FAQs about the grad program
All about the Xero grad program: how to apply, application tips, and life as a Xero grad.
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How the Xero grad program invests in you
When you join us as a grad, we’ll invest in you and support you to learn on the job, taking ownership of your work and your future career. After the program, you’re guaranteed a permanent position in line with your career aspirations.
During the one-year grad program, you will:
- make lifelong connections
- build a professional network
- develop your skills
- have the opportunity to find your passion
- get to push yourself professionally
- find the support you need to bring your ideas to fruition
Summer internships
We hire our interns at the same time as we recruit grads to the graduate program. A Xero internship is a three-month paid position over the summer, starting in starting in November 2024 and ending in mid-February 2025 During that time, you’ll work alongside one team on their day-to-day work.
Application skills and experience
Your CV isn’t used for initial screening
Although we ask you to submit a CV, we only use it to verify your eligibility. We don’t use CVs to screen applicants for either the grad or intern program. We regard all your experience as valuable, and you’ll have opportunities to show us your potential throughout the application process.
You may need to take a technical test
For most technical roles, you’ll need to complete a HackerRank test. While it’s not all about the test results, this is a language-agnostic testing platform that helps us understand your level of technical knowledge.
You don’t need a degree to apply
We accept applications from students with degrees, diplomas, masters, PhDs, as well as people who’ve done a bootcamp or are self-taught.
Xero grad program is an entry-level program
The Xero grad program is for people who have less than a year’s professional work experience as it teaches skills and competencies from entry level. If you have part-time work experience, that’s awesome, but if you have a couple of years under your belt then you may be better suited to a junior or intermediate role, so keep an eye on our careers page.
About grad roles and futures
What to expect from the Xero grad program
The grad program is a year-long experience that varies depending on what type of role you’re applying for. Our technical grads – engineers, developers, data specialists – rotate through three different areas of Xero and experience different tech stacks and teams. Our design grads tend to stay in one or two teams for the whole year, as this fits better with the type of work they do. For more information, send us an email at 'gradcareers@xero.com' and we'll get back to you to run through anything you need when applications open
Xero grads are permanent employees; interns are fixed-term contracts
You’re guaranteed a permanent position within the Xero family after you complete the grad program. We even have a special ‘un-graduation’ ceremony at the end of the year to celebrate you joining the business as a fully-fledged Xero. The intern roles are fixed-term contracts over the summer.
Learning and development during the grad program
When you join the grad program, we don’t expect you to know everything. The program is an opportunity for you to continue learning and developing. Throughout the grad year you’ll be given training to build your professional and technical skills and you’ll have access to a learning budget to use for external training and resources. You’ll have a lot of support in the form of your people lead, your buddy and your team. You’ll have weekly meetings, training sessions and formal check-ins throughout the year so you’re able to grow and develop.
Which grad programs involve rotations
Technical programs involve three rotations, each lasting four months, to provide opportunities to experience working in different teams on a wide range of tech stacks and products. Design grads spend the entire program with the same team working on different projects and building up their specialised skill set to progress their career in their chosen field.
What team you’ll join when you finish the program
Your permanent roles are confirmed during your final rotation. Business priorities, grad selections and team availability are taken into account in making these decisions. In some specialist roles you may know your permanent team from the start of the program.
Grad roles are flexible but not fully remote
We’ve found that the best way for us to support you, and for you to get the most from the grad program, is working and collaborating with your team in person. So while we don’t offer any fully remote graduate roles, we’re very open to considering flexible ways of working. A lot of grads find that they’re able to work from home a couple of days a week if that’s their preference.
Life at Xero
Starting at Xero
Your first week at Xero is focused on making sure you have everything you need to start working. We’ll get you set up with the right tech, you’ll meet your team, your people lead, and the grad team responsible for running the program. It’s important that you have a really great start to your career, so we’ll cover all the ways we support your development. We focus on your technical development and your professional skills, including empowering you to set your own goals and choosing the learning opportunities available. We commit to giving continuous feedback throughout the year to make sure you know where you are in achieving your goals.
A great working environment
Our buildings are high-spec and fairly new. We have an open-plan layout with collaborative working spaces. We’ve got great free facilities in our offices including a barista who makes awesome coffee, fresh fruit delivered daily, monthly Friday social with drinks, snacks and yarns from 4pm, and even an onsite gym in some of our offices.
The Xero company culture and values
Our culture is built on our values: human, team, beautiful, ownership and challenge. We’re real people who treat each other with respect, and we work hard to deliver a product to delight our customers. We’re inclusive and friendly – our dress code is casual and you'll be welcome to take part in various social activities.
Leave entitlements
When you work at Xero, you get four weeks annual leave each year, plus 10 days of wellbeing leave and one day to volunteer in your community. You also get five days Xtra leave annually, three days holiday leave over the end of year close-down, and the option to purchase up to 10 days of lifestyle leave.
Other Xero benefits
Xero has an employee share plan so you get to own a part of Xero, and full subsidised health, life, income protection and trauma insurance for all permanent employees. You’ll have opportunities to develop your career, growing and developing your skills on exciting and challenging projects using the latest tech, taking courses, and gaining knowledge from world class engineering leaders and peers. We have a great culture and a flexible working environment. Check out all the employee benefits, discounts, and perks in one place with the X Crew (Xero Crew) app.
Recognition as a top graduate employer
Xero is recognised as a top graduate employer in Australia and New Zealand. You can see the awards that Xero has received at our awards page.
Diversity and inclusion
At Xero, we pride ourselves on diversity and inclusion and we seek to provide our people and customers with a supportive network where they can do their best work. We expect all Xeros to help create an inclusive culture and we’re committed to attracting diverse talent when hiring staff.
In 2018, Xero NZ was awarded the Rainbow Tick, a diversity and inclusion award that formally recognises that it’s a safe and inclusive workplace for the LGBTQI+ community.
“Everybody genuinely cares about each other as people. That makes the work more exciting because we want to work with and for each other.”
Kaia Costanza-Van Den Belt | Graduate Engineer