By Oliver Lees
When Rita Elzmeter interviewed for her first job at Community News in 1992, Rita was quizzed on her work ethic.
“I was asked if I was the type who would often take sick days. Of course, I was young and healthy, I answered I never took sick leave,” Rita said.
“The day I started I had a temperature of 38.7 [degrees celsius], but I still went to work.
“[My employer] took one look at me and thanked me for coming. He was happy that I made the effort to come to work.”
In the thirty years that have followed that first day in the industry, Rita, despite shifting roles and working and a number of different mastheads, has remained steadfast in her commitment to quality service within the local newspaper business.
On March 3, Star News Group joined in celebrating Rita’s three decades of hard work within the industry.
She said her role and the newsroom had changed dramatically over the years.
“Everything was manual back then,” she said.
“There were no emails, but there was a lot of faxing.
“We would do the ads manually on A3 paper and stick them on the board, then we would send them to Dandenong to be processed.”
While the process may have changed, Rita said it’s the colleagues and the clients she’s met along the way that have made it all worthwhile.
“I’m a big believer in customer service,” she said.
“I’ve seen weddings, funerals, births. You name it, I’ve seen it all.
“I love the clients and I love the people I work with. It’s not just work, I’ve built real relationships.”
Star News Group managing director Paul Thomas said Rita had been a crucial piece in the masthead’s ongoing success.
“Congratulations to Rita and thank you for her service across the industry over the 30 years,” Mr Thomas said.
“Local media producing public interest journalism has never been more important.
“Star Weekly is one of the few local news media businesses left operating in metro areas of capital cities in Australia and Rita’s ongoing contribution to this vital service and essential part of democracy is to be commended.”
The Star News Group is looking for more sales executives to join the team and work closely with clients and colleagues. On the job training will be provided to successful applicants, with a strong team culture and great office location in Keilor Park just waiting for the right fit.
For more information on the role or to apply, email Star Weekly’s account manager Gayle Williams.
Details: gayle.williams@starweekly.com.au
