------- Nicky Li, 180 Degrees Consulting UNSW HR Director -------
Q: Hello Nicky, please introduce yourself!
I’m a 3rd year Commerce and Information Systems student, and this is my first year joining 180DC! I’m a great believer in learning through exploration and thus some of my dearest passions include travelling, reading in my spare time and going on spontaneous adventures. I was definitely quite timid when I first joined 180DC as the HR director as I was surrounded by new faces and wasn’t quite familiar with how the society worked. However, over the term, I have very much grown to love and appreciate some of the most talented bunch of people that I have ever worked with. Their support and push to help me achieve my best has allowed me to conquer many challenges with confidence.
Q: What has been your favourite moment in 180DC so far?
My favourite moment in 180DC is actually quite recent and was from our first ever World Cafe Café event. The event allowed our consultants to get a glimpse into what other Project Teams were working on and the challenges they were facing. These discussion sessions were incredibly compelling; I was blown away by the amount of creativity and thought put into the projects. There were many moments of awe and appreciation throughout the evening as I watched the teams put their minds together to give and receive valuable feedback. Finally, as World Café came to a close, I felt very satisfied with the smooth running of the event and very humbled to be part of such a talented community of students.
Q. What does your role as the UNSW 180 HR Director involve?
One of the greatest aspects of being an HR director is getting to experience the best of both worlds! Although I am a part of the Operations team, I also work very closely with the Consulting side during recruitment periods so that the process is as efficient as possible. During the recruitment period, my role is to automate this process as much as possible through following strict timelines, organising and conducting interviews, and other general administrative tasks.
Outside of recruitment, I also oversee 180DC’s Buddy Development Program which has been a great way for Consultants to seek guidance from our Senior members. My role entailed matching Consultants with their Senior Buddy and creating resources (such as the Senior and Junior Buddy guides) to assist members in engaging with the program. Although the recruitment was one of the heaviest periods that involved many strict deadlines, my role has been especially rewarding as I have had the greatest pleasure to interact with people from all facets of the organisation (from Consulting Directors to the Project Teams).
Q. What is one piece of advice you have for students wanting to be part of the UNSW 180DC Operations Team?
If there is a particular role you are interested to further yourself in, but you’ve only had a small taste of it before, then DON’T let this stop you from joining. There are so many avenues to hone your skills and apply yourself (plus there is always immense support within the team). As long as you are passionate to make a difference, and of course, have a deep fascination with how the different portfolios within the Operations team are interconnected to turn ideas into reality, I highly encourage you to apply!