Carlos and Bernice Delos Santos.
The runners-up of the 2017 New Zealand Share Farmer of the Year Award believe the earlier potential entrants begin preparing for the awards, the better.
Entries for the 2018 New Zealand Dairy Awards open in October, and Carlos and Bernice Delos Santos say gathering information and records takes time, and now is a good time to start this if they haven't already.
"Because we entered several times in the Share Farmer of the Year competition, we can differentiate the amount of preparation we did from when we didn't make it, to when we became finalist to third place and then becoming the regional winner," says Bernice.
"When we won the regional title this year, the planning started soon after the previous award dinner. We said to ourselves, we want to win next year, so subconsciously, everything we were doing was leading up to the presentation for the next year's awards".
The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards encompass the Share Farmer of the Year, Dairy Manager of the Year and Dairy Trainee of the Year competitions.
Carlos arrived in New Zealand in 2001 with Bernice immigrating in 2007 and the couple, who are originally from the Philippines, say gaining employment within the dairy industry was difficult in the beginning.
"I remember sending CVs to a lot of jobs but without experience at the time, I wasn't getting much of a reply," Carlos says.
"When I did, during a phone interview, I couldn't quite converse in English which I found very frustrating".
Perseverance paid off, and the couple have worked their way through the industry, with Carlos a joint winner of the 2007 East Waikato Dairy Trainee of the Year.
The couple are now 50/50 sharemilkers and won the 2017 Central Plateau Share Farmer of the Year, also collecting four merit awards and went on to be named the 2017 Runners-up New Zealand Share Farmers of the Year in May, as well as winning the Ecolab Dairy Hygiene Award.
They believe the awards and recognition helped them to be more confident.
"Having those titles certainly makes a difference on our CV.
"Entering the competition also made us review and scrutinise our management system and make necessary changes to make sure we do the best practice in all aspect of our business."
Carlos and Bernice believe they are living proof the dairy industry provides opportunities for everyone if they work hard, as that is what they have done over the years.
"When you start with nothing, it's always hard and difficult but when you get the ball rolling, it somehow gets easier," says Bernice. "It still requires hard work and sacrifices but with the experiences we encounter, we learn different things, and different ways to cope with difficulties".
The couple have some simple but sound advice for those just starting out in the industry:
"Learn as much as you can, gain those qualifications, look after your reputation and save as much as you can."
Entries for the 2018 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards open in October. More information is at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz