Flight attendant becomes sales executive in pandemic job shake-up

For NZMA graduate, Lagi Lalaulu, 2020 was a challenging year.

Following the closure of international borders to manage COVID-19, the proud mother of two was one of the hundreds of Air New Zealand staff made redundant.

After years as a flight attendant, Lagi says she was at a loss: “I had no real qualifications to apply for jobs besides flight attending.”

It was then that Lagi made the decision to retrain with NZMA Ōtāhuhu, studying a Level 3 Certificate in Business and Technology.

“Once I completed my course, I had the confidence to apply for positions and go for interviews.”

Lagi excelled in her studies. Upon graduation, she was recruited by NZMA to be a sales executive at the Ōtāhuhu campus.

“I love that I get to work in a high impact industry like education.”

“NZMA allowed me to take a giant leap forward with my life. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed studying. It helped me find my renewed purpose and believe there was hope for my future.”