What's your job about?

I work as a Graduate Developer in the Research and Development team. I am responsible for writing clean code to further develop the system.

On a normal day, I can work on anything from fixing a minor or major bug to converting some legacy code to the new systems code to writing whole new functionality. A task could take half a day, or five or more weeks.

What's your background?

After graduating from high school in 2009, I decided university was not for me and moved to Alice Springs for two years, where I worked in a casino. This led to me realising how much I needed education and learning in my life. I decided to move back to Queensland and attend university.

I studied at Griffith University, where I spent my first year working in any hospitality job I could get. In my second year, I was fortunate enough to get a job as a web developer for a small e-commerce company called Neocreative while also juggling a bar job, a student teaching/leading role and full-time uni.

As my workload increased in my third year, I was forced to drop back to working only as a web developer, where I stayed for the next year-and-a-half while I finished my honours degree. Six months after graduating, I moved on to my current role at TechnologyOne as a Research and Development Graduate Developer.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Yes, I believe that a person’s background would not affect them, working in the role I am in.

For someone to excel in my position, they need to be a logical thinker and be willing to learn and push through challenges.

My job entails solving a great deal of logical problems. It can be quite challenging as the learning curve is very steep, but once you get over that curve, the feeling of writing clean working code is amazing.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

I got into IT to constantly learn. I love that my job is to not only be on the cutting-edge of new technologies, but to drive the market with the newest solutions.

TechnologyOne is not scared to take risks and allow us to express our ideas.

Another major bonus of my job is the working conditions. We can choose our hours, so long as we get our work done. We have videos games, a pool table and board games; everyone is provided for us to take vital breaks from our work so we can stay as productive as possible.

What are the limitations of your job?

Because TechnologyOne has been around for 30 years, the system is very large and can be very daunting.

The learning curve is extremely steep and the learning never stops. There is an expectation that you will ask questions and do extra learning outside of work if necessary.

You don't get offered a position if they can't see that you're passionate about what you do. They need to see that you push yourself and challenge the norm.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

• Work hard! Your grades might not mean anything to you now, but the graduate market is extremely competitive. The difference between getting an interview and not could be as little as half a GPA point.
• Learn to write a good resume and cover letter and look for an internship as early as possible. The cover letter is the first impression an employer gets, so make it count. An internship, paid or unpaid, is a step in the door. Do well here and you could land yourself a job at the end of your degree.
• Take some time for you. You can't finish university and enjoy life if you burn out.