New trainee at the Bendigo
Sophie Kokiousis is the new trainee at the Robe & District Community Bank.
She follows in the footsteps of former trainee Deanna Moreland, who has gone on to study nursing and is currently working part-time at Westley DiGiorgio in Naracoorte.
The Robe & District Community Bank believes in investing in their staff. Sophie is in Year 12 at Kingston Community School and lives in Robe. Her weekly day as a bank teller will be complimented by concurrent study which once completed will result in a Cert III in Business.
The traineeship is not offered every year and is a particularly sought after position, this year being no exception with impressive candidates on offer. Sophie saw the traineeship as a great opportunity. “I thought it was a good career starting base for me. Through working in the bank, I am also hoping to get more involved in community events.”
“This job fits in well with Year 12 as I work one day a week. I don’t have to worry about the stresses of Year 12 and can focus on my work at the bank. At the end I end up with a Certificate III in Business which will be helpful in the future.”
Sophie has plans when she finishes school. “I am aiming to have a gap year in Robe, and hopefully may be able to continue working at the Bendigo Bank. My plan currently is to go to university in a year or so and either study accounting or pharmaceuticals. If I decide to study accounting this traineeship will be helpful in that field of career.”
She has the reputation as a hard worker, having been at The Project for about 7 years, yet she was looking for a change.
“So far I am loving the job at Bendigo Bank. It is something exciting and new for me to look forward to every week. I like the fact that it is never boring, and I can learn new things that I’m interested in every day. I believe I work well in a team environment and have a friendly approach which is what I can bring to the Community Bank team.”
And this brings us to back to growing up in small towns in the country and having a great community spirit. “I love being in a small community were everyone knows everyone. The best part about growing up in Robe is being near the ocean and having the opportunity to play country sports.” Sophie likes playing netball, spending time with friends and family, and especially heading out for a day at the beach.
In 10 years, she hopes to have a stable job and to be living somewhere near the sea. “I’m hoping to have done lots of travelling, mostly around Europe and America, but also other parts of Australia.” Sophie thinks it would be ideal to have built her own house and even have a good-looking Range Rover in the driveway. We hope she achieves her goals.
Even though Sophie and her Dad barrack for Hawthorn, whilst the rest of the family are Port Power fans, we at the bank are excited to have such a worthy new trainee in our midst at the Robe & District Community Bank.
