Breakthrough Series: Technology 2021 – sponsored by SIG by GradAustralia

TECHNOLOGY

BREAK THROUGH SERIES EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GETTING HIRED IN TECHNOLOGY

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Published by: GradAustralia in partnership with IMC Writing and editing: Tarika Wickremeratne, Randolf Santos and IMC Creative producer: Iya Briones Designer: Patricia Anne Bellido Advertising: Geoff Adams, geoff.adams@gradaustralia.com.au Grant Robson, grant.robson@gradaustralia.com.au Jordan Hunt, jordan.hunt@gradaustralia.com.au Sam McDonald, sam.mcdonald@gradaustralia.com.au GradAustralia Pty Ltd www.gradaustralia.com.au contact@gradaustralia.com.au Vol 1, Issue 1, May 2020

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About The Breakthrough Series The Breakthrough Series was created with one goal in mind: to help students – like you – confidently navigate the graduate recruitment process. We believe in the power of information – the more informed you are, the better the decisions you make. The Breakthrough Series provides the ultimate guide to getting hired in key industry sectors. From consulting and banking to engineering and law, we give the insider tips on what it’s really like to work in these fields, and what you can expect as a graduate. About GradAustralia GradAustralia was founded by three graduates from the University of Adelaide. Co-founders Jeff Duncan, Steven Butler and Geoff Adams shared a vision – to launch a startup that would help every university student get the best possible start to their career.

Copyright GradAustralia owns the copyright of this publication. A reasonable portion of the content may be reproduced for personal use only. The content may not otherwise be reproduced and must not be distributed or transmitted to any other person or used in any way without the express approval of GradAustralia. Accuracy & reliability of information Although every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of the content contained in this publication, GradAustralia, its officers, employees, and agents disclaim all liability (except for any liability which by law cannot be excluded), for any error, inaccuracy in, or omission from the content or any loss or damage suffered by any person directly or indirectly through relying on the content. GradAustralia undertakes no responsibility to keep the content up to date. PO Box 256, Blackheath NSW 2785 Australia

In 2015, GradAustralia was officially launched and its first careers guide was published. Jeff, Steve and Geoff were overwhelmed by the positive feedback from students, educators and careers services alike. GradAustralia has since grown to produce a range of print and online products that are used by over one million students annually.

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Foreword �� iv

Part 1: The tech industry explained Employer spotlight: IMC ��2 What is tech? ��3 What types of companies can I work for? ��6 Tell me about the jobs in the tech industry ��12 A day in the life of an IMC software engineer ��18

Part 2: So, is tech for me? Job market outlook ��21 Key skills you’ll need in tech ��25 A day in the life of an IMC options strategy development team lead ��30 The highs (and lows) of the tech industry ��32 Graduate salaries in tech ��35 Life after tech ��38

Part 3: What’s next? How do I decide where I want to work? ��43 The recruitment process ��46 Writing the ideal CV for a job in tech ��50 Guide to assessment centres ��56 Acing the interview ��61 Next steps ��65 .com.au

FOREWORD

Start Discovering Technology at IMC IMC is a trading firm with technology at its heart. Over the last few decades, our world has developed faster than ever. New technologies have changed the way we communicate and share information, and how we do business. IMC was among the first trading firms to recognise the critical role technology would play in the evolution of market making. We embraced technology early on, and it remains a key differentiator and a major factor in our success. IMC is a market maker, which means we’re ready to buy or sell financial products anytime, anywhere. Market makers like IMC deliver real benefits to financial markets by providing deep liquidity, thereby facilitating trading and the transfer of risk at lower cost. We enable other market participants to trade in and out of positions at a time of their choosing. From offices in Sydney, Amsterdam and Chicago, a drive to improve and innovate contributes to the functioning of markets. We’re built on teamwork - Engineers and Developers work closely with Traders, with a short feedback loop and a continuous

NICK HAAN Head of Technology

improvement cycle. That teamwork enables us to solve complex problems and thereby optimise our trading infrastructure. In managing growth, we pay particular attention to protecting our culture, which we see as an important differentiating factor for IMC. This is frequently cited as a major attraction by new hires joining us from university or the industry. We believe we achieve more together and by investing in our people, we build for the future. IMC hires great people and gives them lots of responsibility. We make things happen today, and make them better tomorrow. We are a non-hierarchical firm, where the best ideas count. Our people are encouraged and empowered to share their ideas, to work together and to learn from each other, and to explore the best solutions to reach their full potential. If you’re passionate about challenging the status quo, you enjoy the process of problem solving, and you find that your curiosity and desire to learn drives you, a career at IMC could be for you!

PART 1:

The tech industry explained Employer spotlight: IMC What is tech? What types of companies can I work for? Tell me about jobs in the tech industry A day in the life of an IMC software engineer

EMPLOYER SPOTLIGHT: IMC

Graduate program interview with IMC’s graduate and intern recruitment lead

Click ‘play’ to open the link and play video

For many graduates and interns, the most valuable insights in terms of how best to prepare for an application at a leading trading company often come from the person responsible for interviewing. These insights are at best hard to come by. For this reason, GradAustralia has interviewed Denya Tessier. Denya is the graduate and intern recruitment lead at IMC. Denya is responsible for delivering one of Australia’s market-leading and largest

trading firm intakes, including a companywide selection process for intern and graduate hires. Denya’s insights are invaluable for the aspiring graduate or intern looking to land the role of their dreams at IMC. We hope you enjoy – this is definitely worth watching to the end!

THE TECH INDUSTRY EXPLAINED

What is tech? Think back to every movie you’ve ever watched that was set in the future. One thing they generally have in common is the role of technology in creating that particular alternate universe. Flying cars zoom the skies, super-computers manipulate events, and robots become so lifelike it’s impossible to tell the difference. The list goes on! The sheer potential of technology is of such fascination that it’s unsurprising when you think about how far it’s already brought us. Humans have been using technology long before we even had a word for it.

We were using technology the moment we started fashioning tools to accomplish a task better than we could on our own. Essentially, that is what “technology” is – the knowledge and application of certain methodologies and skills in the creation of products and services that fulfil specific needs. One word that often goes hand-in-hand with technology is ‘invention’. Technology by its very nature is inventive – either improving on what currently exists or creating something never seen before to address a problem or issue.

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As you can see, the technology industry seems pretty all-encompassing but, it can be broken down into sub-sectors like semiconductors, networking, software, hardware and internet to help you to better grasp its scope. The tech industry is focused around innovation, creation and growth. The companies dominating the industry at the moment are based in the US and known as the Big Five: Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft. They have superstar status for being leaders in revolutionising how we learn, communicate, share information and consume goods. That being said, there are hundreds of thousands of other companies in the world of tech that are

either competing directly with these giants (think Adobe, Cisco and IBM) or making waves in their areas of expertise (like Atlassian, Pinterest and Canva). Working for any company in the tech sector will initiate you into a huge community of peers and colleagues across the planet. You will gain the agility to move sideways and upwards, zigzagging from projects and products, and from home to hot-desk. You will exercise the muscles of your imagination as never before because this is an industry that makes a muse of your incredible capacity for new ideas. You will also learn that the only constant in technology is change, change and more change. Ready to dive in?!

One of the earliest applications of technology was the invention of the wheel – we created a deceptively simple apparatus which revolutionised our lives by making it that much easier to get from one place to the other. There have been few inventions since that have had such a profound effect on human life and thrust us forward so inexorably into a future of rapid technological progress. Comparable with the wheel are the inventions of the steam engine, the harnessing of electricity and – most recently – the advent of the internet. All these technological advances were catalysts for unprecedented change and have shaped the world we live in today in hugely significant ways. Today technology is ubiquitous. It’s there when you need to Shazam a song you just heard, so you can add it to your Spotify playlist. It’s there when you’re backpacking through South America and need to store your photos on the Cloud, or post them to Instagram to give your mates a good dose of FOMO. It’s in the slick new Tesla, which you aim to buy one day. It’s in the laptop or tablet that holds all the notes from yesterday’s university lectures. It’s in the apps that doctors are using to help with diagnosing patients, apps that help victims of abuse to call for help without alerting their attackers, or apps that help people to save money passively by investing cents on every credit card transaction. It’s at work when

you’ve had a bad day and just want to talk to your parents, even though they may be thousands of miles away. It is this rich and tremendously influential field that you will join if you choose a graduate career in technology. OK, THANKS FOR THAT! NOW, TELL ME ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY The technology industry is incredibly broad, which makes it attractive to a large number of people coming from different disciplines. One myth associated with working in technology is that you should be able to code to get a job. That is definitely not the case! There is an impressive range of technological and non-technological jobs available out there, depending on where your interests and skills lie. A handy way to categorise the tech industry is to think of the intended user of the product or service being offered. Is it a consumer or business? Consumer goods could mean anything from mobile devices, wearable technology, household appliances to electronics. Businesses rely heavily on technology to create enterprise software, streamline their systems, host their databases and store their information. All of these affect the way businesses operate with their staff internally and their customers externally.

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THE TECH INDUSTRY EXPLAINED

What types of companies can I work for? Have you ever found yourself daydreaming about working on the next Netflix-type concept, finding a way to cure cancer with an app, or hobnobbing with the likes of Tesla’s Elon Musk and Microsoft’s Bill Gates? You’ll be relieved to hear that these dreams are pretty much universal because – let’s face it – tech companies are the rock stars of the professional world. That being said, it’s not all glamorous. Behind the perks and fame lies a foundation of hard work and high stakes in what is an ever-changing and highly competitive space. If you’re thinking about applying for jobs in the tech sector, we recommend exploring the types of companies where you could find yourself working for. Working for companies in different stages of growth will give you a very different perspective of life in the fast lane of tech, so it’s handy to know your startups from your tech giants. EARLY-STAGE STARTUPS The term ‘startup’ is evolving beyond its strict definition to describe a certain kind of workplace culture. When you hear the word, your mind can’t help but pair it with others like ‘creative’, ‘fun’, ‘young’ and ‘cutting-edge’. Most of today’s tech and

social media giants began as startups. We’re talking names like Google, Uber and Facebook that have quite literally changed the way we interact with the world around us. But what is a startup in its truest sense? All startups have at their core a brilliant idea for a product that would make some aspects of our lives easier. This idea is championed by a small collective of passionate, driven individuals who work tirelessly to create a minimum viable product (MVP) to present to customers and/or investors. Investors usually come into play when a startup is ready to refine their product and rapidly scale their business to get that product out into the market and to as many people as possible. Startup incubators Imagine you’re someone with a technical skill and an incredible concept for a new app or technological service that could potentially change the world. Imagine also that you don’t know the first thing about starting a company and finding the resources to actually build that product. Where do you go for help? Enter the startup incubator.

A medical incubator is defined as ‘an enclosed apparatus where premature or unusually small babies are placed and which provides a controlled and protective environment for their care’ (thanks, Google!). Replace the word ‘babies’ with ‘startup’ and you have the definition of a startup incubator. Incubators can be universities or government organisations or other entrepreneurs and they help baby startups by providing them with a variety of crucial services like a workspace, training and that all-important initial financing. They will work with startup founders and CEOs for up to five years before allowing them to ‘graduate’ into the real world.

Working for a startup The upsides: ■ We hope you like hats because you’ll have to wear plenty when working for a startup! Expect your role to be multi-faceted, giving your exposure to different parts of the business and expanding your skillset – fast. ■ In a small company, your work will be highly visible and directly impact the product you are helping to create. Your screw-ups will be just as visible as your triumphs but hey, that’s how you learn! ■ Impatient to make your mark? At a startup, you are likely to be given opportunities that would otherwise take years to come to you at a larger company.

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■ In the world of startups, ‘it’s eat or be eaten’. Relevance and speed are key, so each day will be imbued with a sense of creative energy and urgency that would be hard to match anywhere else. ■ Startup founders are visionaries— brilliant, highly intelligent and motivated. At a startup, they will be your teachers and among the first members of your professional networks. Not too shabby! ■ It’s not all rainbows, we’re afraid. Startups are unlikely to match the starting salary packages of the ‘Googles’ of the world but what they lack here they will endeavour to make up in workplace culture and atmosphere. Bring on the foosball tournaments! ■ Startups are purpose-driven, working to bring technological solutions to problems we face. You will sleep better knowing you are an integral part of creating something that will be of real value to real people. ■ Startups generally offer employees equity in the company, which, if all goes well, could fatten up your bank balance nicely in the future. Ka-ching! The downsides: ■ If you enjoy structure and consistency around the tasks that you do each day, it will be difficult to adjust to life at a startup with its constantly moving goalposts. ■ Creating something incredible from scratch is really, really hard work – there’s no getting around it.

If you want something cushier and/or a higher salary, a startup may not be the best choice for you. ■ Risk is a scary word but unfortunately a relevant one when it comes to startups. If an investor or a key client pulls out, the company could be in real danger of folding, which could put you out of work. ■ Startup founders are brilliant, sure, but that does not always mean they are good leaders. Without a strong leader with the correct skills to set the company up for success, the chances of failure are greater. ■ Remember the dollar signs that sprang to mind at the mention of equity? If the company doesn’t succeed, your equity may amount to nothing. MID-STAGE STARTUP Once young startups have attracted some key investors, they can pause for a breath. They have made it through startup limbo and lived to tell the tale. They are a little more established in the market and they’ve quashed their competition (for now). It’s now time to take it up a notch and ramp up production, clients and revenues. More work requires more talent, so they will also need to grow the company. This is a hugely exciting time for a startup, but rapid growth comes with pitfalls of its own. Startup accelerators One option for companies in this stage of development is to apply to a startup accelerator. If incubators are nurseries for startups, accelerators are high

schools offering crash courses on how to succeed. Accelerators aim to squeeze roughly two years of growth into a threemonth program of intensive training. During this time, startups are invited to join a community of entrepreneurs and investors who provide guidance on how to grow their businesses and avoid problems that may otherwise have spelled disaster for the unwary. As with incubators, accelerators also work mostly on training, mentoring and financially supporting the leaders of a startup – most often the founders and/or the CEO – and do not work directly with more junior employees. As a graduate, you are unlikely to work in either space but could definitely end up working for a startup that has either been through the incubator process or whose leaders are currently working with an accelerator to assist with growing the business. Working for a mid-stage startup The upsides: ■ Experience is everything in this business. Getting to this stage already means this startup knows how to survive, which could mean less risk for you when it comes to job security further down the line. ■ This is the stage at which startups start to see more money coming in. This means several positive things here: higher salaries, more resources and more of that magic ingredient – innovation. ■ Already itching to try something new?

A growing company will see new roles and teams created to handle a diversified workload. This is a prime opportunity for you to switch lanes and try a different role. ■ Despite its recent or impending growth, this company will still retain some of the best aspects of a startup, one of which is the ability to work closely with and learn from true innovators at the helm of the business. ■ We’ve all heard that corporate hotshot complaining about being an insignificant cog in a well-oiled money-making machine. Even in a growing startup, you will still experience the rush of making real contributions and seeing the impact of your work every day. The downsides: ■ Risk remains part and parcel of the startup world even at this growthstage. A larger company may want to acquire yours (as Facebook acquired Instagram), or your company may be the one acquiring smaller businesses. Either way, there would be a duplication of job roles that may need to be culled – and yours could be one of them. The risk will be different to what it was at a brand-new startup, but it is still a gamble you’ll have to be willing to take. ■ Imagine working for a 20-person company one day and having that number increase 10-fold over the course of a year or less. You suddenly have 180 new colleagues to get to know and the business has 180 more salaries to pay. What could go wrong?! .com.au

IMC is a global leader in market making.

These are classic growing pains which, if not handled well by senior management, could spell the end of a great startup. ■ Larger companies need more structure to operate efficiently, but this may have a direct impact on the way you are used to working. From having a certain degree of autonomy in your work, you may suddenly feel you’re being micromanaged. For some, this could be a relief while for others, it could feel stifling and frustrating. MULTINATIONALS AND TECH GIANTS We know what you’re thinking: ‘Startups sound great, but if Apple comes knocking on my door, I’m there with bells on!’ It can be hard not to be dazzled by these companies, which have reached almost

mythic status in our minds. All we can say is, be wary of limiting your options. Remember, there are hundreds of great companies out there that may not be household names but are still in a similar league to the ‘Googles’ and ‘Microsofts’ of the industry. Do your research, keep an open mind and explore a wide range of options with an objective lens. Working for a multinational/tech giant The upsides: ■ We won’t lie: having a tech giant on your CV as where you started your career will put you in good stead throughout your working life and will also enable you to create an impressive professional network from very early on.

■ Companies in this stage of development cannot afford to rest on their laurels. They need to continue to innovate, which is why they are hungry for young talent and new blood. What better way to entice a brilliant young graduate than to offer a mind-boggling starting salary package? ■ Most of these companies will have excellent graduate programs to provide high-quality training and mentorship to young people at the start of their careers. ■ If the risk associated with working at a startup was making you break out in hives, you’ll love the security that comes with working for a large, successful and established company. ■ Company perks are the stuff of legends when it comes to big tech: free food and booze, free gym memberships, great healthcare benefits, private concerts—the list goes on! ■ Work-life balance will be more of a reality in this type of company than in a fledgling startup but don’t get complacent – your work will be monitored against key performance metrics that may count towards your salary increases and affect career progression. ■ As an employee, you will likely be given company stock options, which may already be valued highly and reap financial benefits from early on. ■ Have you ever wanted to work at a villa in Tuscany’s scenic countryside or spend your weekends exploring America’s famed national parks?

Multinationals can offer not only flexible working options but also facilitate a transfer to one of their overseas offices if you fancy a change of scenery. The downsides: ■ Interviewing for any job is never fun but for larger companies that receive hundreds or thousands of applicants, the recruitment process is reputed to be lengthy, exhausting and ruthless. ■ If you want to progress quickly and you’re wondering why your peers working in startups seem to have more responsibility than you, this is due to the more rigid, hierarchical structure of larger companies. Also, the larger the team, the more competition you’ll face when vying for a promotion. ■ You may pat yourself on the back for landing the job, but you quickly realise that your entire department is made up of similar high-performing individuals like yourself. This will mean working that much harder to prove yourself and get noticed. OUR STANDING PROMISE Still want in on this crazy, dynamic world? Then get thinking about which one of the above three types of companies best suits your temperament, skills, lifestyle goals and value system. One thing’s for certain: working in technology will be equal parts of challenging, nervewracking and inspiring, but, it will never be boring.

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THE TECH INDUSTRY EXPLAINED

Tell me about jobs in the tech industry When you’re settling down on your couch preparing to spend the evening playing video games, your first move before the game even starts is to select an avatar. This is the face you will present to the world within the game and your fellow competitors. Your graduate career can be considered in the same way. Your first foray into this exciting universe will be to select the type of tech professional you’d like to become. There is a large variety of roles to choose from, but we’ve assembled a list of 13 typical roles that attract graduates in the tech sector. If you’re not sure where to start, look for a job that matches your specific skills, interests and talents and then go from there. 1. Computer support specialist Also known as: Technical support, helpdesk support, operations analyst, problem manager Role overview: When things go wrong in an IT environment, technical support staff are there to patiently troubleshoot the problem. Generally, technical support

teams have client-facing roles, helping the customers of software or hardware companies get the most out of their products. While some support roles will require employees with specific knowledge, others are a great match for patient graduates with exemplary communication skills. Key skills include: ■ wide, ranging tech knowledge ■ problem-solving abilities ■ excellent communication and listening abilities; and ■ patience, patience and more patience 2. Hardware engineer Also known as: Network engineer, network designer Role overview: Hardware engineers design, build, test computer hardware (eg computer chips and circuit boards) and computer systems. They also work with peripheral devices such as printers, scanners, modems, and monitors among others. Generally, hardware engineering roles become more specific as graduates move from entry-level roles into senior positions.

Graduates are likely to be tasked with general duties related to the design, development, and testing of computer systems and components. Key skills include: ■ analytical thinking ■ logical thinking ■ teamwork; and ■ attention to detail 3. Computer systems analyst Also known as: Product specialist, systems engineer, solutions specialist, technical designer Role overview: Systems analysts identify business challenges and then design information systems that provide a feasible solution. This is typically done in response to a brief from a business or customer. In addition to designing IT solutions, systems analysts are often required to take financial and administrative considerations (eg total costs and implementation times) into account. As a result, the job requires a mix of business and technical knowledge, as well as excellent interpersonal skills. Key skills include: ■ the ability to extract and analyse information ■ good communication ■ strategic thinking; and ■ the ability to deal with multiple stakeholders

4. Software developer Also known as: Software engineer, application programmer, software architect, system programmer/engineer Role overview: Looking for a creative role in tech? Software development could be for you. Software developers design a range of software solutions from operating systems and databases to mobile applications and games. Developers often liaise extensively with customers and colleagues to understand what the software is required to do. You’ll need top programming skills to be a software developer – but the rewards will be worth it because this is typically one of the best-paid graduate roles. Key skills include: ■ high-level technical knowledge ■ the ability to think in a procedural and strategic manner ■ the ability to work within a team; and ■ attention to detail 5. Programmer Also known as: Software developer (sometimes) Role overview: Are you a coder with a penchant for solving problems? If that’s you, consider a career in programming. It’s lucrative, challenging and offers numerous opportunities for advancements.

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Key skills include: ■ analytical thinking ■ logical thinking ■ the ability to work within a team ■ patience; and ■ attention to detail 6. Web developer Also known as: Web programmers, web designers, internet or intranet developers, webmasters Role overview: Talented web developers are always in high demand in a world where people rely on the internet for everything, from paying their bills to finding a date. Web developers are responsible for dayto-day website creation and design. They combine the skills of a computer programmer with those of a graphic designer. Developers work with all of the elements of a website – text, images, graphics, and more – to come up with functional, interesting and user-friendly designs. You’ll find web development particularly rewarding wif you want to balance technical challenges with opportunities for creative work . Key skills include: ■ basic understanding of web technologies (client side, ■ server side and databases) ■ ability to keep abreast of latest developments in HTML ■ CSS and other coding languages

■ creative and analytical thinking ■ an eye for design and aesthetic; and ■ problem-solving abilities 7. User experience (UX) designer Also known as: That’s pretty much it! Role overview: Have you ever been frustrated after using a website or app because you couldn’t find something where you expected to see it? A UX designer’s job is to make sure that this never happens. In other words, a UX designer researches, understands and designs processes to create a seamless user experience by focusing on three key areas: look (aesthetics), feel (user engagement) and usability (ease of use). UX designers often work closely with web developers who have the technical knowhow to ensure the UX designer’s feedback and recommendations are implemented correctly. In architectural terms, a UX designer would create the blueprints while the developer builds the house. Key skills include: ■ people-oriented ■ curious ■ interested in/good at predicting human behaviour ■ empathetic ■ great verbal and written communication skills; and ■ always interested in the ‘why’ and the ability to problem solve

8. Network engineer Also known as: Hardware engineer, network designer Role overview: Network engineering is one of the more technically demanding tech jobs. Broadly speaking, this job involves setting up, administering, maintaining and upgrading communication systems, local area networks and wide area networks for an organisation. It’s a highly technical role and you’ll likely end up with an impressive collection of specialist technical certifications. Key skills include: ■ specialist network knowledge ■ excellent communication

■ the ability to develop, follow and adjust a plan of action ■ analytical thinking; and ■ problem-solving abilities 9. Security engineer Also known as: Security analyst, security engineer, security administrator, security architect, security specialist, security consultant Role overview: Security is of increasing concern as businesses become more digitised. Data breaches could spell the end of even the largest and most successful companies if they are not contained properly, or companies don’t have proper processes in place to prevent or address them.

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Increasingly, companies want people dedicated to strategising how to protect their information, networks, systems and how to prevent, address and curtail disasters if these should occur. This has resulted in a specialised niche being created for security engineers. Not long ago, this role may have been a part of a network engineer’s task list. Key skills include: ■ specialist network knowledge ■ specialist knowledge about cyber security protocols ■ attention to detail ■ excellent communication skills; and ■ ability to handle stressful situations 10. Software tester Also known as: Test analyst, software quality assurance tester, quality assurance engineer Role overview: Undetected software bugs can massively affect the productivity and reputation of a technology company, causing all sorts of problems from software crashes to security breaches. Testers try to ‘exterminate’ bugs by anticipating all the ways how n application or system might be used. They test scripts and macros, analyse the results and give them back to a project leader so that any necessary fixes can be made. Testers can also work on the early stages of a project to weed out any predictable vulnerabilities before

software development begins in earnest. As testers advance in their careers and gain expertise in this field, they will move into a quality assurance engineer role. Key skills include: ■ attention to detail ■ creativity ■ organisation ■ analytical and investigative thinking; and ■ excellent communication 11. Technical sales Also known as: Sales manager, account manager, sales executive. tester, quality assurance engineer Role overview: Technical sales might be the least handson role on this list, but it still requires an understanding of how businesses use IT. You may sell hardware, or extol the business benefits of software, network systems or services (like cloud products). Day to day, the job could involve phone calls, meetings and drafting proposals. At the heart of this role is a willingness to understand what customers want and speak to them in a way that conveys your determination to equip them with an appropriate solution. An IT degree isn’t necessarily essential, but you will need to have a thorough technical understanding of the product you sell.

Key skills include: ■ product knowledge ■ persuasion ■ excellent interpersonal skills ■ mobility; and ■ business awareness 12. Business analyst Also known as: Business architect, enterprise-wide information specialist Role overview: As with technical sales, this isn’t necessarily a hands-on IT job. However, the best analysts are those who understand the technologies employed by their clients and employers. Business analysts are responsible for analysing an organisation, documenting its business processes and systems, evaluating its use of technology and identifying ways to improve outcomes related to efficiency, performance, sales and cost-effectiveness. It could be a great fit for a talented graduate who likes to look at the big picture.

13. Data scientist Also known as: Data architects, data visualisers, data engineers, data ecologists Role overview: Data scientists specialise in analysing huge amounts of (often messy) data points and using their arsenal of skills in maths, statistics and programming to clean and organise them into valueadding insights. Straddling the worlds of business and IT, data scientists are being sought after to help businesses make the right decisions and uncover solutions to their challenges. Key skills include: ■ a solid grasp of statistics, including statistical tests and distributions ■ the ability to work with a variety of programming languages like SAS, R and Python ■ excellent researching skills ■ the ability to visually present data and insights for easier analysis; and ■ the ability to look for order, patterns and trends in data

Key skills include: ■ analytical thinking ■ excellent communication ■ presentation ■ project management; and ■ problem-solving abilities

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DAY IN THE LIFE

Sadi Zahir is a software engineer at IMC. FIELD OF STUDY

Bachelor of Engineering (Mechatronic Engineering); The University of Queensland; 2017

8.00am

I start my workday later in the morning, so between 8 and 9:30 I get to enjoy either catching up with friends overseas, having breakfast or exercising (sometimes!). Though, I’m definitely guilty of using this time to sleep in a little. Then, I get ready and take the train to work. I'm usually at work at 10am to grab a coffee, refill my water and settle in for the day. First thing is usually attending the development team catch up, where we share what we've been working on in rapid succession. Then, I catch up on any e-mails or messages that may have come in overnight; I work with developers from the Europe and US offices on some projects. It's always important to be updated on the progress made overnight.

10.00am

My team specialises in the execution challenges of trading the Hong Kong markets, which we trade from 12pm onwards thanks to the time zones. I work pretty closely with the HK trading team, so I like to catch up with them regarding any changes we’re going to make to the systems, any interesting news and events, and so on. This is when we also catch up about potential new ideas to put into the software, the progress of in-development items, and the rollout of stuff that we’ve recently finished.

11.00am

Time to get coding! I’m usually working on several new development items or investigations. I have some freedom to prioritise them in a way that makes sense to me. Smattered throughout is chatting with other developers, asking questions, answering trader questions and so on. The market is open! I like to keep an eye on what’s going on during this time of excitement and ask questions if the traders aren’t too busy. I’m still relatively new, so I want to learn as much as I can to get a better sense of intuition about what’s happening in the markets. I can do this from my desk because the Hong Kong developers and traders sit so close together. Now that we’re trading, some of the time is also spent ‘firefighting’ or dealing with issues in our live systems.

12.00pm

Sometime in the afternoon I take a break and grab some lunch. My lunch time jumps all over the place depending on how busy Hong Kong is and if there are any problems to resolve. It’s cool because get to have lunch and hang out with different people!

2.00pm

3.00pm

The rest of the day is a healthy mix of coding sessions and meetings. Even though I’m relatively new, I’ve had the opportunity to lead a number of initiatives in my development space, which means I’m also expected to set up meetings, coordinate interested parties and keep everyone updated. It’s a really great way to grow and become a valuable member of the team!

7.00pm

The office provides dinner for people who stay late. I usually stay later because of my Hong Kong responsibilities and because I come in late! So I get to grab dinner and finish off a few things for work before I head home!

8.00pm

Usually I’m home or outside catching up with friends!

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PART 2:

So, is tech for me? Job market outlook Key skills you’ll need in tech A day in the life of an IMC options strategy development lead The highs (and lows) of the tech industry Graduate salaries in tech Life after tech

SO, IS TECH FOR ME?

Job market outlook IT’S GROWING – AND FAST The proverbial job market can be a pretty terrifying place, especially when you’re just starting out. Fortunately, a growing market is infinitely better than one that isn’t. The tech market is growing so rapidly that Australian universities are finding it difficult to keep up the supply of tech graduates to fill the available roles. The proof is in the numbers. In 2014, 600,000 people comprised the tech workforce in Australia. In 2016, this figure increased to 640,000. According to professional services bigwigs like Deloitte (incidentally a large and prestigious employer of tech graduates themselves), this number is expected to reach as high as 722,000 by 2022.

A reason for this growth is the prevalence of technology not just in the average consumer’s life but also in the operations of most businesses. Think of the last time you physically went to a bank; where’s the need when you have an app that can do everything for you? Just as businesses are digitising how they interact with their customers, they are also digitising how they operate internally. This has resulted in an increasing demand for technical skills across all industries. In fact, according to Deloitte’s Australia’s Digital Pulse report, 52 per cent of today’s tech workforce are employed outside strictly tech-related industries.

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LINKEDIN REVELATIONS ON AUSTRALIA’S TECHNOLOGY JOB MARKET LANDSCAPE LinkedIn, which is incidentally another excellent digital tool, is especially useful for finding the available jobs and required skills in any particular workforce. Deloitte’s report referred to the following lists from LinkedIn out Australia’s tech workers and job postings. We’ve pulled out some key takeaways from each list. Most common areas studied by tech workers: ■ computer science ■ information science and technology ■ accounting ■ electrical engineering ■ business ■ business management and administration ■ marketing ■ electronics ■ software engineering ■ project management Insight: While technical knowledge remains vital, especially for jobs that require a high level of technical skill, employers are also looking to hire graduates from other disciplines, often ones that cover business and operations management and foster strategic thinking. Industries with the largest share of tech job postings: ■ information and technology services ■ computer software

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

internet financial services electrical and electronic manufacturing staffing and recruiting computer networking information services computer hardware marketing and advertising

Insight. This list confirms that tech graduates are and will continue to be in-demand across a broad range of industries, not just specific to tech. Companies that offer financial and professional services like banks, financial consultants and accounting firms are quickly becoming major recruiters of the tech workforce. Tech occupations with the most job postings: ■ project manager ■ business analyst ■ business development manager ■ freelance foreign language content contributor ■ net developer ■ account manager ■ software engineer ■ solution architect ■ java developer ■ front-end developer, electrical and electronic manufacturing ■ staffing and recruiting ■ computer networking ■ information services ■ computer hardware ■ marketing and advertising

Insight: This list is mostly made up of technical roles, but there is definitely a representation of non-technical roles as well. Business development is related to sales and the acquisition of new customers, and roles like project management and account management, could also sit outside the technical realm and involve servicing clients. TECH WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS IN AUSTRALIA When a country adjusts its immigration policies to attract workers into certain kinds of jobs, you know they mean business. According to the Deloitte report, immigrants represented three per cent of the tech workforce between 2015 and 2016. This is yet another reason to be excited about stepping into tech in Australia.

It is a cosmopolitan melting pot, which gives you an invaluable opportunity to learn from peers of different cultural and professional backgrounds. It also means that you can take your skills to any part of the globe and be able to find work. That’s the beauty of technology unlike certain disciplines like law, which requires country- or region-specific knowledge. Other jobs may also require fluency in the language of the country where you work. On the other hand, the languages of technology are in-demand worldwide without the need for translation. The Australian government and businesses are also showing increased efforts to encourage and attract women as well as older workers into an industry

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that has typically been dominated by young men. The importance of being more inclusive has been recognised at the highest levels, as this is a field that can only benefit from different perspectives and a wider range of skills. Ladies, these incentivisation efforts could translate into a higher-than average paycheck as well as better benefits. You may have heard that tech companies are notorious for their high rate of employee turnover, and you wouldn’t be wrong. The culture of staying at one job indefinitely is virtually unheard of in tech, which is especially well-known for attracting younger employees. The younger the employee, the hungrier they are to be a part of the next big thing. This happens regardless of whether they begin their careers at a startup or at one of the Big Five: Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft.

It may surprise (and relieve) you that this is not necessarily a bad thing. When you consider the unique nature of this field, where innovative and creative thinking is absolutely crucial, this constant flux of people, skills and perspectives actually works in its favour. It also places pressure on employers to create positive and engaging workplace communities and cultures to retain their most valuable asset; superstars like you. You now know a little bit more about the frenetic, competitive arena that is the tech job market. It’s time to delve a little deeper. What kind of skills do you need to snag that dream-career-launching job? What are the ins and outs of the industry that you should prepare yourself for? What sort of salary can you expect to get from your first role? Keep reading and find out!

SO, IS TECH FOR ME?

Key skills you’ll need in tech XXX

There’s nothing quite like your first job to throw you in at the deep end and give you no choice but to sink or swim. Your degree would have furnished you with large amounts of theory and knowledge, some of which you’ll use and some of which you’ll forget as the years pass. When you find yourself on the job, being asked to perform and deliver based on certain standards, expectations and timeframes, the learning curve will be steep and lasting. The first hurdle, though, is to actually get hired! When employers look at prospective

candidates, there are certain skills they value more than others. While some of those skills will obviously be technical, there are also valuable ‘soft skills’ that would go a long way towards getting you that dream job. A word to the wise: don’t be fooled by underestimating the importance of those soft skills – you may be a rising star when it comes to coding, but if you can’t communicate well with your clients or work as a cohesive member of a team, you will not add value to the business. Top-notch soft skills can also lead to bigger and better opportunities. .com.au

TECHNICAL SKILLS OR KNOWLEDGE Killer coding skills in more than one language At most tech companies and in most technical roles, it’s expected that graduate employees will be proficient in at least one of the following: Java, HTML, CSS and C++. However, it’s best to think of these as the Romance languages of the tech world – most people ‘speak’ at least a little of each of them. Consider branching out into something more exotic like C# and Python or new Java frameworks like Ruby, React and AngularJS to capture the attention of potential employers. Contribution to open-source projects or existing code bases One of the best ways to show off your chops to prospective employers is by contributing to open-source projects or existing code bases. Sites like GitHub will host your coding projects, making it easy to share them as part of your graduate application. Alternatively (or even additionally), you can lend your skills to the development of open-source programs like Mozilla Firefox, Linux or LibreOffice. Firm understanding of systems architecture ‘Full stack developer’ is a phrase that you’ll undoubtedly come across as you peruse job descriptions. It describes a tech professional who is equally comfortable working with back- and front-end technologies, including both hardware and software. As a graduate, it’s unlikely that you’ll be expected

to demonstrate this degree of end-to-end expertise. However, by taking courses in systems architecture or mastering things like database management, you can show your commitment to mastering the role in due time. Big-Data analysis skills The future of tech is data: how to collect it (such as via the Internet of Things), how to aggregate it on platforms like an SQL server and, most importantly, how to analyse it to generate actionable insights. By enrolling in data analysis courses or familiarising yourself with tools like R, Tableau or Google Analytics, you can impress prospective employers with your dedication to developing this vital skill. Project management skills Strictly speaking, this isn’t a technical skill, but even the most accomplished coder wouldn’t achieve a lot without it. The graduates who get hired by reputable tech companies tend to be those who can see projects through from inception to completion. If this is a string you’d like to add to your bow, consider enrolling in project management courses or contributing to tech initiatives, where you can mention during interviews or on applications. It’s a sure way to stand out from the crowd. Technical writing Even if you end up working in a technical role, you may be working with other nontechnical teams or stakeholders. The ability to ‘translate’ complex technical jargon into layman’s terms is a much

sought-after skill in the tech arena. You might have to tap into this skill across many different scenarios like corresponding with clients, writing up press releases, web content or manuals, so it is one that will help you to stand out as a great job candidate. SOFT SKILLS Adaptability Graduates will struggle to survive in a space where the only constant is change if they only know how to code but don’t know how to modify their approach when they encounter a new project management methodology, or they can build a tool in Java but can’t scale their efforts to suit a short release cycle. Adapting to shifting priorities and being flexible with how you work is key in this field, as each project and product will be different.

This skill will make you stand out particularly if you choose to work at a startup, which is known for being highly dynamic. Curiosity Wanting to know how everything works will keep your mind sharp and your ideas compelling. Having a compulsion to break things down only to put them back together in a more efficient way will give you a deeper understanding of a concept, process or product that will allow you to refine further until you reach a razorsharp end state. Enthusiasm This is the most exciting time to be alive when it comes to the tech industry. You will be working on the frontlines, helping the world as it navigates through the

IMC graduates having a discussion

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A day in the life of Nev Ramadan (right), IMC’s options strategy development team lead

digital revolution. The work you do today may completely revolutionise how people or businesses interact with their environment. Do you remember how we kept in touch before Skype or Facebook or Whatsapp? Imagine when physical libraries were the main source of information before the explosion of search engines like Yahoo and Google. Technology changed all of that and will continue to change so much more in the future. If that’s not exciting to you, you probably shouldn’t be considering a tech career! Creative thinking and problem solving Technology is born out of creativity. This is one field where ideas and imagination will never be ignored or given less priority. Your employers will actively encourage

you to think out of the box and look at problems differently to find creative solutions. Complacency in technology is pretty much unacceptable because a tech company becomes obsolete once it stops innovating. Do whatever you can to keep your mind thinking of new ways. Volunteer with a tech initiative in your community, enter a technology competition or see if you can apply your technical skills to a current hobby. These will show your future employer that you are constantly looking at ways to apply your skills creatively and usefully—a sure-fire way to set yourself apart.

BREAKTHROUGH YOUR JOB

INTERVIEW

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DAY IN THE LIFE

Nevhan Ramadan is an options strategy development team lead at IMC. FIELD OF STUDY

Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical Engineering)(Computer Systems Engineering)(Computer Science)(Pure Mathematics) (Hons); Monash University; 2011

6.00am

9.00am

I’m generally up at 6am for a morning gym session (membership subsidised by IMC!) before my baby daughter wakes up at around 7am. I then look after her till about 8.30am when I’ll either log in and do a VC, chat with developers in Chicago (aren’t timezones fun!) or head into the office. I’ll usually be in at around 9am. First up on the agenda is always a strong cup of coffee and breakfast. I then do a walk of the trading floor and catch up with traders before the markets open. Talking with traders is a really critical part of my job; being aware of what is going on in the markets and what problems they encounter helps me prioritise work for them. It gives me insights, which might inspire new solutions. By this time, I’ll look through chat logs from the previous night in case anything interesting happened in Europe or America. I’ll catch up with any emails. Our development team works on a globally shared system. We tend to ‘move quickly and break things (safely)’. Being in tune with everything that is happening in the other offices means I can hopefully catch things before they might affect the traders I deal with locally.

10.00am

12.00pm

We are generally out for lunch at around 12pm. We often head out of the office for a walk just across the street to North’s Sandwiches! We head back to the office and eat in the breakout area. Everyone here is really friendly. It’s a good way to meet people from different departments. It’s funny what little bits of information you pick up over lunch! After lunch, I’ll likely have meetings with trading about a number of topics, discussing new ideas, and prioritising work. If I’m free of meetings, I’ll probably be coding away myself. I block out my calendars to ensure I get time when I need it, but being in management tends to fill up the calendar pretty quickly.

1.00pm

Luckily, this lines up with the lunch break of the Hong Kong Exchange, so I usually go for a walk with some of the traders I work closest with and grab coffee. This is a great time to discuss ideas in a more casual setting. After I’ve refuelled, I will likely either finish off my own work or spend the afternoon reviewing code from the rest of my team – these days I’ll spend probably more time reviewing than writing my own code.

3.00pm

5.00pm

My wife and I both work, so one of us at this time has to head home to take care of the baby. We try and alternate schedules, so one of us is home earlier and one of us hangs back at work a while longer if needed.

6.30pm

Staff in Amsterdam are just getting into the office to start their morning. Some nights I’ll have a VC with developers or traders in Europe.

7.00pm

Baby is put down to sleep. I will have dinner and spend the rest of my night relaxing with my wife. No laptops allowed! .com.au

SO, IS TECH FOR ME?

The highs (and lows) of the tech industry There is a lot of good things about working in technology, especially in this vibrant digital age. However, as with most things, there exists a dark side to tech. You won’t be adequately prepared to start working in this field until you know what to expect from the best it has to offer, as well as from the worst. LET’S START WITH THE ‘GOOD’! Tech is cool! This is probably one of the most compelling reasons to pursue a career in tech. Whether you’re developing a cuttingedge mobile phone application or coding for a famous company like Facebook, there’s no denying that tech has the ‘cool’ factor. If you’re lucky, you won’t even have to feign interest in your daily tasks because they’ll be intrinsically fascinating. Tech is a great career for people who love gadgets, technology and thinking about the future of computing. It’s a fast-growing industry According to the Australian Trade and Investments Commission, Australia’s tech market is worth nearly A$100 billion, making it the fifth largest market in the Asia-Pacific region and the 14th largest in the world. Importantly, the

industry is growing faster than Australian universities can produce new tech professionals. In other words, talented tech graduates will be in high demand and can reasonably expect to find themselves in stimulating positions at organisations poised to continue growing. The pay can be great In 2016, Seek Australia reported that the average salary for an Australian employee was $80,196. By contrast, the average salary for tech professionals was $101,273. Even more promisingly, the average salary for employees coming from a mathematics, statistics and information sciences background had grown by 12 per cent from 2015, amounting to $106,970. All of this means that graduates recruited into tech positions can look forward to being well-remunerated for their efforts, as they progress in their careers. Of course, salaries will vary depending on role, seniority and type of company, so keep that in mind. There are great perks Top companies offer their employees excellent benefits, including free fitness classes and meals, paid sabbaticals,

on-site medical care, extended maternity and paternity leave, and complete medical/dental benefits. Some other perks are just plain fun, from annual ski trips to paid leave on your birthday to bringing your pet into work! ...AND NOW THE ‘BAD’ Constant – and competing – deadlines The flip side of working in an industry that’s constantly growing is that tech professionals will be expected to keep up. That means meeting deadlines, sometimes on several competing projects. While this definitely contributes to the exhilarating experience of working in tech, don’t be too surprised if you occasionally find yourself working late to finish important projects on time. Gender equality has a long way to go A 2015 report by the Australian Computer Society (The Promise of Diversity—Gender Equality in the ICT Profession) noted some troubling trends in the tech industry. For example, the authors observed that women are significantly underrepresented in the tech profession, ‘accounting for only 28 per cent of workers, compared to the broader workforce where women comprise 43 per cent of all individuals in professional roles’. As mentioned earlier, there are encouraging signs of positive change. For now, gender diversity and equality still remain unresolved in the world of tech. Don’t let the lack of diversity hold

Throughout your career in tech, you’ll need to stay up to date with new technologies by attending courses and conferences, as well as by renewing your certifications or earning new, in-demand accreditations. you back, though, many companies are working towards creating more opportunities for women across the sector. Tech changes constantly Just because you’ve graduated, that doesn’t mean your education is over. Technology is constantly changing and improving. Throughout your career in tech, you’ll need to stay up to date with new technologies by attending courses and conferences, as well as by renewing your certifications or earning new, in-demand accreditations. You’ll also have to work hard to ensure the skills you already possess remain relevant and well-developed.

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It’s a sedentary life How unhealthy is it to sit down all day? The research tends towards one conclusion: sitting for too long is linked with a number of health concerns, including obesity, metabolic syndrome, chest pain, an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Health concerns aside, you might find yourself frustrated by the long periods of ‘screen time’ that most tech professionals are expected to endure. That being said, there are definitely ways around this if you make an effort to keep yourself fit and healthy. For instance, get used to looking at something other than a screen from time to time!

You will spend the rest of your life thinking of excuses to not fix somebody else’s computer Unfortunately, there’s no way around this one! We can almost guarantee that as a tech professional, everybody will ask you to solve their computer problems, from your best friend’s mum to your colleague in HR. You can either accept this, or get your creative thinking cap on and start putting together a list of plausible ways to get out of it!

SO, IS TECH FOR ME?

Graduate salaries in tech As you look forward to launching your career, it’s only natural to be curious about the magic number that will appear on your payslip every month! We’ve done some digging for you to have an idea of what you can expect. We also caught up with some recently employed graduates to find out what their salary expectations were and whether the reality lived up to the hype. FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT YOUR SALARY There are a few factors that can affect how much you earn as a graduate, so it’s handy to keep these in mind. 1. Job role Some roles are in higher demand than others as well as harder to fill, so some companies may pay a premium to attract talent into these positions. Software development, applications development and IT security are some of the areas that employers are finding the most challenging to find talented professionals. 2. Company type Pay scales may be vastly different depending on the company’s size. If you start your career at Microsoft, Uber or

Google, the chances of increasing your earning potential shoot up. If you start off at a mid-tier or brand new startup, your pay may still be good, but there is also a chance that smaller companies may not be able to match the salaries of blue-chip employers. 3. Location of role Are you willing to relocate for your dream job or even a better salary? Different regions have different priorities. In terms of the technological skills, they are looking to bolster within their workforce and will probably pay higher-than-average salaries to do this. Specialist recruitment service Robert Half’s 2017 Salary Guide will give you a good idea about industries that need technical talent across Australia and New Zealand. ■ Sydney: financial services, online product development, education ■ Melbourne: aged care/healthcare, education, online portals ■ Brisbane: software and technology consulting firms ■ Perth: managed services, aged care, education ■ New Zealand: construction/ infrastructure

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SETTING SALARY EXPECTATIONS In Australia, tech graduate salaries generally start at approximately $56,000 and vary by organisation and role. After a year or two on the job, graduates can expect a salary range from $60,000$90,000 (desktop/business analyst) or $50,000-70,000 (service desk/ customer support). Of course, this can be significantly higher at well-known companies and for graduates recruited into specialist roles. Salaries for tech graduates are reasonably consistent across different sectors. According to a 2015 Graduate Careers Australia survey, average starting salaries for tech graduates ranged from $52,000 in industry and commerce to $59,000 in the government. Interestingly, women

received a slightly higher average starting salary ($57,000) than men ($53,000), which demonstrates the push to even out the gender disparity in the Australian technology workforce. CAN A HIGHER SALARY BE NEGOTIATED? Generally, starting salaries are fixed and there’s little you can do to negotiate your remuneration. Having said that, some tech companies do have salary ranges, and will position you according to your academic qualifications, previous experience and performance in the selection process. Ultimately, it depends on how determined a company is to hire you – it’s not uncommon for particularly accomplished graduates to receive competitive offers from different organisations.

DOES A POSTGRADUADTE DEGREE RESULT IN A HIGHER SALARY? Some tech employers do place their graduates higher up the pay scale if they have a master’s degree or PhD. However, this is determined on a case-by-case basis, so the best way to find out if you’re eligible for a higher salary is to ask recruiters early in the application process. Interestingly, while postgraduate degrees won’t necessarily affect your starting salary, they do have a positive influence on your overall employability. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures from May 2015 show that, in the general labour force (aged 15–74), 3.4 per cent of bachelor’s degree graduates were unemployed (3.2 per cent in 2014) compared to 2.7 per cent of people with graduate or postgraduate diplomas. HOW MUCH DO EXPERIENCED TECH PROFESSIONALS EARN? This is a tricky question to answer because it depends on a variety of factors, including your specialisation, your employer, the city in which you work and the pace of your career progression. Nevertheless, it’s possible to get a sense of how much experienced tech professionals earn by comparing graduate starting salaries with average salaries for the overall sector. According to a 2016 Hudson survey*, these salaries range from $60,000-90,000 for experienced graphic designers to $180,000-350,000 for CIOs and CTOs.

Some tech employers do start their graduates higher up the pay scale if they have a masters degree or PhD. ARE GRADUATES HAPPY WITH THEIR SALARIES? GradAustralia interviewed graduates at different leading organisations to better understand how they feel about their starting salaries and opportunities. Overall, the feedback has been positive. For example, one graduate at Optus said that “[though] the pay could be slightly higher...bonuses are excellent and I really like that they are performance based.” Similarly, a graduate at CSC reported that the company ‘offers a competitive salary that aligns with the IT industry average’. Finally, a graduate from Accenture wrote: ‘My pay is good considering I am a graduate, but of course, I would like more. Who wouldn’t?’ If you want to hear more from recently employed grads, check out the GradAustralia website.

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SO, IS TECH FOR ME?

Life after tech You are about to embark on your first job and launch what you hope will be a long and stimulating career. It’s okay to be hit with a case of cold feet. It’s a big commitment to tie yourself to one career path. You may be wary of pigeon-holing yourself as a techie too early in the game. What if you decide it’s not for you? Does starting out in tech necessarily mean you’ll be stuck with it for better or worse? Will you still be up to your eyeballs in code well into your sixties? We’re here to put your mind at ease. We’ve already covered how broad the sector is, the wide range of roles out there to choose from, as well as the ability to move not just upwards but also sideways and diagonally within the tech space. There are definitely ways to transition gradually out of a more technical role into a less technical one, but there are also ways to move completely out of the world of tech using the skillset you already have and transferring it to whatever your new passion may be. Here are some options you may want to consider down the line: PROGRESS INTO A MANAGEMENT LINE/ LEADERSHIP ROLE Whether you’ve always thought of yourself as a leader, or you only begin to realise

you may enjoy the responsibility later in your career, management roles are a clear way to progress beyond the day-to-day technical tasks that your first few roles may involve. The first step would be to set yourself apart as a team lead and progress from there. While you will still need your technical knowledge, you will be required to hone a whole new set of skills. Management and leadership roles will require you to delegate tasks, train and nurture junior staff, resolve conflicts, ensure your team’s optimum performance and much more. At the very highest end of the spectrum will be C-suite roles like a chief technical officer (CTO) and chief information officer (CIO), but the reality is that the more senior you get, the fewer roles are available and the harder they are to get hired into. For a lot of managers, there is a certain level to which you can get before you hit a ceiling. That being said, that level may be a well-salaried one with a lot of satisfying job perks – it’s nothing to look down at! ENHANCE YOUR BUSINESS SKILLS AND ANALYTICAL THINKING More and more businesses are looking to recruit people who have technical skills with a healthy understanding of business strategy.

Refining your business acumen will only expand your horizons as you progress in your career. Working with data, being able to pull out metrics and present them in an insightful and solutions-based way will definitely give you a competitive edge and could set you on the path to occupy roles like a data scientist or business analyst in the future. USE YOUR TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE IN A NON-TECHNICAL ROLE Don’t worry because your technical knowledge will never go to waste, even if you realise you don’t want to make a career out of it. The following are only some of the options available to you if you want to still make use of that knowledge but not work directly in a technical role.

Being at the heart of an industry that is very focused on the end-user and also famous for the value placed on design and aesthetics, you may hear the siren song of creativity beckoning you towards roles like a user experience (UX) designer or graphic designer.

■ Technical sales: For all intents and purposes, this is a sales role. What will give you an edge is that you will have a complete understanding of what you are selling and be able to use that knowledge to your advantage. Salespeople are generally extroverts who find it easy to talk to clients and are comfortable with having revenue targets to meet every month. ■ Technical writer: Again, your technical know-how will be a real plus in this kind of role, but you will need to apply excellent written skills to excel in a career as a writer. Often, you may be writing for audiences that are not as technical as you, so you should be able to use language that a lay-person could easily relate to and understand. ■ Project manager/product manager: This could be a technical or nontechnical role, depending on the company. You could be working with external clients or internal technical teams but, the operative term for this type of role will be a ‘manager’. You will have to oversee projects from start to finish, setting timelines and budgets, ensuring the teams are sticking to the schedule and producing quality outputs. ■ Research and development: For a field which is constantly on the lookout for the ‘next big thing’, research is key. Having a technical background, you should be better able to sift through all the information out there and pick

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out what could be of most value to your employer. One thing to keep in mind is that R&D roles tend to be found mostly in the larger, blue-chip companies and – for that same reason – are extremely competitive. PICK UP A FEW EXTRA SKILLS AND TRANSITION INTO ANOTHER TYPE OF ROLE There are many tech-related roles that could be mastered with some extra studies. Being at the heart of an industry, which is very focused on the end-user and also famous for the value placed on design and aesthetics, you may hear the siren song of creativity beckoning you towards roles like a user experience (UX) designer or graphic designer. These types of roles require specialised skills of their own, so if you decide it is the way you want to go, you could take a few courses or go back to school. If you find yourself working in a company with UX or graphic design teams, make use of those contacts and pick their brains about what they do and how they do it to improve your decisionmaking process. CHANGE INDUSTRIES As you know, pretty much every industry out there requires technology in some aspect. This means that you don’t necessarily have to limit yourself to working for a tech company just because you have a technical background. Changing industries but still working in tech or a tech-related role could give you a whole different experience.

The healthcare, education, banking and automotive industries are great examples of industries where you could find work that would seem a world away from, say, working at a software company. START YOUR OWN COMPANY Have you always wanted to be your own boss? Do you feel you have the drive and determination to strike out on your own? Starting your own company could be the way to go. A word of warning, though, it is never going to be easy. It is never going to be an overnight success. Being an entrepreneur requires a huge amount of commitment and motivation, the willingness to put in a lot of hard work over a long time, and – we’re just going to put it out there – maybe even just having a little sprinkle of crazy. It isn’t a step to be taken lightly. Make sure you do a lot of research, soul-searching and numbercrunching before you leap because being an entrepreneur can take everything you’ve got. BECOME A TEACHER Have you ever considered nurturing the next generation of fresh-faced tech superstars? Teaching could be a great option for someone who knows they no longer want to be a part of the ratrace of the tech world but still wants to use their knowledge for a noble cause. Becoming an educator does generally mean further study, but it is a hugely rewarding profession. As someone who’s been through the education system and entered the professional world, you’ll be

able to set students’ expectations. They will know what to expect and can be better prepared for the current and future challenges.

In the same way, as the years progress, new innovations and discoveries may result in the creation of brand new jobs and areas of research and study.

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR BRAND NEW ROLES AND FRONTIERS Technology is what propels us into the future. The field itself is perpetually evolving. The jobs that you will occupy as soon as you start your careers may not have existed as recently as a decade or even two years ago – or at least would have looked very different from what they are now.

Fields such as robotics, artificial intelligence and augmented reality are already gaining ground in this respect and more are sure to follow. It may be a good idea to always keep your finger on the pulse of this incredibly exciting, virtually limitless field to see what new opportunities may lie ahead with your name on them.

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PART 3:

WHAT’S NEXT?

How do I decide where I want to work? The recruitment process Writing the ideal CV for a job in tech Guide to assessment centres Acing the interview Next steps

WHAT’S NEXT?

How do I decide where I want to work? A COLD AND HARD DOSE OF REALITY As you embark on your job search, you will likely have to face the reality that getting a job, especially in a top tier company, is going to be difficult. Why? Mostly because of the several thousands of other motivated, bright young graduates like yourself vying for limited roles. Yes, the tech job market is growing, but employers are picky when they hire new talent. The chances of breezing into your dream role right away are pretty slim. That’s not to say it won’t happen, but that it will take some serious thought, research and preparation before it does. There is also a strong possibility that your first role won’t tick all your dream-job boxes. It’s a good first step to think through what you want from your graduate job and prioritise those qualities, so you know which of those boxes you could handle being unticked and which you couldn’t. WHAT KIND OF WORK DO YOU WANT TO DO? First things first: with several in the tech sector, it’s important to find a career that matches your passion, talents and shortand long-term goals.

You can start by considering the type of daily work that you want for your job. Do you love coding or are you longing for the days when you have nothing to do with it? Would you prefer to be business focused? Do you enjoy solving technical problems? Do you want to be dealing with a new challenge every day? Would you prefer to work on long-term projects? If you have clear answers to the above mentioned questions, they will help you to specify your graduate career options and ensure that you actually enjoy the role you get hired into. If you’re still unsure of the area you’d like to focus on, you could consider employers who have graduate programs that will allow you to experiment with different roles and responsibilities. TYPES OF COMPANIES OFFERING IT GRADUATE SCHEMES If you’re trying to find the best fit for you as a graduate, the first step is knowing what your options are. The main employers of tech graduates include:

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■ technology solutions providers (eg Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM) ■ IT services organisations (eg CGI, Fujitsu, Infosys) ■ telecommunications companies (eg Telstra, Optus, Samsung) ■ technology consultancies (eg Accenture); and ■ multinational IT companies (eg Google, Microsoft, Apple) Other significant tech recruiters in the graduate market include finance and professional services firms, including: ■ investment banks (eg Macquarie Group, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley) ■ retail banks (eg Commonwealth Bank, Westpac Group, ANZ) ■ investment management firms (eg Baillie Gifford & Co) ■ insurers (eg AIG, AAMI); and ■ accountancies (eg EY, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG) Also, there are many other organisations that advertise specific roles within their IT departments. Retail, media, games development and public services organisations are also major players in the technology employment landscape. There are also much smaller employers, such as specialist software organisations and boutique consultancies. Here lies the good news: you could potentially start your IT career in any type of business.

IS THERE A PARTICULAR INDUSTRY THAT APPEALS TO YOU? As we’ve mentioned many times before, tech spans almost all industries. Every company requires some sort of technical expertise. Decide where you want to pursue a career for a targeted job search. It could be that you’re passionate about healthcare, education or even the not-forprofit sector. Whichever your choice, your technical skills will definitely be in-demand. CULTURE COUNTS There’s a reason why, in GradAustralia’s annual surveys, Google, Microsoft, IBM and Atlassian consistently rank among the most desirable tech companies for new graduates. The reason why is not only because they’re prestigious and offer amazing opportunities for career advancement. They also have unique cultures that attract graduates from far and wide, making them want to stay. If you’re trying to figure out the best fit for you, it’s a good idea to think about the type of workplace culture that might help you flourish. Are you attracted to dynamic startups that emphasise social opportunities and on-the-job fun? Would you prefer to work for a business that prioritises community engagement? Or are you an ambitious graduate who wants the challenge of pursuing success in a more traditional organisation?

ARE FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENTS A PLUS FOR YOU? According to a 2015 Kelly report on worklife balance, more than 60 per cent of ‘Millennial’ employees said they highly valued flexible work arrangements. In fact, 28 per cent said they would even consider sacrificing higher pay in return for opportunities to work remotely. An increasing number of companies are trying to meet this desire for increased mobility, but it’s worth bearing in mind that your opportunities (or obligations) to work remotely will be determined largely by your position. For example, if you become an IT consultant, you can expect to work wherever your current client is based, even if this means catching a plane home for the weekend. IT services companies may also frequently require graduate employees to visit clients. By contrast, if you choose a very technical role such as a developer or software tester, you’re likely to spend most of your time in the same office. Business and management-focused roles (eg, project management) tend to fall somewhere in between the two. They often require a degree of travel and may even offer the option of working from home to some extent, but this can vary depending upon the precise role and which company you work for.

KNOW WHAT THE EMPLOYER WANTS FROM YOU (AND VICE VERSA) Once you’ve narrowed your options, it’s important to think about the academic, technical and soft skills required for your ideal roles. This will help you to assess whether you really are a good match for the job and your chosen employer. It will also help you identify any extra skills and attributes that you’ll need to bring to the table. After all, it’s often not enough to have studied computer science. You’ll have to go several steps further to get the job of your dreams. A word of advice here: don’t ignore the previously mentioned factors that focus on your own preferences, even if it’s important to know the job requirements and your potential employer’s expectations. Remember this when you are drafting your CV and prepping for your interviews. It is true that when you are just starting your career, it’s harder to be picky about your job. Sometimes you just have to get your foot in the door and aim for that dream job further down the line. However, it is helpful to know what you want from an ideal job right from the start, as it will shape your job search and hopefully affect the end result as well.

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The recruitment process You may have heard this before and frankly, we agree: a job interview is quite like going on a first date. Unless you’re a very unusual kind of person who thrives on feeling tested and judged, let’s be honest – a job interview isn’t the most pleasant experience. The reason we made the comparison with dating is because it can be quite a constructive guide on how to present and handle yourself in an interview. On a first date, you want to put the best possible version of yourself forward. You want to subtly sell yourself without making it obvious that you’re subtly selling yourself. You want to appear relaxed, natural, charming, wildly interesting and – above all – the right person and the right fit for the person sitting across the table. This is pretty much what happens at a job interview. In both scenarios, you may feel nervous beforehand because you are essentially placing yourself in a very vulnerable position: opening yourself to judgement and even rejection. Perhaps the only plus a job interview has over a date is that you can do your homework beforehand and try to use your research to give you an edge against the competition.

That’s where we come in. We can’t help with the selection process and criteria of a potential date, but we can shed some light on the general procedures that your potential employer might have in place for recruiting new talent into their companies. The more information you have, the better prepared you’ll be. Having context around how employers go about finding new candidates will better help you prepare when you meet them. Obviously, every company (like every date!) is different and they will each have unique nuances in the way they recruit. A lot of companies, especially the larger ones, will have some information on their recruitment process on their websites and researching this will give you an advantage against other candidates who didn’t bother to look it up and prepare accordingly. That being said, there is a general pattern to how employers hunt for talent. This involves four stages: planning, searching, application/interview process and selection.

PLANNING This is where the talent centre or human resources (HR) team of a company plans out the roles they need to fill and the number of new candidates they want to hire. They will work with the managers of teams they are hiring for to ensure a clear job description is created to be put out into the market – one that will provide potential hires with an expectation of what will be required of them, while also making the company seem like a desirable place to work. This is also the stage when budgets for salaries will be decided. In a startup that may not have a specific department for HR, this exercise will probably run in a less-structured manner by the managers of the teams that need new resources, or it will be outsourced to a recruiter for a fee.

SEARCHING It is now time to review and research what’s out there. Companies may look for recruits in several ways to maximise their reach into the talent pool: ■ Posting job vacancies on their website – the general approach taken by the better-known companies (tech giants among them) that tend to attract a large volume of applications whether or not they are actively recruiting at any given time ■ Using professional networking sites like LinkedIn, Glassdoor and AngelList ■ Using social media like Twitter and Facebook; and ■ Asking their existing employees (read: acquaintances or friends) for referrals – ■ Passive recruitment: instead of limiting their options to only those individuals that respond to their job postings, some companies make the

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first move themselves, approaching ideal candidates directly (usually on those professional networking sites mentioned above) to ascertain if they are interested in a new job opportunity. ■ Recruitment agencies: the ‘matchmakers’ of the professional world, that charge companies a fee to find the perfect candidate; and ■ Relying on trusted organisations like GradAustralia’s latest job postings

Having been through an extensive screening process, the successful hire will feel more knowledgeable about what is expected of them and what it will be like when they are hired into their brand new role.

APPLICATION AND INTERVIEW PROCESS As a list of potential candidates emerge out of all the channels above, the interview process will begin. As you well know, one individual may go through several interviews before they get a job offer. The number of interviews you will go through depends on the company and the role. Google allegedly made potential candidates go through 29 interviews before committing to a job offer! Usually though, the number is more in the range of three to six interviews.

1. Online application: Increasingly, companies are allowing applications to be made via an online portal. You will generally be prompted to upload a CV, cover letter, academic transcript, and proof of residency or citizenship.

Think of each interview as the elimination round in any reality competition on TV these days. It’s a way of weeding out those who may not be a right fit for the company for whatever reason. It may seem harsh, but the more stringent a company is when looking for a quality candidate, the better chance there is that the outcome will be positive both for the company and the new employee. The company will hire a person who has the right skills, personality and culture fit for the team they will be joining.

From the perspective of graduates, the application/interview process will look something like this or a combination of some of the following stages:

2. Online assessment: If you’ve been successful in stage one, you’ll be directed to an online aptitude assessment. This is generally communicated to you via email so keep an eye on your inbox! 3. Phone/video interview: Getting to this stage of the game means that you’ve made enough of an impression to warrant the employer getting to know you a little better. You may need to answer some follow-up questions about your skills, your interest in a particular role and in working for the company. 4. Assessment centre: This method of assessing potential candidates en masse is popular with mid to large companies, so much so that we covered it in more detail later in this chapter.

In short, this consists of a day or half-day held at a particular venue where multiple applicants are given individual and groups tasks, which simulate a typical work environment and are assessed on their performance throughout the day.

Companies will rarely extend a job offer unless they get to this stage because the investment (both monetary and in terms of effort going into training and nurturing) an employer makes in a new hire is significant.

5. Face-to-face interview: You may receive a job offer after the assessment, or you may be asked for one last face-toface interview. This will be an opportunity for the employer to ask some final technical and behavioural questions and is also an opportunity for you to ask questions of your own, so come prepared for both!

Once those individuals are identified and salaries and start dates are agreed upon on both sides, an official job offer will be sent. Once accepted, there will be at least an internal sigh of relief on both sides!

SELECTION The ideal scenario is that after all the planning, research, assessments and interviews, there will be standout individuals who are perfect for the roles. .com.au

WHAT’S NEXT?

Writing the ideal CV for a job in tech Writing your CV is a key part of launching your career. It may seem pretty daunting to condense your life and skills into a couple of pages, but think of it this way – this is the professional equivalent of your social profile. It is your opportunity to show potential employers what you are as a person and worker, what you’ve learned so far and tell the great things you could be capable of in the future. Unfortunately, there is no one-sizefits-all CV that you can send to multiple employers. This is especially true in the

field of tech where there is such a huge variety of available roles across an ever broader range of industries. Recruiters, whether they are agencies or work in the talent centre for the company you want to work for, can identify generic CVs immediately and may not even bother to read them if they feel they aren’t tailored to the job in question. That being said, you don’t really want to be writing your CV from scratch for every new role you apply for – nobody has time for that!

What we suggest is to use our guidelines below to create one or more ‘starting point’ CVs. This will decide the layout of your CV, all the formatting, the structure, the main wording and gist of the content. When applying for different roles, you’ll use this CV as a first draft and edit it to align with the different requirements of each role and company. Remember, if you want to apply for vastly differing role-types, it may be handy to have a few versions of your ‘starting point’ CV. For instance, a technical CV could look completely different to one that is for a non-technical role. It may seem like a lot of work but in the long run, it will save you time. When you land your dream job, it will absolutely have been worth every minute! APPROACH Before you begin drafting your CV, you will need to decide what approach you want to take. Do you prefer to stick to the tried-and -tested traditional format where you give a chronological or reverse-chronological account of your education and experience? Or do you want to really put an emphasis on your skills and achievements? Seeing as you are just starting in your career, we suggest the traditional format or a hybrid of the two, which is also a possibility. Especially if you are after a more technical role, your skills will be a key part of why you are hired and probably the main area of discussion in any interview. Think about the type of job you are looking for and design your CV accordingly.

STRUCTURE Structure is vital to any good CV. It should have a logical flow throughout and recruiters should easily be able to find the information they need. The last thing an employer wants to do when they have a large stack of CVs to go through is to be sifting through a confusing jumble of text trying to find your key skills or previous experience. If they can’t pinpoint what they want in 30-seconds to a minute, you can rest assured your CV will be skipping the ‘Yes’ or ‘Maybe’ piles and going straight into the ‘No’ pile. It’s brutal, but think about it from the employers point of view as well: Google allegedly receives around one million CVs in a year! Not all companies will have that much volume to contend with, but it’s still precious, salaried time that goes into reviewing CVs. Recruiters have become adept at being able to pick out the better ones after just a quick look. FORMAT Here’s a structural format you could use for a graduate technical CV, as well as some tips to help you with each section: Personal details You don’t need to include a photograph of yourself, your gender or your age/date of birth. All you need here is your full name and your contact details.

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Educational history and details The general format here is to go reverse chronological, starting with your most recent university degree and moving backwards. If relevant, include key modules that you have completed in your degree. Relevant courses/qualifications completed in addition to university degree Be succinct and remember that relevance is paramount. If you did a course that would probably have little or no importance to a potential employer, leave it out. Relevant technologies and skills, including soft skills This being a technical CV, your skills are important and a recruiter’s eyes will probably skim over most of your CV to settle here. Make sure you align your skills as much as possible to the role you are applying for. If the relevance isn’t obvious, provide a brief explanation. Don’t forget to highlight soft skills that may be relevant to the job as well. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, the ability to present and pitch ideas to small or large groups, the ability to work well within a team, being comfortable with taking the lead and making informed decisions are valuable insights into what kind of employee you would be. As briefly as possible, highlight a situation when you’ve demonstrated the skills above for a project or previous job.

Relevant work experience and projects Again, include only what is relevant to the job you are applying for and do this in a reverse-chronological format. Include a brief description of what your responsibilities were and, more importantly, what you achieved. If you have any metrics that you could use to back up your claim, or a link you could provide to showcase your work, add it in. Personal interests This is where an employer can get to know you. You have limited space to work with, so make sure you give a sense of the person you are and your interests in as few words as possible. Considering the technical nature of the job, if you have any interests specifically related to technology, these would be ideal to include as it shows that your passion for tech isn’t limited to your education or your future career; it is something you engage with for the pure enjoyment of it. This section also gives the employer an idea if you would fit into the culture of their workplace, so it is advisable to do some research on this to see if you can align this section accordingly. Personal statement (optional) This should be used to highlight why you’d be the perfect person for the job. It should be short and punchy – either in the form of bullet points or a snappy paragraph. This can appear either at the very start of your CV if you think it will really catch the eye of the employer or right at the bottom to leave the recruiter with a lasting impression of you.

OTHER HANDY TIPS Research Research and relevance are probably the two most important and useful words to remember when putting together a CV. You’ve already read the word ‘relevant’ mentioned several times. Research is just as important, as you need to put in the time and effort to look up the company you are applying to. Look up the role, the company environment, any details they may share about the interview process and any preferences they may have for formatting applications. If you research properly, this will come through in your CV and the recruiter will appreciate that you’ve taken the time to familiarise yourself with the company and the role. Keywords When you are researching the job vacancy, you will come across keywords that are used in the job posting that you should try to echo in your CV. Obviously, subtlety is important here – plagiarism isn’t advisable! You want to show that you know what is required for the role and that you have what it takes to carry out the tasks required of it. Peppering your CV with a few similar words here and there should suffice.

cent to page two – anything more than that is generally ignored or skimmed over at best. This means that you should place any key information a recruiter requires on that all-important first page. Language Use strong language to put yourself in the best light. Words like ‘built’, ‘developed’ and ‘created’ are better than ‘assisted with’ or ‘helped with’. No exaggeration A word of caution: everything you put in your CV must be 100 per cent true. If you did only assist with a certain project, you should use that wording. Employers will find it very easy to catch out those who ‘fattened’ up their CVs with false or enhanced claims. Especially where technical knowledge is concerned, all it takes is a few follow-up questions and if you don’t know your material inside and out, it will be obvious to a skilled professional that you had exaggerated your CV. This will take you out of the running faster than you can say ‘call-back’.

Length Your CV should be one to two pages max. Recruiters probably pay 60 per cent of their attention to page one and 40 per

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Look and feel Your finished CV should look clean-cut, well organised and easy to read. A few tips to ensure this: ■ Fonts: Only a maximum of two fonts on your CV. You may want a different font for your headings but don’t mix it up too much. Using more than two will make your CV look messy and disorganised. ■ Sections and headings: Break up your CV into logical sections as per the suggested structure above Each of those points should be presented in a separate section of its own with a clear heading. ■ White space: A CV with zero whitespace is a definite no-no. Seeing a flurry of words on a page with nothing to break it up is very off-putting to a recruiter. The

sections and headings you use will help to space out your CV in a way that gives the eye a break, as it travels through the length of the document. ■ Creativity/distinctness: Most recruiters want a CV that looks just the way they expect it to. You may be tempted to take a risk with a nontraditional CV, but this should only be done for a creative role or a company that is known for valuing different ideas and perspectives. Even in those circumstances, use the adage ‘less is more’ as a guide. When in doubt, the better option is always to play it safe with a traditional CV. ■ Colour: As with note on creativity, the use of colour is encouraged mostly for more creative roles. You can still

use some colour but, the finished product should look clean, tasteful and professional. Al,so ensure you print out your CV both in colour and in black-andwhite to see how the colours and fonts come out. Recruiters often use printouts and are less likely to bother with a CV that prints badly. ■ Consistency: With all the points above, ensure you are consistent throughout your CV. Using a different font for most of your headings but forgetting the rest won’t look good, neither will using one kind of bulleted list in one section and another in a later section. All of these may seem insignificant but will affect the overall look and feel of your CV and can distract the eye of the recruiter. Format and naming Check first if the recruiter has any preference on which file format you should use for your CV. If no preference has been named, it is up to you. Ensure you label your CV file properly. Be wary of

calling it simply ‘CV.pdf’, as that is a sure fire way to ensure it gets lost or ignored once it reaches the recruiter. A handy label would be ‘CV - Your Full Name - Job Title’. Check, check and once you’ve done that, check again Employers will not be impressed by a CV with typos and mistakes. Make sure you check the wording, grammar, punctuation and spelling within your CV several times before you submit it. It is always good to get a close friend or relative to look through it as well as a final proofread, as you’ll get another perspective and another set of eyes to pick up mistakes that you may have missed. LinkedIn and other professional job sites Use your updated CV to join and update your professional networking sites to ensure your profile is out there, reaching a wider network of potential employers.

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Guide to assessment centres A driving test allows an instructor to observe and assess how you navigate real roads and traffic before you get your license. Assessment centres can be in the same way: simulate a typical workplace environment along with individual and group tasks aligned with specific job roles to allow employers to assess the capabilities and aptitude of multiple candidates at once. Assessment centres have become a favoured part of the recruitment process of many mid-size and large firms, particularly for graduate or internship placement programs.

Generally, though, the average is a half- or full-day assessment. During the course of an assessment, assessors rate participants on a range of competencies as they carry out several different tasks. After the assessment is completed, assessors will consolidate their results and come to a consensus on each applicant’s suitability for the role. As a participant, you may be able to see the assessors while you go through your assigned tasks and exercises. You may be told that you are being filmed, so assessors can play back your performance and review it at a later time.

Assessment centres usually fall somewhere in the middle of a company’s recruitment strategy. Applicants invited to participate should already have successfully gone through an application, initial assessment and maybe even a phone or video interview. Be happy that you’ve come this far: it means the employer thinks you have potential and would now like to give you the opportunity to prove it.

THE PROS AND CONS OF ASSESSMENT CENTRES There are many advantages for you and your potential employer: ■ It gives an employer better insight into how a candidate will perform in a professional context, as well as practical examples of their soft and technical skills. ■ Assessment centres may be too expensive for smaller companies but will be cost- and time-efficient for larger firms with many applicants to assess. ■ As a candidate, you will be given more time and opportunities to prove yourself during a full day of tasks rather than during a one-hour interview.

WHO WILL BE ASSESSING ME AND HOW WILL THEY DO IT? Specialist recruiters or the employer’s HR staff may conduct the assessment. The process could take from half a day to as many as three days.

■ You will also have a much clearer idea of what your role will require daily and what skills you’ll need to do it well. The only clear disadvantage is that it will be intensive and stressful. You will have to remain alert, attentive and engaged during the process. WHAT TO EXPECT FROM AN ASSESSMENT CENTRE The tasks set out for you will change depending on the potential employer and which role you’re applying for, but they generally tend to fall into the following categories: Self-awareness and/or competencybased interviews These could be peppered throughout the day. Self-awareness interviews generally ask you to assess yourself on your performance either during the course of the day or a particular task. You may also be asked why you chose to apply for that specific role and company. Competency interviews tend to consist of scenariobased questions where you will be required to describe situations where you used your technical skills to solve a problem. What’s being assessed: Your skills and technical knowledge, ability to provide situational examples from your own experience, your personality and demeanour, and your professional motivations

Tips: Research and prepare as much as possible for this. It’s impossible to predict exactly what you will be asked, but think of some concrete examples where you solved a problem or made an improvement. Think of the situation, the approach you took and the tasks you carried out. Research the company and role thoroughly, so you can speak to what appeals to you about both and come up with examples that are relevant. Finally, have a clear understanding of your own strengths and weaknesses. Ensure that you can express them with a balance of confidence and healthy self-awareness. Group exercises These could consist of a role-playing exercise or a situation where groups are given a problem or case study to discuss, address and present together. What’s being assessed: Your communication skills, how well you work within a team, leadership and problem-solving skills, your ability to listen and support your fellow team members Tips: Make sure that you participate actively in the task, but be careful not to hijack the conversation. On the other hand, also avoid taking too much of a backseat as this will not work in your favour. Never think of your fellow participants as competition.

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Treat them as you would your team at work and ensure you listen to their opinions and support any ideas you feel are good. If you disagree with them, do so professionally and courteously without being dismissive or aggressive. Presentations Some assessment centres will require you to give a short presentation, usually in front of your fellow candidates and assessors. Your topic will depend on the employer and potential role, or you may even be asked to pick one yourself. What’s being assessed: Your ability to communicate clearly and expressively to a group of people, confidence and public speaking skills, ability to construct a timed, structured and well-executed presentation and on short notice

Tips: Ensure that you structure your presentation, so there is a clear start, middle and conclusion. Your voice and body language should portray that you are relaxed and at ease. Don’t over-saturate your presentation with information: stick to a few clear, well-articulated messages rather than a haphazard jumble of ideas. Use notes to guide yourself through the presentation, but never read off a script. Aptitude tests How adept are you at picking up new skills or learning on the job? Aptitude tests assess just that and usually take the form of numerical or verbal reasoning tests, which require candidates to logically process complex information.

What’s being assessed: This gives an insight to an employer into how candidates would perform in a flexible and highly dynamic work environment. It isn’t difficult to see its relevance for jobs in tech!

What’s being assessed: Your ability to carry out the requirements of the role upon being hired, problem-solving skills, ability to think on your feet, and ability to handle difficult or challenging situations

Tips: Research the kinds of questions usually asked in aptitude tests. See if you can do a few practice tests online as you prepare for your assessment.

Tips: Stay calm and focused. Think logically through any problems you may be presented with and try to pretend you are really in a work environment, which will help you imagine how you will react to the situation at hand

Psychometric tests A psychometric test is just a fancier name for a personality test where you would typically respond to questions about how you would handle certain scenarios. The good news is that there is no right or wrong answer here. What’s being assessed: Your personality, the way you would react to different situations, the way you communicate your thought-process and perspectives Tips: Don’t get hung up on what you think the assessor wants to hear. Just be honest and communicate clearly. Case study exercise This exercise will present you with a situation you could potentially find yourself within the job you’ve applied for. This could be anything from leading a client meeting or helping a derailed project get back on track. Each situation will be aligned with the job you are applying for and the specific functions of that role.

THANKS! ANY MORE TIPS? Always! Here are some general guidelines that will help you prepare for your next assessment. Before the day ■ You can’t possibly prepare for everything that you’ll encounter during an assessment, but you can still do plenty of research on the company as well as the job role and requirements. This will help you think through how you’d address any scenarios put forward to you from that context. You can also look up practice tests online to get a better idea of different types of assessments you might face, how you might respond and the language you would use. ■ Get a good night’s sleep before the assessment, so you are well-rested and energised for the day to come.

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On the day ■ Ignore the butterflies and eat a full breakfast before heading to the assessment centre. You’ll need the energy! ■ Arrive early to avoid feeling rushed and stressed before the day can begin. ■ When choosing what to wear, try to imagine what the company’s ideal candidate would wear to work and dress accordingly. Smart and professional is the way to go. ■ Remain alert, professional and considerate even when a task may not be focused on you. Keep your phone on silent mode and out of the way. ■ Try to remain professional even during breaks, as your assessors will be observing how you interact in social situations. Get to know your fellow applicants, be chatty and friendly to the people you meet. ■ Look after yourself: eat throughout the day and drink plenty of water.

■ Often, assessment instructions will be given to you verbally. Listen carefully, take notes when you need to and don’t be afraid to ask questions if you require clarity at any point. ■ If you feel that you haven’t performed on a certain task, don’t lose heart and give up. You will have the opportunity to redeem yourself in a later task. ■ Take advantage of any opportunity when you can ask questions about the company and role. ■ Try to enjoy and really engage with the whole experience at the assessment centre, from the tasks to the people around you. After the day ■ If possible, ask for feedback to know how you performed and what you could improve. ■ Even if you do not make it to the next stage of the recruitment process, consider the assessment to be a valuable learning experience.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Acing the interview Interviews can sometimes feel like outof-body experiences, where a ghost-like version of yourself floats above you, facepalming when you say the wrong thing or whooping when you nail it. You can generally tell when you’ve had a good interview by how you feel when you leave the room. Like a good date, it makes you walk down the street a little taller, feeling rather pleased with yourself. On the other hand, a bad interview is much like a bad date that makes you cringe and feel dispirited. You can’t help replaying the bad moments in your head and groaning audibly at something you said or didn’t say. There is always an element of luck to an interview. Maybe it’s the kind of day you had or the personality of the interviewer, but these things can end up unnecessarily defining your experience. This need not be the case. If you prepare thoroughly and really know what you’re talking about, you can take luck out of the equation and ace that interview every time. THE DOs AND DONTs A lot of the advice for acing your assessment-centre experience applies to the interview scenario as well. In an interview, there is less time to recover from mistakes.

On the bright side, you only have to stay focused and attentive for one to two hours max instead of a whole day, which is often the case for assessments. Sometimes, knowing what not to do is as helpful as knowing what to do. We’ve given you some do’s and don’ts to guide you through the interview process. Research and prepare meticulously: find as much information as possible about the company and job. If possible, look for the interviewer’s name to address the person properly. You should convince the recruiter that you are well-informed about the job’s requirements. Aside from that, be ready to prove how you can become valuable and a good fit to the company. ■ Do check if the company has been in the news. If appropriate, drop that into the conversation to show that you’ve done your homework. ■ Don’t go into an interview with a halfbaked idea of the role you’ve applied for and what the company does. You may certainly have questions about the company or may like some clarity on certain aspects of the role. As long as they are intelligent questions, the recruiter will be impressed that you were interested enough to ask.

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Update your professional networks: these should be consistent with the CV you used to apply for the job. Any stark differences or an obviously out-of-date professional profile may frustrate an employer who is trying to find out more about you. Remember everything you need for the interview: if there are physical documents or devices you were asked to bring, do not forget them! Otherwise, this will immediately start the interview off on a bad footing, with you coming off looking forgetful and disorganised – not attractive traits of a future employee! Prepare yourself mentally: this is an often overlooked tip that could make the world of difference. Take the time to de-stress. Talk the butterflies out of your stomach, think constructively about what you’ll say and how you’ll act in the interview, and put yourself in a positive and confident state of mind. This will help to put you at ease when you get to the interview stage. Be professional and relaxed in your attitude: you want to give off an impression of being happy and enthusiastic about proving yourself. Employers may be able to detect that you are nervous, which is to be expected, but they will be looking to see how you conduct yourself under pressure. ■ Don’t dress too casually. This gives off an impression that you are not taking the interview seriously. Aim to look neat, smart and composed. Also, be respectful during the interview. Keep your phone on silent mode and out of sight.

Be prepared to talk! Recruiters often bemoan the fact that candidates come in for interviews only to answer questions or finish a conversation with one-word answers. The whole purpose of the interview is to give the employer a sense of what you are like, how you communicate and what you are capable of. They can’t do that successfully if you barely speak to them! Relevance is key: talking about something irrelevant to the job or company you’ve applied to is taking away precious minutes that you could be using to position yourself as the perfect person for the job. Be prepared for technical and behavioural questions. Research some practice questions, so you know what to expect. Practise logically talking your way through a problem or situation and ensure that your communication is clear and concise. ■ Don’t be afraid to ask for clarity. Take notes if you need to, but ask your interviewer if that’s okay beforehand. Show positivity: always answer in the affirmative when an employer asks if you have any questions for them. If you say no, this communicates a lack of interest and enthusiasm for the role. While you’re doing your research and prep for the interview, note down some questions along the way.

■ Do use language that reflects the image of an ideal employee based on the employer’s mindset. Something like, ‘So I’ve come into work, settled in with my coffee and checked my emails for the morning. What would I be doing next? What does a typical day in my role look like?’ ■ Don’t get too caught up on questions about company perks because this may be off-putting to a potential employer. You can still find ways to indirectly draw out this information, but a better focus would be on company culture. Have a strong closing: This is your last shot at setting yourself apart as an ideal candidate. Express your enthusiasm for the role and your interest in working for the company. Inquire about the next steps and commit verbally to following up with an e-mail. Once you do this, however, that e-mail must get sent as quickly as possible. ■ Don’t just say ‘Thanks’ and leave the room. This doesn’t leave much of an impression at all. WHAT SORT OF QUESTIONS CAN I EXPECT TO BE ASKED? ■ Why did you leave your last job? Try not to be too negative here, especially if what made you leave your last job is something you are likely to encounter in the new role. ■ What did you like most about your last job? Is there any aspect of this new role that resembles your last job?

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Mentioning something like this would definitely please an employer who wants to feel that you will enjoy your new role if you are the successful applicant. What did you like least about your last job? Again, don’t be too negative and try not to pin the blame on anyone. Stating that you are simply looking for a different challenge usually suffices. Do you prefer to work alone or as part of a team? It’s probably recommended not to commit to one or the other. Convey your ability to do both. An ideal candidate is one who adds value to any team they are in but can also work individually without too much handholding. Where do you see yourself in three to five years? If your mid- to long-term plan has nothing to do with the industry or field you are in, do not mention it. Stick instead to a safe option like becoming a people manager or working in another side of the business. What are your weaknesses? One of the biggest pet peeves of employers are candidates who answer this question with claims like ‘I’m a perfectionist’. Think seriously about what you may find challenging in your professional life and be honest about it, but mention what you are doing to combat that difficulty. Questions about your technical skills: have situational examples ready from your previous experience that clearly demonstrate your skills and capabilities.

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As a graduate, you may not have 100 per cent of the prerequisite skills being asked for in the job description. Don’t worry. Be honest about this knowledge gap and make it clear that you are committed to solving it as you progress in your career. ■ Technical tests/questions around technical challenges: what an employer is looking for here is not so much the correct answer but the correct approach and communication. They want to see how your mind works when you have a problem to solve, as well as how clearly you can articulate that problem and develop an approach for fixing it on the spot. ■ Questions about salary: research beforehand what the market salary rate is for your role, so you will have an idea

of whether the company’s offer is above, on par with or below the standard rate. Especially in a graduate role, you may not be able to negotiate a higher salary but knowing the industry standard will be useful for your own decision-making. If the salary is way below the market rate, this should be a red flag for you. ■ Brainteasers: these can be pretty disconcerting when you’re not expecting them. Part of their purpose is to show employers how you react and communicate under pressure. Ask for clarity if you need to and then work through the puzzle or riddle slowly, so your interviewer can get a sense of your problem-solving approach.

Next steps With this guide in your arsenal, you should have everything you need to help you decide if you want a tech career. It should also help you to choose the right employer and role, as well as how to prepare yourself and ace the interview process. If you’re feeling apprehensive, rest assured you are certainly not alone. This is a completely normal way to feel. Starting on a definitive career path is a big step and will almost always be accompanied by the nagging question: ‘Have I made the right choice?’ One thing we definitely recommend is to talk to people in the industry. Do you have connections who already work in tech? Could you catch up for coffee with them and pick their brains about their careers and ambitions? Ask how they started in the industry.

In the professional world, making connections is important regardless of which field or sector you work in. Don’t be afraid to ask someone for their time and advice. The worst they can say is no, but you would be surprised at how willing people are to share their knowledge and expertise when asked. It is also highly recommended that you keep up with the latest tech trends and developments. This will be a constant reminder that the options in tech are virtually limitless. Financial technology or fintech is changing the employee landscape in major financial institutions, with some pundits claiming that up to 30 per cent of banking jobs could become obsolete due to the automation of processes via technology.

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With technology playing an increasingly important role in financial services today, it is unsurprising that these companies are becoming some of the biggest recruiters of tech talent. So, that’s technology in a (rather large) nutshell! We hope you’re now wellinformed on what this career path looks like, whether it might be right for you or how you can begin to prepare for it. At GradAustralia, we can bring you one step closer to your ideal career. Register now and join our e-mail subscriptions to get the latest updates on the best graduate job opportunities and career advice. You may just come across an opening for a tech company!

You can also check our e-library to access our suite of sector guides, the complete Breakthrough Series, and our industryleading list of the Top 100 Graduate Employers – the definitive guide to Australia’s most sought-after graduate employers. The best part? It’s all free! We’re always open to suggestions, feedback and comments. Tell us if there’s anything you would love to know or any burning questions you just can’t get an answer to. We’re here to help! In the meantime, we wish you the best of luck!

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Latest advice

Breakthrough Series: Technology 2021 – sponsored by SIG

Articles inside

Next steps

Part 3: What’s next?

Acing the interview

Guide to assessment centres

Writing the ideal CV for a job in tech

The recruitment process

Life after tech

Graduate salaries in tech

The highs (and lows) of the tech industry

Key skills you’ll need in tech

A day in the life of an IMC options strategy development team lead

What types of companies can I work for?

Part 2: So, is tech for me?

What is tech?

Part 1: The tech industry explained

Tell me about the jobs in the tech industry