.
These could include quotes from
particular high profile people and relate to
ensuring you know what drives you as a
person.
They could carry in the back prompters
for how you might work through what is
important to you – even advertising for
the types of support points that exist for
students to draw on (funding the
publication).
They could be sold generally (perhaps
within Student and Industry Associations)
and perhaps at a subsidy within
Universities and Trade schools.
A lifelong App
Development of a website or
“Application” that supports a person
through their life journey. An App could
collect information about the Intellectual
and emotional progression of the person
as they move through from perhaps late
high school years to employment.
The App can be collecting behavioural
inputs over time from all of those who
have downloaded it and using the
collective to categorise, support and guide
each of the users.
The app could be supported by real
people to help work through more
complex barriers.
It could cost to download initially and
then perhaps be modulised over the long
term to manage cost claw back.
Formal and cross functional mentors and
coaches within Graduate programs
Create a formal role within Graduate
programs who are assigned and support
the graduates (even before they join the
organisation of possible) to determine
what is important to them . This can
support not only the pathway to the job
that gets the most from them but also
with tools for how to manage the role or
tasks that aren't in alignment.
There are always complex, difficult and
confusing situations that arise in the
workplace and an independent person to
bounce ideas and solutions from is a
powerful contributor to positive culture
and outcomes.
This solution seems doable to me and I
think can be put in place and refined to
maximise its effectiveness.

9. Prototype Summary
Practical – Quote book
Prototype Description
Create an overview of the book and its content. It will include quotes from a range of different professions talking about what is important to them
and how this plays out or applies to their everyday life and jobs. Topics being covered might include Life, Family, Work, Religion, Community,
Nature, The Earth…..
Items/Method used
Paper – content per page - descriptions of key professions and areas of quotes outlined. At the end are two pages where the book owner can
build their own quotes.
Photo
Success measure of such a prototype?
Because it is a book this method for prototyping worked well. I was as descriptive as I could be in terms of the actual quotes but of course the main
part of the work is sourcing the quotes themselves.

10. Prototype Testing Summary
Practical – Quote Book
What worked
Different peoples quotes from different professions a good idea. Can show the differences within a profession and how individuals apply
their skills differently because of what's important to them.
The content triggered a conversation about considering what is important to this stakeholder – so seemed to have the desired effect.
What could be improved
Be very specific to the practical application of the skill and “what's important” to the persons life.
Ensure the quotes have longevity – so a person could pick it up and various times in the journey from school to job and it would still make
sense.
Questions
How would a Grad get the book?
Ideas
Triggered conversations about diversity and the similarities which might exist between people so perhaps has a broader application.

11. Prototype Summary
Disruptive – App or a website to provide self support tools
Prototype Description
Create a mock up of the pages and potential content that would be available at the first access point for an individual moving from School to Uni
to Employment via an App they download or a website they have personal access to.
Items/Method used
Paper
Stick notes
Success measure of such a prototype?
Due to the complexity of this offer more detail was required which I had to talk to. I left the Q&A page
Blank to try and see if she would be able to tell me what this should be by this time in the testing – she was
Able to and had some good ideas.

12. Prototype Testing Summary
What worked
“This is a cool idea. It would be like an online group mentor”
What could be improved
- Use quick check boxes in the journaling section for days when you haven't much time or energy. This will help create a mix of written
words and data to use to build other stories and feedback.
- Tools like Trends and Word Maps would be really cool to have
- You could use a combination of tasks to click on and then a list to choose how you felt completing those tasks and then the “brain”
behind the app could tell you the things you are struggling with and those you clearly love and excel at. Trends could be built and fed
back to the user.
Questions
- This would be really really hard to build? It would be expensive so it would have to be an App that people purchased?
- How would you manage negative things coming from it – too many recommendations that we hard to implement would make people
stop using it?
- How would you encourage people to keep “journaling”
Ideas
- Push out reminders
- Q & As – would be a blog, group helpers.
- Links to articles would be really helpful but have to be up to date?
Disruptive – App or a website to provide self support tools

13. Reflection (also in the text box)
What was learned by testing and building a prototype?
- Validation of the Practicality or Disruptive labels given to the ideas
- Reality check!
- How easy will progress actually be
- Are the next steps valid
- Other ideas or extensions on the basic idea
- Makes you start to flesh out the details
- Observe the objectives come alive (or not)
What would I do next to continue working on this project?
- After the testing I actually have a little more confidence that the ‘Disruptive” idea could be pursued and may be possible
- Next I would progress some of the key messages and descriptions of the tools available through the application and progress the prototype
- More test subjects are needed to really understand the broad appeal of the solution: testing will need to extend beyond the obvious users to
those skill sets necessary to build the content.
- Alongside this it will be important to understand the steps and costs to build such an extensive technology based tool