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Carve out a career with a strong and competitive company in the important primary industries sector!

For more than a century AFFCO has been supplying quality meat products to New Zealanders and around the world. They have 12 plants around New Zealand and proudly export our lamb, beef and allied products to over 80 countries.

Situated in the Heart of the Waikato, AFFCO Horotiu is one of the original AFFCO processing plants, and has been on the Horotiu site since 1915. During this time it has been extensively rebuilt to make it one of the most efficient and modern facilities in the country.

AFFCO has a role to suit almost anyone, from jobs for school leavers through to Senior Management Positions.

 

The FutureForce® Team caught up with Aus-Meat Auditor Lee Paton to find out more…  

We also sat down with Caleb from AFFCO’s Future Leader Programme to find out more about this post-graduate opportunity…
Jump to Future Leader Programme Info
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top Career Tip

“Just do the best you can, stay focused on your own thing and put in the hard work… Do your own thing and do it well.”

– Lee Paton, Ausmeat Auditor

A Chat with LEE about her role

Lee Paton
AusMeat Auditor
Waikato-Tainui                                            Former Huntly College Student
So what does an Ausmeat Auditor do?
We check the meat getting done to the customers specifications and make sure that it is up to standard and there’s nothing wrong with it.

In the morning, there’s lots of checking to make sure everything is in order so the day flows easily. For example, I make sure all the scales are working because without them, production can’t run. We’re selling by the quantity and the weight so it’s important the scales are working!

We have to make sure everything is clean. We take hygiene quite seriously around here.

After that, there’s quite a bit of a paperwork to do.

Every day is different depending on what’s happening because we’re making sure the meat is done right. So for example we might have a low yield and we have to go check that. Or the next day it could be that the meat is being cut right and we need to check that. Or the next day it could be the packaging! It all depends on what the customer wants – how they want the cut to look, how much fat is on it… there can be some quite particular standards!

How did you get started here?
I actually started a few years ago, I started quite young. I studied a small business certificate and then I came here because I wanted to earn some money. My family worked here and recommended it. I started on the floor – so started from the bottom and worked my way up! I was thinking about going to university or working somewhere else but I preferred it here at AFFCO. When you start young, there are lots of opportunities here and you grow with the job.
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced so far and how have you handled them?
The easiest part is looking at the meat because I’ve been here for so long so I know what to look for! I’m new to this role though so it’s been challenging letting go of the job I used to do and focusing on this new role. And learning the different areas of the company, there are lots of different departments here! With this job, we have to go through lots of the different departments so I’m learning how it all works.
What are some of the highlights of your career?
I always say it, it’s the people. It can be challenging here but it’s a rewarding challenge because you’re doing it together. Especially the team work here and doing a good job together. Once you get the hang of things, it’s pretty easy and can be quite fun!

And a lot of the jobs here can be physically demanding so if you’re looking for something to keep you fit – this is it!

What advice do you have for transitioning from school to entering the world of work?
Time management and attendance is so important. I know it sounds silly but even if you don’t think you’re the smartest or the best student, it always boils down to attendance. Usually the ones with the best attendance get the good end of the stick because you know that they’re going to be there. You don’t have to be book-smart either. As long as you know your basics, you’ll learn on the job. Something I’ve noticed too is that if you’re positive about it from the start, it’s usually a good run for you. Having a positive attitude and coming in willing to learn, you’re going to get something good out of it. If you’re a keen learner, you’ll get noticed – that’s where I started!
What school subjects are relevant for this line of work?
You definitely need to have your Maths and English. In my opinion, Business Studies and Finance is helpful when you’re moving up in the company.
What kind of skills are important to this role?
Having good people skills and being used to being around lots of different people is important. Understanding different cultures and diversity. And just getting out there and not being shy!
What’s your advice for someone who’s starting out?
 Showing up is the first step. Focus on your job – that’s where the skills start and if you show that you are focused and doing a good job, more opportunities come up. 

You don’t have to be the best, as long as you work hard. Put the effort in and respect those who are willing to teach you and share their experiences. Just do the best you can, stay focused on your own thing and put in the hard work. Focus on what you want to do, not just what your friends are doing. Do your own thing, and do it well.

AFFCO’s Graduate PROGRAMME

The AFFCO Future Leaders Programme is a chance to put your tertiary education into practice within a forward-thinking organisation. You’ll make a national and global impact, get exposure to all areas of a large and diverse company, and gain valuable experience within the New Zealand meat sector.
How did you get into Future Leaders?
I graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Otago, majoring in Economics and Management.

After finishing this degree I applied for this programme and ended up getting in through their recruitment process.

What do you do?
For the past 18 months of me being here, I’ve been on various rotations.

For about 6 months I was down at a Beef & Lamb plant in Christchurch spending time with production planners, managers and supervisors.

Curently the role I’m in involves working on the sale of commercial growth, and overseeing tasks within the business.

What school subjects are relevant for this line of work?
Have a good base of everything. It mainly goes down to your core subjects: numeracy and literacy. Working on interpersonal skills – what’s important is giving your best and knowing that you’re giving your best.
What is something you wish you knew before you left school?
The biggest thing is if you want to do well, you need to bring a good attitude. I apply a lot of what I learnt at school to my current role here. Keeping yourself busy is quite good, and getting involved in a lot of things. It’s really good to learn social skills as well – this can be difficult, but it pays off.

Not being scared of rejection or failure – at the end of the day you actually learn a lot more from failing than from not giving it a go in the first place.

Building good resilience is the key to everything and is so important to have going into the workforce. Failure helps with resilience too.

Caleb Dallow
AFFCO Future Leader
Ngāti Pūkenga

“I enjoy working in operations: it’s fast paced and dynamic. You need to be able to think on your feet and solve problems on the fly, making sure production keeps running and customer orders are delivered on time. I’ve been empowered to take the initiative where I see opportunity to add value to the business.” 

Find out more about AFFCO’s Future Leaders Programme

 

> Click here

“At the end of the day you actually learn a lot more from failing than from not giving it a go in the first place.”

– Caleb Dallow, AFFCO Future Leader 

MORE ABOUT AFFCO…

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AFFCO has a role to suit almost anyone, from jobs for school leavers through to Senior Management Positions. Carve out a career with a strong and competitive company in the important primary industries sector.

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Download a Snapshot of Lee’s Career Profile