The Nestle NextGen graduate program is a two-year rotational program, according to Nestle's own NextGen page, which is the first place to check if you are weighing a graduate role at Nestle in Australia. This article walks through the three groups of streams the page lists, the two-year structure and the checklist of documents the page asks you to have ready. It also says what to check on the page before you apply.
Chandler Personnel does not run, recruit for or place people into these graduate programs; apply on each employer's own page. Programs, streams and dates change, so confirm each detail on the employer's own page before you apply.
It is written for final-year students, recent graduates and the parents and advisers helping them check the details. If you are curious about the employer side, there is a separate article on how employers recruit from universities for manufacturing talent.
What NextGen is, according to Nestle's page
Nestle's NextGen page says the program is looking for "future leaders across key areas of our business". It adds that Nestle wants to discover graduates with leadership potential and commercial acumen. The three groups of streams it lists are sales and marketing, Technical & Production, and Supply Chain, and the page states a two-year rotation for each group.
A rotational program means you move between areas of the business over its length rather than staying in one role. The page describes the rotations differently for each group, and the next three sections follow them in turn.
The page also names six qualities it is looking for in graduates: self-motivated, innovative, adaptable, a team player, insightful and driven. Each comes with a short question, such as whether you are quick to learn and seize opportunities, or flexible and excited by change. These are Nestle's own descriptions of who it is looking for.
Sales and marketing: three streams
The page describes the sales and marketing group as a two-year rotational program that gives you a platform to start your career within Nestle's sales and marketing team. It says you gain insights into consumer behaviour and demands, help create compelling sales offers and develop integrated shopper campaigns. It lists three streams:
- Category - Shopper Marketing. According to the page, this stream uses shopper, consumer and channel trends to deliver data-driven, actionable insights that shape the long-term strategies of Nestle's brands.
- Corporate sales - Customer Marketing. The page says this stream manages key customer accounts and supports a nation-wide field team with the latest technology and tools to drive efficiency and sales.
- Marketing - Consumer Needs. The page says this stream is about innovating new product developments to meet the changing needs of consumers through digital marketing, eCommerce, brand communications and more.
If you are comparing sales and marketing graduate routes across several employers, a separate article covers that comparison. Here the point is narrower: these are the three streams the NextGen page names for sales and marketing, in Nestle's own words.
Technical & Production: factory-based rotations
If you are looking at the Nestle technical and production graduate route, the page describes a two-year rotation program in which you are based in one or more of Nestle's factories. It names four areas you will work across: Quality, Environmental Sustainability, Engineering and Production. It also says you will experience managing employees as a Factory Line Manager.
The page also says qualifications in Electrical, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering will be highly regarded. It does not name the factories involved or say what the Factory Line Manager experience involves from day to day, so those are questions for Nestle.
Factory-based work is also the setting for jobs that are recruited outside graduate programs. Chandler Personnel supplies labour hire and permanent recruitment for food manufacturing jobs and food production work, and that is a different route from NextGen.
Supply Chain: logistics, planning and procurement
The Supply Chain stream is also a two-year rotation. The page says you will experience physical logistics, customer service, demand and supply planning and procurement, and work in both office and DC locations. It describes the stream as a chance to develop analytical skills, forward thinking and planning capabilities to help solve the challenges of getting raw ingredients to the right place at the right time, and products to customers.
If you are considering the Nestle supply chain graduate program, the practical detail is the mix: according to the page, it combines office work with work in DC locations. Check the page for which sites are involved and how time is split between them.
Warehousing and logistics roles are also recruited outside graduate programs, and the same labour hire and permanent recruitment service covers warehousing and logistics work. That is a separate route and not a substitute for the program.
What to have ready before you apply, and what to check on the page
When you are ready to apply, the page says you need all the items in its checklist available so you can prepare and submit your online application. The checklist is the closest thing to Nestle graduate program requirements that the page names:
- CV. An up-to-date CV.
- Academic transcript. A recent academic transcript.
- Driver's licence. A copy of your driver's licence. The page says a minimum of a provisional driver's licence is necessary.
- Proof of status. Proof of permanent residency or citizenship, for example a passport, birth certificate or citizenship certificate.
The licence and residency items belong to the application as a whole, not to one stream.
Nestle's NextGen page lists the streams and a document checklist but shows no application dates, so check the page for the current intake. It also lists interview tips and a how-to-apply section, which are the places to look for how selection works. Answer any other question from the page or from Nestle, not from a forum post or a friend's memory of an earlier year.
Chandler also has a page of candidate questions for people looking for work through Chandler; it does not cover any graduate program.
Related Resources
- Nestle's NextGen page
- How employers recruit from universities
- Food manufacturing jobs
- Food production work
- Warehousing and logistics work
- Candidate questions
Common Questions About the Nestle NextGen Graduate Program
1. What is the NextGen Nestle graduate program?
According to Nestle's NextGen page, it is a two-year rotational program for graduates, and Nestle says it is looking for graduates with leadership potential and commercial acumen. The page groups its streams into sales and marketing, Technical & Production, and Supply Chain. Read the page for the current detail before you apply.
2. Which streams does NextGen offer?
The page lists three groups. Sales and marketing has three streams: Category - Shopper Marketing, Corporate sales - Customer Marketing, and Marketing - Consumer Needs. Technical & Production is based in one or more factories, and Supply Chain covers logistics, planning and procurement in office and DC locations. Each is described as a two-year rotation.
3. What do I need to apply for NextGen?
The page's checklist asks you to have an up-to-date CV, a recent academic transcript, a copy of your driver's licence and proof of permanent residency or citizenship, for example a passport, birth certificate or citizenship certificate. The page says you need all of them available to prepare and submit your online application.
4. Do I need a driver's licence for NextGen?
A copy of your driver's licence is on the application checklist, and the page says a minimum of a provisional driver's licence is necessary. The page puts this in the checklist for the application as a whole, not under one stream. It gives no reason, so check the page if you are unsure.
5. Is NextGen open for applications now?
Nestle's NextGen page shows no application dates, so check the page for the current intake. Programs, streams and dates change, so confirm each detail on the employer's own page before you apply, and do not rely on dates you saw for an earlier year.
Check the Page, Then Prepare Your Documents
Nestle's NextGen page gives you the shape of the program: a two-year rotation, three groups of streams and a four-item checklist. It shows no application dates, so that answer has to come from the page itself. Gather your CV, transcript, driver's licence and proof of permanent residency or citizenship now. Then open the page and check the current intake before you apply.
