Careers Guide 2020 - UNSW Women in Technology

Contents Introduction................................................................................................................................................. 3 Editor's Note.......................................................................................................................................

4

School of Information Systems and Technology Management...................... 6 School of Computer Science and Engineering........................................................... 8 Tech Ecosystem........................................................................................................................................ 10 Intro to IS, CS, and SE.................................................................................................................... 11 Career Pathways............................................................................................................................... 12 Career Opportunity Spotlights............................................................................................... 13 Job Searching............................................................................................................................................. 19 Job Scouting........................................................................................................................................ 20 Resumes................................................................................................................................................. 22 Aptitude Test....................................................................................................................................... 26 Behavioural and Situational Interview.............................................................................. 28 Technical Interview......................................................................................................................... 31 Market-Sizing...................................................................................................................................... 34 Assessment Centre......................................................................................................................... 36 Sponsor Opportunities......................................................................................................................... 39 Exclusive Interviews............................................................................................................................... 70 Elysee Ng - Analyst at CBA........................................................................................................ 72 Rachel Lin - Product Manager at Atlassian.................................................................... 74 Sophia Lin - Software Engineering Intern at Google.............................................. 76 Cheng Chua - UX Design Intern at Google.................................................................... 78 Acknowledgements............................................................................................................................... 80

Introduction

4 6 8

Editor's Note School of ISTM School of CSE

Editor's Note Founded in 2016, Women in Technology (WIT) is a society that helps build and foster this incredibly empowering, motivating and driven community of primarily women within STEM. With more than 1,800 members and counting, our strong presence is a testament to the need for gender diversity in the tech industry. Our mission: to empower and inspire women to pursue careers in technology.

We cultivate future leaders that are prepared to challenge the prejudices and bring change into the industry. Our graduates are technologically well-versed and well-connected ambassadors of gender diversity.

Deciding on a career to pursue is a daunting and time-consuming task that every student will face during their time at university. As part of our continued dedication to our members’ professional development, we are delighted to present our inaugural careers guide!

In this guide, you will learn about: The journeys of 14 successful women in tech from our sponsor companies, and envision your own career path in tech What it’s like to intern at Google, CBA, and Atlassian - some from your fellow WIT students featured in the guide Tips and exclusive insights into these companies’ hiring processes, giving you a big leg up as an applicant for an internship or job From first year to final year, students can find insights that guide their decision-making about their careers and career preparation.

Our committed WIT Education portfolio created the Careers Guide, based off of their interviews with sponsor representatives, WIT alumni, and WIT students.

I would like to extend thanks to our industry sponsors, UNSW School of Information Systems and Technology Management and UNSW School of Computer Science and Engineering for their contributions and support.

While reading this guide, I have a challenge for you - to envision yourself in many different roles in tech, even ones you’ve never considered before!

Vivian Wong Education Executive UNSW Women in Technology

School of Information Systems and Technology Management

Address from the Head of School The School of Information Systems and Technology Management (ISTM), based within the UNSW Business School, is one of the oldest and largest information systems schools in Australia. In recent rankings from the Association for Information Systems (AIS), ISTM has ranked first in Australia, third in Asia-Pacific region, and fourth worldwide, partially because our degree programs have the highest entry standards nationally. Our high-quality academics deliver a range of Bachelor, Master and Doctorate degrees that incorporate current theory with practical experience from industry partners such as IBM, Deloitte, EY, IAG and PwC. Our programs equip students to respond to the evolving needs of industry in diverse areas, including business analytics, cyber security and agile software development.

I am proud to highlight our School’s three accreditations from the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS), the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Australian Computer Society (ACS). EQUIS accreditation benchmarks business and management schools against international standards in terms of governance, programs, students, faculty, research, internationalisation, ethics, responsibility and sustainability, and corporate engagement. There are only 173 accredited institutions worldwide, including London Business School, INSEAD, and Peking University. AACSB is a member organisation that provides quality assurance, business education intelligence and professional services. Its accredited members are committed to making a difference, using diverse perspectives and a global mindset to inspire innovation and improve the quality of business education worldwide. The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has awarded professional level accreditation to ISTM’s Bachelor degrees (Commerce: Information Systems, and Information Systems including Co-Op, honours, and dual degrees), ensuring students are workplace-ready upon graduation.

Our School is committed to providing innovative instruction and conducting seminal research in partnership with industry. In 2016, we established the Digital Enablement Research Network (DERN). DERN connects an elite group of academics with industry partners in the Asia-Pacific region and globally to develop innovative solutions for practice-inspired research projects.

DERN developed and utilises a “sandbox” approach to collaboration. The Sandbox Education Program is a platform to connect industry, educators and students, empowering them to co-create a career-focused learning experience through solving real-life challenges. This multi-award-winning program simulates a professional working environment by bringing in real-world scenarios into the classroom, creating a safe space for students to explore, collaborate and innovate.

In 2019, DERN won the AACSB-International Innovation That Inspire Award for a submission titled “UNSW Sandbox Method for Transformative Research” The Innovations That Inspire challenge invited members of AACSB’s Business Education Alliance to identify ways they are inspiring new approaches to thought leadership and increasing its impact through the co-creation of knowledge.

Our School is a collaborative and innovative environment for students, academics and industry partners to learn, disseminate knowledge and make a positive impact on society. We would love to welcome you to our team!

Professor Lemuria Carter, Head of School School of Information Systems & Technology Management UNSW Business School, UNSW Sydney

School of Computer Science and Engineering

Address from the Head of School The School of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), which is also commonly referred to as UNSW Computing, was founded in 1991 out of the former Department of Computer Science within the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Today, we are now one of the largest Schools of our kind in Australia.

At UNSW we are the largest school in terms of the number of students we teach, and offer both breadth and depth in the range of subjects and research opportunities available. The academic staff have research focus in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Databases, Embedded and Operating Systems, Networks, Programming Languages, Service Oriented Computing, Software Engineering, Theory, and UNSW Computing is a partner with Data61 (formally NICTA - the National ICT Australia group).

CSE aims to be at the forefront of technological change and we are leaders in international computing research. In 2018 we received over six million dollars via competitive grants and industry funding to invest in our programs.

Our undergraduate teaching concentrates on the foundations for solving deep technical problems in computing as students continue into postgraduate studies or develop skills in the workplace. The CSE School is well known in Open Source and Linux groups around the world, and many of our graduates have gone on to senior positions with major international IT companies. We focus on innovation and encourage our students to be entrepreneurial.

Our industry and university alliances go beyond theory with collaborations working on solutions for real-world industry issues and commercial opportunities. Businesses get to work with some of the brightest expertise (and potential hires) in areas such as big data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, cyber security, the internet of things, databases, embedded systems, networks, programming languages, service-oriented computing and trustworthy systems.

Whether as a student, researcher or industry partner, UNSW is a part of the future of computing technologies.

Professor Sri Parameswaran, Head of School School of Computer Science and Engineering UNSW Sydney

Tech Ecosystem

11 Introduction to IS, CS, and SWE 12 Career pathways 13 Career opportunity spotlights

Introduction to IS, CS, and SWE Information Systems (IS) Information Systems function as the bridge between the business and technical oriented teams in an organisation. You will learn how to design, develop, incorporate, and use technology in business operations, hence impacting a business’ information and communication technology (ICT), support operations, and decision-making. As a result, IS students will be required to understand on a high level, both the technical and business side of operations. The topics you will learn are wide ranging and extend from business system analysis and design through to program development enterprise systems, cyber security, big data management and business intelligence.

Computer Science (CS) Computer Science focuses on general programming techniques, algorithms and data transformation. It has a theoretical and mathematical approach, based in logic and can lead to specialisations in artificial intelligence, computer vision, machine learning or security. As there are so many electives/majors available, CS students can tailor their learning based on skills with high demand and interest.

Software Engineering (SWE) Software Engineering has a greater emphasis on the entire development process with strategies and practices to help translate business requirements to a final consumer product. As a result, SWE courses highlight software testing, maintenance, project management, requirements and specifications.

Despite their differences, both SWE and CS develop programming skills and often lead to the same opportunities.

Career Pathways Information Systems (IS) Studying Information Systems can lead to a multitude of career opportunities. Students graduate with both technical and advisory capabilities, enabling them to choose a career path that favours their interests and skill set. These include careers such as:

Technical Roles: Data Analyst Information System/Information Technology Architect Product Manager UI/UX Designer

Consultant/Advisory Roles: Business Analyst Business Process Manager Business Systems Analyst and Designer Management Consultant

Computer Science & Software Engineering Students within this area of study can work in both technical and consulting roles. A few of them include: UX Engineer Data Scientist Security Engineer Network Architect

Software Engineer Front-end Back-end Full-stack

Career Opportunity Spotlights Business Analyst Business Analysts review companys’ operations and structure, finding ways to streamline processes, increase revenue, and provide strategic advice.

Specifically, they liaise with the business and technical teams to ensure team accountability on tasks, troubleshoot communication problems, and improve the understanding of shared goals. Business Analysts summarise their technical understanding and communicate specialised information back to stakeholders concisely and in a way that can be easily understood.

For example, a company has access to a new technology device but needs a Business Analyst’s help to incorporate it into their brand to reach users. To provide cost-effective solutions, the Business Analyst would research the device and analyze the market.

Business Analysts can work at companies such as: CBA, Deloitte, EY, Nine Publishing, and LendLease.

Technical Consultant Consultants use their industry understanding and experience to offer their clients valuable advice. They work with the clients to understand the business context and their goals before devising a tailored strategy to help their clients attain their goals. In particular, Technical Consultants work with clients to maximise their use of technical opportunities by presenting digital strategies.

These strategies look towards transforming the way they use technology which can improve business processes and reduce operational costs.

Technical Consultants would assess the current situation, find and compare a number of strategies to match the client’s interest and weigh the risks and values gained, before presenting their advice to their client.

Technical Consultants can work at companies such as: CBA, Deloitte, EY, and McGrathNicol.

Data Analyst Data Analysts validate large quantities of data so that organisations can use their findings to make informed and strategic decisions regarding their business challenges. Their role involves developing and maintaining databases, data cleaning, analysis, and presenting results to stakeholders using data visualisation tools. They should have a knowledge of coding, database design, data visualisation tools, and be able to use statistics to analyse datasets.

As a Data Analyst, you can work in various industries such as insurance and mortgage companies which commonly rely on Data Analysts to evaluate risk through mathematical calculations.

For example, a Data Analyst gathers incidence reports on a thousand drivers and transforms the data using equations to produce a pie chart categorising the number of accidents by age.

Data Scientist Similarly, Data Scientists have all the skills of a Data Analyst, but unlike a Data Analyst, a Data Scientist has a strong focus on the computational element, so they would commonly use predictive modelling tools such as Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to draw insights from data.

Data Scientists are data-driven individuals with high technical skills who are proficient in programming, SQL, machine learning techniques, statistical analysis, data mining, data wrangling and cleaning. Data Scientists are able to ask the right questions to solve business problems and find the solutions within the data.

Data Analysts and Scientists can work at companies such as: Atlassian, Deloitte, EY, and Google.

They often have understanding and proficiency in the following: Programming: Python, SQL, Scala, Java, R, MATLAB Data Visualisation: Tableau, SAS, D3.js, Python, Java, R Big Data Platforms: MongoDB, Oracle, Microsoft Azure, Cloudera A Data Analyst or Scientist role is more than just running computer statistics programs. It requires an insight and understanding of what the numbers represent to produce trends and patterns.

User Interface (UI) Designer The user interface is the graphical layout of the display, consisting of buttons, text, images, sliders and all items for interaction by users. A UI Designer cares about the user’s visual experience and is responsible for deciding what the application will look like and all points of interaction with the user. The role includes creating the colour scheme, designing button shapes, determining the screen layout, creating transitions and monitoring every point of interaction between the user and the device. A UI designer firstly creates a wireframe of the product, which is where basic page layouts and interactions are developed before other elements of visual design are added. UI designers commonly utilise programs such as Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD and InVision studio to draw up high fidelity prototypes, which are interactive prototypes that simulate the intended system design and functionality (appearance and interactions).

User Experience (UX) Designer User Experience (UX) Designers can do everything a UI Designer does as well as conducting customer research, creating a persona and design brief. They also ensure products are designed to make the user interaction experience intuitive and pleasing through testing and customer research. UX Designers research consumer behaviour, analyse customers’ thinking and actions, to learn what they need and want on a device or website. These insights are then used to create a user profile representing their target audience, to help them work collaboratively with designers and developers in making informed decisions on an intuitive layout, architecture and user-friendly design.

In order to create cutting-edge products consumers love, UX designers must be analytical and creative, and stay updated on competitor products and industry trends.

UI and UX designers can work at companies such as: Amazon, Atlassian, and Google.

Product Manager Product Managers guide the success of a product throughout its lifecycle, from the conceptual design to the finished product. They set the product strategy, lead a cross functional team made up of product designers, engineers, and marketers, and also conduct frequent consumer research to find areas of improvement. Their responsibilities cover many business functions as they oversee product design, production, distribution, sales, and marketing.

This role is great for someone who sees and understands the bigger picture with products, understands the technological makeup of products, and wants to be more involved with stakeholders, business strategy, and creative decision making. Product Managers ensure product success at companies such as Atlassian that have Associate Product Manager Summer internship positions and graduate roles.

Product Managers can work at companies such as: Telstra, Atlassian, and Google.

Software Engineer: Front-End Front-End Software Engineers are the intermediaries between the backend and the user, creating user-facing elements of websites that customers directly see and interact with. They commonly use languages such as HTML, CSS and Javascript to implement layouts UI/UX designers envision as well as writing integration tests to ensure that user interactions are displayed and functions correctly.

Software Engineer: Back-End On the contrary, back-end software engineers code, design, and create systems that run on the web server and handle behind-the-scenes algorithms and logic. Their responsibilities include powering and providing data to the components front-end developers make, making sure there are no errors or bugs with programs, manipulating data, and ensuring cross-compatibility.

Software Engineer: Full-Stack A full-stack developer works on both sides, meaning involving databases, interfaces and even working conceptual phases. Being full-stack doesn’t necessarily jack of all trades as many often focus on one side, but versatile and flexible in your skills.

they tackle projects with clients during mean you must be a instead, that you are

In addition to being proficient in coding languages, all Software Engineers should be familiar with developer tools and version control (eg. Git Version Control) as developers need to code collaboratively.

Software Engineers (Front-End, Back-End, and Full Stack) can work at companies such as: Telstra, Atlassian, Google, Quantium, Nine Publishing, and Palantir.

Career Progression: Across graduate roles at large technology companies, employers look for passionate and driven individuals as well as relevant experience. To build your industry experience, you could look at internships, joining a startup or university society to give you the opportunities to learn new programs and skills!

Graduate positions give you the experience to work across multiple job roles, before you decide which career path you wish to pursue.

Job Searching 20 22 26 28 31 34 36

Job scouting Resume Aptitude and psychometric tests Behavioural and situational interviews Technical interviews Market-sizing Assessment centre

Job searching guide Job searching can be a long, gruelling and intimidating process. Not only is it difficult to know where to start, it is also incredibly easy to wander off the path during the journey. A typical job-search timeline may include, but is not limited to, the following:

1. Job scouting, Resumes and LinkedIn 2. Psychometric and Aptitude tests 3. Assessment Centre 4. Interview (Behavioural, Situational and Technical) To help ease the confusion and anxiety, here is a comprehensive breakdown of the process, complete with tips and tricks to help guide you along the way.

Job-scouting The first step in any journey is often the hardest, so the job-scouting process is not to be underestimated!

Below are the top 5 tips to help push you through this preliminary stage.

1.

Be known: growing your online networks

Advertise yourself! Be sure to exhibit your experiences and proficiencies online. Many recruiters use online platforms such as LinkedIn to find potential employees, so it is crucial that you build and maintain your online profile.

2. Â Be social: develop your relationships in real life Be engaged in your communities! Actively build and expand your social and professional network; the more people you know, the more likely it is that someone will help you uncover a job opportunity. Reach out to universities, society alumni and others in your field to set up informative interviews and job shadowing opportunities. When building your network, be aware of how you carry yourself and always make an effort to showcase your passion and approachability.

3.

Be active: research companies related to your interests

Researching companies have many benefits. Firstly, it helps you understand what kind of work is frequently sought-out, and presents opportunities you may not have realised were available. Additionally, if you are interested in applying to work with a company, doing plenty of research will ensure you have a good understanding of the company mission, values and culture. Not only will this help you anticipate what kind of experience is up for grabs, it may also help you anticipate what questions you may be asked in an interview.

4. Be present: stand out from the rest If there is a company you are interested in and you have a connection with someone in that company, you could use online platforms such as LinkedIn to inquire about any opportunities, successfully accessing the ‘hidden’ job market. Don’t be afraid to ask for a referral! Get creative! Consider reaching out to company recruiters. Or, ask people in your network who have worked at company if they could share the name of the hiring manager or recruiters they worked with. Once you apply for a position, following up with the hiring manager communicates enthusiasm for the job, as long as you do so in a professional manner.

5.

Be patient: practice self-care

Job searching is more often a long and arduous task. Don’t be disheartened if you find the journey is taking longer than anticipated. As things become stressful, ensure you take breaks, sleep well, eat well and exercise. But whatever you do, don’t give up! Utilise support networks to help you through this process.

Resume Your resume is a pivotal part of the job-searching process; this is where companies filter out the majority of their applicants. Be sure to stand out from the rest with the following list of simple tricks.

1.

COVER LETTER

Make a killer first line!

Remember, your first line demonstrates your excitement to join the company and understanding of the company in terms of their values, culture, so leverage this to make a good first impression.

Showcase the standout features of your resume Conversely, don’t highlight your lack of experience or negative traits.

Be professional, but don’t be too formal This can make you seem robotic, diminishing any friendly or approachable qualities you may possess.

Target the key words and ideas used by the company.

This will subtly tell the reader that you are compatible with the company culture.

Concise without compromising the purpose Aim for quality over quantity. You don’t want to lose your reader’s attention.

Finish strong!

Leave an impact; keep your recruiter wanting more.

2.

CONTENT

Before you do anything, read the job description very carefully.

Be sure to tailor the content and language of your resume in order to hit the key points of the description. Tailor your resume to each job.

Include a profile summary or objective.

Write two or three sentences about who you are, where you are going, and the most valuable assets you can bring to the company.

Highlight your professional titles.

If necessary, display your career progression in order to emphasise your most recent experiences.

Include relevant websites and blogs.

Include the URLs of your personal website, GitHub, LinkedIn etc. to help showcase your skills and enable them to understand who you are as a person.

Pay particular attention to the top third of your resume.

This is where your recruiter will focus the majority of their attention.

Add metrcs to show your impact and success where possible.

Consider including your hobbies and interests.

If you feel this is necessary, be sure to only include your most relevant hobbies which showcases both hard and soft skills.

Scan your resume to see your match rate.

Did you know that 98.8% of Fortune 500 companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to vet candidates? Websites like Jobscan.co allow you to upload your resume with a job description, view your compatibility score and receive specific feedback on how you can improve the content of your resume.

3.

READABILITY

Align your text to the left. This makes it easier for your recruiter to pick out target information. Be sure to tailor the content and language of your resume in order to hit the key points of the description. Tailor your resume to each job.

Use simple subheadings to section your resume.

Be picky about what to include in your experience section.

Only mention the experience if it is relevant.

Be mindful of jargon.

While jargon can effectively convey the technical complexities of your project, avoid excessive use of jargon, as you need to accomodate for non-technical hiring managers or anyone else reviewing your profile.

Use strong verbs.

Using more powerful verbs is a subtle way to communicate strength, passion and commitment throughout your resume.

Use reverse-chronological order.

Talk about your most recent experiences first.

4.

AESTHETICS

Consider using a professionally designed template.

This will keep your resume looking stylish and organised.

Use bold, caps, and italics sparingly.

While these are great tools to help organise and emphasise sections of your resume, ensure that they are not cluttering your page.

Balance your text with white space.

A strategic use of white spaces can keep your resume looking classy, clutterfree and organised.

5.

WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED

Proofread your resume.

Use software to check for those pesky spelling and grammar mistakes. Send your resume to your friends and others to ensure your content conveys what you had envisioned.

Write a thank-you email.

If you receive an email from someone confirming that your resume has been received, follow up with a thank you email to display your enthusiasm and appreciation.

Track your resume.

Use software such as Mailtrack (gmail Chrome extension), MixMax, etc to know when your email has been opened and who by.

Aptitude and Psychometric Tests APTITUDE TESTS Aptitude tests are designed to assess a candidate’s ability to perform their potential role by testing how well a candidate can respond to tasks and scenarios relevant to the target position.

Why are they used?

As these tests require no assumed knowledge, aptitude tests are an efficient method of evaluation, indicating how well a candidate responds to highly relevant challenges. Additionally, by comparing test results, recruiters are able to filter out unsuitable applicants prior to the interview phase.

Examples: Aptitude tests include, but are not limited to: Numerical and diagrammatic tests Verbal tests Situational judgment, abstract reasoning and inductive reasoning tests In-tray exercises Cognitive ability tests Error checking tests

PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS While aptitude tests evaluate a candidate’s ability to fulfil a role, psychometric tests analyse a person’s suitability for a role. In particular, these tests target the behaviour, personality and cognitive capabilities of a candidate. Similar to aptitude tests, psychometric tests are standardised, allowing the examiner to objectively compare other potential employees.

Why are they used?

Some qualities of a person are very difficult, or impossible, to detect in an interview. Hence, psychometric tests are designed to access the applicant’s critical thinking skills, culture fit, etc as specified by the target job or role. This adds transparency to the selection process, revealing those who may not be suitable for the role.

TIPS FOR APTITUDE AND PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS : Research: Once you receive the link to your test, go to the website of the company that designed the test to find more information. You may be able to deduce the length, time limit, what questions will be asked and marking style of the test.

Practice: There are plenty of practice tests online. Do as many as you can!

Stay calm: It is very easy to panic during these tests. However, you’ll do much better if you stay calm, think clearly and read the question properly.

No cheating!

Some companies will require you to be re-tested under supervised conditions in order to confirm your score.

Behavioural and Situational Interviews Interviews are perhaps the most daunting part of the job-searching process, requiring you to put your social skills, professionalism and analytical skills on display. Since they are such a pivotal stage of finding a job, it is natural for interviews to make you feel anxious and overwhelmed. The following tips will help you feel interview-ready, minimising those feelings of stress and anxiety.

1.

Content

Prepare! Prepare! Prepare!

Compile a list of common interview questions from which you can prepare responses. You won’t have notes in your interview, so be sure to practise your responses with a friend or mentor, mock-interview style.

Showcase your skills and experience.

Prepare examples and stories that validate your soft and hard skills, your learning and professional experience, and your passion for your target career.

Highlight any skills or experiences you have that are not required but would allow you to add value to the role. Prepare some metrics to show your impact and success!

Focus on selling points.

Before your interview, be sure to review your job description. Make a list of the key skills and attitudes beneficial to the company, and narrow down on these points when planning your responses.

Be ready for the “Tell me about yourself” question.

You know it’s coming; don’t waste it! Your answer should only include information that is highly relevant to your position, succinctly summarising your background, key skills, passion and experiences.

Take cues from your interviewer’s body language.

Look out for those subtle changes in your interviewer’s facial expression and mannerisms. These can indicate whether or not you are hitting the right key points.

Address any red flags proactively.

Put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes and identify any potential areas of concern. For example, if you are applying for a role that doesn’t align with your education or experience, be prepared to talk about why you want to make a change.

2.

Character

First impressions are everything!

When meeting a new person, you are guaranteed to be subjected to immediate judgments which are powerful enough to make or break your interview. Be sure to flaunt your energy, enthusiasm to join the company, and unique skills that will add value to the company.

Be positive!

Interviewers will often throw you pessimistic questions, asking for your dislikes or worst experiences. Be sure to reword these questions into something positive.

Remember to listen.

Your interview is a conversation, not a presentation. Be mindful of striking the balance between talking, listening and asking questions. This will demonstrate your communication skills and EQ.

Be mindful of your body language.

Habits like shaking your legs and twisting your hands clearly indicate your anxieties. Conversely, simple behaviours such as smiling and using correct posture communicates amiability and professionalism.

Line up questions.

At the end of an interview, your interviewer will always ask if you have any questions. Be sure to prepare questions which indicate the curiosity, passion and attitude your interviewer wants to see.

3.

Post-interview

Write thank you notes.

A brief thank you email after your interview not only demonstrates your appreciation of your interviewer’s time, but it also showcases a socially conscientious nature.

Following up with hiring managers.

When done in a professional manner, a brief follow-up email or call to a hiring manager demonstrates persistence and passion. Following up also helps you remain at the front of your hiring manager’s mind.

Technical Interviews What is it?

Interviewers commonly ask a number of technical questions in relation to your role, and the questions will differ depending on the role. For example, Developers would be asked coding questions, and for other technical roles such as for Data Scientists, you might be asked a series of database and statistics questions instead.

Why are they used?

They are commonly used in technical and specialised roles to ensure that successful applicants have adequate technical knowledge and understanding of the industry to be able to complete their assigned projects.

Most common types of questions In this guide, we will cover the most common formats of technical/coding interviews for Developer roles. For all coding interviews, you are guaranteed to be asked about data structures, algorithms, and time and space complexity, amongst other potential concepts such as recursion and bit manipulation.

DATA STRUCTURES

ALGORITHMS

CONCEPTS

Linked lists

Breadth first search

Bit manipulation

Binary Trees

Depth first search

Singleton design pattern

Tries

Binary search

Factory design pattern

Stacks

Merge sort

Memory (stack vs heap)

Queues

Quick sort

Recursion

Vectors/ArrayLists

Tree insert/find/etc.

Big-O time

Hash tables

What do you expect in a technical interview?

The interview is usually 45 minutes, the first 5 minutes are usually allocated for general greetings and the last 5 minutes are for any questions you have for your interviewer about the company or position you’ll be applying for.

Generally, for a developer role, you will be asked 1-2 coding questions that you will be expected to code up during the interview without using the internet.

Tips to ace your technical interview.

Study and prepare months in advance. For most people, this is not usually something you pick up and learn overnight.

Go online and do your research!

Search up what kind of questions are commonly asked in the role you will be applying for. For example, for certain interviews, you might be expected to have an understanding of networks, statistics or system design instead or in addition to coding. Research to understand what you need to revise or learn for your interview.

Find interview examples!

There are heaps of resources on the internet such as YouTube and Medium for you to find an example of your specific technical interview structure and potential questions they might ask you.

Revise & Learn!

Go over your university content as well as any additional concepts you need to learn using the internet. You can use books such as "Cracking the Coding Interview" to help consolidate your understanding of technical interviews and improve your coding skills.

Practice & Practice!

For coding interviews, you can use websites such as HackerRank and LeetCode to familiarise yourselves with coding questions. Practise in the appropriate format too. For example, for whiteboard interviews, practise answering and writing up code on a whiteboard. Consider getting a friend to mock interview you. They will be there to ensure that you are explaining your thought processes clearly, asking enough clarifying questions etc.

Market-sizing What is it?

Market-sizing questions, often found in case interviews for consulting positions, require you to lean upon your deductive skills, general knowledge and mathematical skills in order to estimate the total number or cost of a product within a given scope. Your interviewer will not be particularly interested in your answer but instead, how you obtained and structured your answer.

Why are they used?

These tests effectively determine how you respond to ambiguous quantitative problems, which require a high level of reasoning. In doing so, examiners can verify your ability to make effective assumptions and perform numerical analysis.

Examples: A few examples of market-sizing questions include the following: How How How How How

many people fly in and out of Sydney airport every day? big is the mattress market in Australia? many ads are shown on TV in Australia every day? many takeaway coffees are sold in NSW every year? many kilometres of train tracks are there in Australia?

How to solve a sample market-sizing question

Tips: Use defensible assumptions. After all, the assumptions you make are one of the key things your interviewer is looking for!

Don’t neglect your mathematics. You must work quickly and accurately. If you need to round your results, do so strategically.

Use tree-diagrams. Tree diagrams are the most comprehensive way to format your thinking process. If one piece of data requires additional working, you may use a new tree-diagram.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions! There is nothing wrong with asking for clarifications. In fact, it may demonstrate your attention to detail.

Sanity check! Sanity checking requires you to review the reasonability of your final estimate. For instance, when determining the size of a market, you may be able to compare your result with a competitive market. You may also check your answer against your original data, spotlighting any potential mathematical errors.

Assessment Centre What is it?

Assessment Centres are a type of examination which bring together large amounts of candidates to simulate workplace scenarios. In doing so, candidates must showcase highly applicable sets of skills and competencies.

Why are they used?

Assessment Centres are used to test candidates within highly relevant environments. They assess how candidates perform under time constraints and how they work as a team with individuals across different disciplines.

Assessment centres have judges comprised of current employees from different divisions/positions, allowing them to be involved in the process, providing a broader perspective when selecting successful candidates.

Commonly, you will be given a case study where you are required to examine and assess a given work-place scenario. You must then present your solution with your team members to the judges under time constraints. This will be followed by a 10-15 minutes Q&A session where candidates have to answer questions raised by the judges based on the solution proposed by the respective team.

To complete a case study, you must:

1. Identify the key details You need to make sure that you are identifying points which help you form the context of the case. This enables you to gain a holistic understanding of the issue and what information you can work with (eg. what sort of platform the business runs on, how many employees are you dealing with).

2. Â Identify the core issue Using your key details, identify the core issue(s) and how they impact the company. You must also explain the root causes of the issue. Is it a management, technological or organisational problem? Is it a combination of problems? Once you have identified the relevant categories, write down the specific factors that contributed to the problem.

3. Specify alternative courses of action Taking into consideration the context of the case, outline the methods the company can use in order to resolve the identified core issue(s). Be specific about the processes, technology and/or policies you wish to incorporate or alter. Identify any constraints that may impact the achievability of your solutions.

4. Evaluate each course of action  List the costs, risks and benefits of each solution, as well as the likely outcomes. You should also state the operational and economic feasibility of each solution.

5. Make your recommendation Revisit and summarise the identified core issue(s), using the identified key details, state what you believe is the best course of action and justify your choices in detail. Be sure to mention any assumptions you made to draw your conclusion.

Tips Review the role.

Make a detailed list of the key attributes and skills required for the job.

Remember them so you can focus on portraying these competencies during the Assessment Centre.

Prepare responses to typical questions.

That way, when a recruiter asks about things like your background, experience, aspirations and skills, you will already have seamless and professional responses to spark your recruiter’s interest.

Be supportive!

Even though you are competing against them for a limited amount of job positions, be supportive and considerate of the other candidates. Focus on being friendly and inclusive. Your recruiters are looking for people who can manage themselves in a group environment, including those who display empathy and teamwork.

Review your application.

If your assessment centre includes an interview, your recruiters will often lean upon your resume to spark points of discussion. Be familiar with your resume so you won't be caught off-guard.

Participate actively in the informal events.

These include coffee breaks, lunch breaks, and arrival and departure. Be social and approachable, and initiate enthusiastic and interesting conversations. You are being examined for the entire day, so be sure to constantly show off your social skills and professionalism.

FINAL WORD Job-searching is an exciting and intriguing process, but it is also incredibly stressful and at times, disheartening. If you find you are struggling, don’t be afraid to ask for help! And above all, keep going. Remember to accept and apply feedback so that every time you try again, you come back bigger and stronger.

GOOD LUCK!

Sponsor Opportunities 40 44 46 48 50 52 54

Telstra Amazon Atlassian Baraja CBA Deloitte EY

56 58 60 62 64 66 68

Google IBM Lendlease McGrathNicol Nine Publishing Palantir Quantium

Who we are At Telstra, our purpose is to build a connected future so everyone can thrive. The telecommunications industry is experiencing enormous growth; network traffic is growing faster than any other period of time and digital technology is changing our world. Our people are at the heart of this change – and as Australia’s leading telecommunications and technology company, we’re helping to make it happen by connecting people together and to their devices.

What we do Graduates who join our Program will reimagine the future. You’ll help to shape tomorrow by supporting a leading telecommunications and technology company, which is taking on some of the world’s most complex technical challenges in areas such as IoT, 5G, eSports and AI. This means no matter where you are in the business, your work will be meaningful and valued as you’ll help to empower our millions of global customers to thrive in a connected world.

Through our accelerator programs, you’ll be provided with learning opportunities and immersive experiences that’ll teach you the skills we need for our future workforce.

You’ll be supported throughout the Program by a large network of leaders, peers and experts, and be given the flexibility for things such as study time, and be able to volunteer for causes that matter to them.

What we look for Telstra onboards graduates and vacation students into a variety of technical and business pathways so regardless of your degree or qualifications, there are great opportunities for you to join the team.

Besides having the right technical capability that our organisation needs and the right soft skills like being a good communicator, we’re looking for graduates who are curious about the future of technology and are passionate about helping our customers to thrive in a connected world.

We understand the benefits that a diverse workforce brings - greater innovation, stronger problem solving capability, better customer connection and increased morale – so we are also looking for graduates who come from diverse backgrounds.

Our programs We’re on the lookout for the next generation of passionate and enthusiastic graduates and summer vacationers who are willing to challenge their thinking, apply their skills, and develop their careers in a fast-paced technological environment.

Graduate Program A 13 month graduate program, full of rotational work experience, flexibility, and accelerated learning to help you choose your pathway and end up with a great starting salary.

Summer Vacation Program Voted as one of the Top Intern Programs 2020, the Summer Vacation Program is a 12-week program designed to give you hands-on experience, and immersive development and learning opportunities, working in teams such that focus on Internet of Things (IoT) 5G, Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence, and other emerging technologies. Applications open in July!

For more details on these programs, check out the Telstra Careers website!

The recruitment process Online application The first thing you’ll need to do is fill out a short online application form which will help us to determine if you’re eligible for the Program. You’ll also need to upload a copy of your resume and most recent academic transcript.

Video interview + online assessments During this stage, we want to get to know you a little bit better. To help us do this, you’ll need to do a video interview and online assessment.

Virtual interview You’ll be asked to present a pitch, discuss your motivations and respond to behavioural based questions. This will give you the chance to showcase your skills, personality, qualifications, work experience and mindset.

Checks Before we can offer you a place in the Telstra Graduate Program, we’ll need to conduct a couple of checks such as a security check.

How does Telstra support candidates with disabilities or access requirements?

We’ve recently launched our Accessibility and Inclusion Plan, as we are extremely focused on creating a fully inclusive workplace. During our recruitment process, we can offer you a range of reasonable adjustment support services, whether that’s providing you with visual aids for those who identify with having a visual impairment or those needing alternative building access. Learn more about our hiring process here.

A day in the life of a Telstra engineer Bushra Ahmed studied a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from the University of Sydney and is now a Graduate Electrical Engineer at Telstra.

7:30am Rise and shine - my alarm goes off. I better start getting ready for the day and have breakfast.

8:30am I catch a bus into the city - it usually takes me 25 minutes to get to the Telstra office on George Street in the heart of Sydney's central business district.

8:50am I like to start my day at work checking my inbox, replying to emails and having a look at my calendar before I start my tasks for the day.

Read the full article on Telstra's website!

9:10am It’s coffee time! I go downstairs together with some of my team-mates to grab a cup of coffee before I head to one of my meetings for today.

10:30am In my second rotation, I am part of the Innovations team and work on fascinating cutting-edge technologies like SD-WAN, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Software-Defined Networking and 5G. At the moment, we are developing the network services project for one of the major banks in Australia to help improve customer interaction and provide options to incorporate emerging technologies into branches across the country. I’m so thrilled because this is an incredible space to be in - it allows me not only to understand these new technologies but also to learn how to implement them.

1:00pm We’re so lucky to be in the CBD; there are always new options to explore for lunch. Today, I’m hanging out with other graduates – that’s the perfect opportunity to have a good chat, get to know each other better and share our experiences in the graduate program.

It’s also when we make arrangements for our weekly Oztag game, which is a non-contact form of rugby league.

Twice a week, I catch up with my manager to discuss my progress and the challenges that have come across my way.

That’s an exciting part of the Graduate Program; it’s when I get feedback and get pointed in the right direction.

2:00pm We host a few meetings throughout the week with our customers along with key stakeholders. These meetings are to brainstorm solutions and address any issues we might be facing while discussing the different concerns or insights the team or the clients might have.

4:00pm Time to reply to emails and work on some reports for the network services project before the day ends.

4:45pm It’s nearly time to go home, but before I head off, I like to look at my calendar and prepare myself for the next day.

5:00pm After a busy day at work, I head straight to the gym. I usually spend one hour in the gym, or I go to a yoga class, it really depends on how I feel that day.

Although I did try exercising in the morning before I get to work, it seems harder than I thought.

6:15pm Once a month, I am involved in hosting a social event as part of the Telstra Graduate Association, where I am an ambassador.

We have activities like bowling, laser-tag and sometimes we have drinks.

7:30pm I finally get home, can’t wait to eat something and relax by watching Netflix.

At the moment, my favourite show is Brooklyn Nine-Nine. On lazy days I can binge-watch entire seasons.

10:00pm Bedtime – I’m off to bed and looking forward to another productive day at work tomorrow.

Who we are With a humble beginning in selling books online, Amazon is now a technology giant, providing products and services globally, such as Amazon.com, Kindle, Amazon Web Services, and most recently, Echo, a voice-responsive device that allows people to manage their homes in a way like never before. Amazon continues to grow and develop and is one of the biggest online shopping websites worldwide, constantly innovating how people have traditionally accessed a variety of materials.

Amazonians come from all sorts of backgrounds, experiences, and expertise. We challenge the status quo and build new systems that make life easier for millions of consumers all over the world. Our mission is to be Earth's most customer-centric company. This is what unites Amazonians across teams and geographies as we are all striving to delight our customers and make their lives easier, one innovative product, service, and idea at a time.

What we look for

The qualifications and experience we look for in interns and grads

Five skills every Amazonian should have:

Technical and Engineering Software/Hardware development Applied science Data science Networking engineering skills

Ability to work successfully in a fast-moving environment, to meet tight deadlines and prioritise workload even when faced with conflicting priorities Must be able to integrate and work well as part of a team Demonstrate ability to think big and have an influence across all levels of an organisation Excellent analytical skills Having personal drive and enthusiasm that makes you stand out from the crowd!

Research PhD and Master’s interns contribute to solving a diverse set of technical problems across large scale platforms using machine learning, large data sets, and cloud computing. They help build innovative algorithms that model patterns within data to drive automated decisions at scale for all corners of the company.

Business Operations management Sales and marketing Product and Program Management Retail/Consumer leadership

Recruitment Amazon has internships, graduate roles and research based roles for masters and PhD students in over thirty different categories. We hire for a variety of roles across the company throughout the year.

Recruitment Timeline 12+ months ahead

5-8 months ahead

Explore amazon.jobs

Assessment, interview, and offer

Day 1 9 months ahead

1-2 months ahead

Look for us on campus and apply on amazon.jobs

Onboarding begins

Application Tips For any Software Development Engineer I & II applicants we recommend reviewing our Software Development Topics to help you prepare for technical evaluations and interviews. For all other roles, no advance preparation is required to complete the assessment(s). Just be yourself and do your best.

Some questions may ask about your work style. Try not to overthink them or spend too much time on any one question. We want to get to know the authentic you, as there are many types of successful people at Amazon.

Before starting your assessment, read any information provided carefully since things like timing, deadlines, and assessment types can vary depending on the team.

Who we are G’day, we’re Atlassian!

We believe that behind every great human achievement, there is a team.

From medicine and space travel to disaster response and pizza deliveries, our products help teams all over the planet advance humanity through the power of software.

Our mission is to help unleash the potential of every team. We make tools like Jira and Trello that are used by thousands of teams worldwide. And we’re serious about creating amazing products, practices, and open work for all teams.

Our work culture Atlassian has a strong values-based culture.

We have 5 values that guide our business, our product development, and our brand.

As our company continues to evolve and grow, these five values remain constant: Open company, no bullsh!t Dont f%*k the customer Play as a team Be the change you seek Build with heart and balance

Want to learn more about life at Atlassian? Check out these videos and resources!

Atlassian's Offices: Inside Out The Atlassian Story Life @ Atlassian ShipIt - Inside the Atlassian ritual Why we (heart) ShipIt Company values Diversity & Inclusion @ Atlassian How Culture Drives Atlassian's Ambitions

What we look for

Opportunities

The five skills every Atlassian employee should have: 1. Team player 2. Growth mindset 3. Values aligned 4. Passion for technology and making a difference 5. A genuine interest in wanting to work at Atlassian Most importantly, be brave and courageous to use your imagination and try new things.

Software Development Site Reliability Engineer Security Product Management Designers Data Analytics Our applications do not have a close date so encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.

Recruitment process

Apply

Online Challenge

Phone Interview

Final Interview

Boom!

Hired

How to get hired Research research research!

Interviews can be an inherently stressful experience, but you can change that by making sure you are as prepared as possible to make sure you are ready to answer any questions the interviewer will ask you.

Use the STAR interview method to prepare for situational questions, using real-life examples from university, personal projects, extra-curricular activities, and work experience.

3 things you need to have an in-depth understanding of: The Company - history, culture, products, news The Role - job description, company website The Why? - Refer to your resume and overall personal goals

For more info on Atlassian: How to get a job at Atlassian - an Insider's Perspective Hello World!

Atlassian Grad Program Workshop Meet the Interns How women are building the future at Atlassian

Who we are Baraja is a Sydney-based company revolutionising the LiDAR technology used to operate self-driving Vehicles. Baraja is not a conventional LiDAR company.

Pulling together technologies from different industries, we harness physics to create the world's first simple, elegant solution to scanning LiDAR. We call it Spectrum Scan™.

Baraja’s breakthrough approach with Spectrum-Scan™ harnesses simple high-school physics: exploiting the interaction of light and prisms. When light enters a prism, through the process of refraction, the beam is sent off in a new direction. By varying the colour, or wavelength, of light, Baraja SpectrumScan™ LiDAR obtains complete control over the direction the light is sent. This means our Scanners are nothing more than simple pieces of glass: no complicated rotating lasers or delicate dancing mirrors.

Baraja’s mission is to deliver LiDAR to support the autonomous vehicle revolution. We represent a small piece of a giant puzzle — an audacious, ambitious race to transform human mobility and in doing so, change society for the better. We inhabit an industry driving some of the brightest minds to overcome herculean challenges.

What we look for Our graduate program is ideal for students studying in the engineering space, typically students that are completing an engineering degree in the electrical, optics, mechanical and/or software field.

Some of the rising skills we are looking for in our people are: actively learning, critical thinking, innovative and analytics thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence.

Work culture at Baraja At Baraja we're solving the toughest problem of the autonomous future. Such innovation requires a productive workplace, this is why it is important for us to hire a great team to make great things. Baraja’s mission is to deliver LiDAR to support the autonomous vehicle revolution. We represent a small piece of a giant puzzle — an audacious, ambitious race to transform human mobility and in doing so, change society for the better. We inhabit an industry driving some of the brightest minds to overcome herculean challenges – and we want to help. We are a set of curious, diverse, humble, interesting people who believe in team spirit, learning, human relationships and want to solve hard meaningful problems. We believe in overall wellness of mind and body, and strive to make things and ourselves better all the time.

Opportunities at Baraja We believe in creating opportunities and working towards our next challenge.

This means we’re continuously looking for people that hustle to deliver on hard and meaningful problems. As graduates here at Baraja you have the opportunity to learn across a range of engineering disciplines from hardware to software. Students spend their first six months rotating across our different departments to learn how each of them connect. These foundational experiences form as a guide in their engineering career. Whilst other students are advanced in the sense that they know what career and direction they want to go towards, we facilitate this by providing them the network and resources.

During COVID our highest priority is to look after our people and take care of our customers and partners. This means applications for our Graduate Programs are currently closed. However, we will open them again soon. Roles for graduate engineers will include optics, mechanical, field applications, electrical and software.

What do Baraja interns do?

Some of the projects interns will get to participate in are: Opportunity to work in an agile environment Testing automation scripts Design entire systems from scratch, manufactured, prototyped and potentially utilised in real-life liDAR Leading projects and participate in OKR sprint cycles Research and design novel technologies Work in the field of optics, mechanical, electrical or software related projects

Who we are Commonwealth Bank (CBA) is a “big four” multinational bank with headquarters in Sydney, providing integrated financial services, including retail, business, and institutional banking, funds management, superannuation, insurance, investment, and broking services. With a commitment to helping all Australians build and manage their finances, CBA offers loans, insurance, and investment advice for individuals and businesses alike.

Institutions have unique needs and CBA strives to meet those needs by providing a wide range of services including financial markets capabilities, capital raising solutions, risk management products and services, and transaction banking services.

What we look for We look for well-rounded candidates who have successfully balanced university, work experience and extracurricular activities. Additionally, we look for candidates who are team players and have a desire to learn and drive their own career. Most importantly, we look for your motivation to work in the financial services industry, and with us.

Most of our grad cohorts have completed a degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or Information Systems. That said, if you have an underlying passion for technology and appetite to work in a highly complex and fast-changing business, we have many career pathways that are not dependent on your discipline degree.

Work culture at CommBank We're Australia’s leading provider of integrated financial services, including retail, premium, business and institutional banking, funds management, superannuation, insurance, investment and share-broking products and services. Our team consists of 45,000 people from diverse backgrounds, with different goals, experiences, and perspectives. At CommBank we’ll encourage and support you to be yourself. This is a place where you can feel confident expressing who you really are; where you belong because of your uniqueness.

Diversity, flexibility and innovation are just some of the reasons why our people come to work every day.

Summer Intern Program Applications for our 2020/21 Summer Intern Program will open in early July.

This 10-week program gives you a taste of what it’s like to work with us. You will be partnered alongside passionate and energetic leaders and teams, allowing you to work on challenging real-life projects. You’ll receive training and networking opportunities, be supported by a buddy and get the chance to hone your skills in areas such as engineering, machine learning and cyber security.

During the placement we encourage you to build your professional network with your peers and with leaders from across CommBank. At the end of the Program you will also have the opportunity to apply earlier for our Graduate Program for the following year.

The Recruitment Process Stage 1: Online application As you need to select which business area matches your skills and interests and which location is best suited for you, make sure you find out more about our business areas before you fill in your application form.

Stage 2: Online assessments We will ask you to complete a set of online assessments to make sure we’re a perfect match! Details will be sent via email, outlining what you need to do to complete the online assessments with specific deadlines. The earlier you apply, the longer you will have to complete your assessments.

Stage 3: Digital interview You will be given a link to a digital interview where you can highlight your skills and your desire to work for us in the video recordings. Don’t be afraid to show us your personality!

Stage 4: Assessment centres You will be invited to one of our Assessment Centres where you can learn more about our programs and our business as well as participate in a range of activities to showcase your skills.

About us From cyber security and tech innovation through to accounting and advisory, we’re looking ahead and building industries of the future. As one of the largest professional services firms in the world, our services are as diverse as the students and Graduates we hire.

Work culture at Deloitte As one of our Grads or Vacationers, you can expect lots of support, significant client exposure, hands on projects and multiple networking opportunities. You'll get relevant professional training and feedback from your coach and guide throughout your program, with the chance to learn from and work with industry professionals across the firm.

What we look for We're interested in students with degrees in every discipline! We are particularly interested if you've got diverse experiences and are passionate about innovation, opportunity, collaboration and inclusion.

The 5 skills we value most: 1. Self-awareness 2. Resilience and the ability to embrace change 3. The ability to learn and apply new information quickly 4. Ability to analyse problems 5. Communication skills

Check us out on social media for more info! @DeloitteAustralia @Deloitteaus @Deloitte Australia

Opportunities at Deloitte The opportunities at Deloitte are endless! Our main student programs include:

Insight Program

Insider Program

An exclusive one-day event. The ultimate meet up for anyone studying STEM (no matter what year of Uni you are in). Dive into the exciting world of professional careers at Deloitte and discover where you could make your impact.

A one-day program, giving you the chance to get a closer look at what makes Deloitte a great place to work.

Upon completion, you’ll have the chance to progress into our Summer Vacation Program.

Summer Vacation Program A 3 to 8-week internship, providing penultimate year students with an insight into what a professional services career really involves. Upon completion, you’ll have the chance to progress into our Graduate program

Graduation Program A 12-month, full-time, world-class program with a competitive salary, professional qualifications, and endless opportunities to progress your career.

Find out more at our website: deloitte.com/au/ students-careers

The recruitment process Stage 1: Online application The first step in the application process is the online application! Here, we’re looking to find out more about your work, leadership and team experience; extra-curricular activities; academic results; passion, enthusiasm and motivation; and resume.

Stage 2: Online assessment Our interactive graduate assessment is a unique experience which can be completed online and should only take about 20 minutes of your time.

This part of the process is intended to assess your fit with the Summer Vacation and Graduate positions available at Deloitte and to give you a little taste of what it may be like to work with us.

Stage 3: Phone interview You will have a phone call with a member of the Graduate Recruitment team to discuss: your motivation to join Deloitte, your interest in your choice of Business and Operating Unit, and career opportunities.

Stage 4: Assessment centre After your phone interview, the next step is an assessment centre that will include an information session, group activities, case study, interview, and networking with Deloitte team members.

Stage 5: Final interview At this stage, you will undertake a behavioural-based interview with a Partner or Director in the business unit you are looking to join.

Who we are EY is one of the largest professional services firms in the world.

Amongst one of the Big Four accounting firms, EY are leaders in business strategy, human capital, and using technology to optimise business. EY has offices in over 150 countries and has been ranked 141 in Forbes Best Employers for New Grads (2019). From government and public works to health and automotive industries, EY is tackling challenges worldwide, and pioneering new technology that revolutionises business management globally.

What we look for The strengths and competencies that we look for in EY people include: your motivations and interests your communication skills and ability to build networks your ability to efficiently and effectively work in a team your ability to solve complex problems and your curiosity and analytical skills to find better ways of doing things in a changing world.

At EY, we value diversity, both seen and unseen. We understand that actively seeking and managing the diversity of EY people is essential to disrupt the status quo. As such, we look for people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse qualifications.

As well as looking at your educational background, we also look at how you’re building up transferable skills through extracurricular activities, including things like volunteering, work experience and online qualifications that enhance employability skills.

Work culture at EY We are committed to building a better working world. The EY ambition is to solve the world’s toughest problems. To innovate, to grow, to learn, to lead, to belong.

Surrounded by the curious, united by the purpose.

The organisation has an award-winning culture and works hard to create the Exceptional EY Experience for all EY people, including: Being part of high-performance teams A diverse environment with inclusive leaders A wealth of opportunities for our people to learn, grow and advance

This communication provides general information which is current at the time of production. The information contained in this communication does not constitute advice and should not be relied on as such. Professional advice should be sought prior to any action being taken in reliance on any of the information.

Ernst & Young disclaims all responsibility and liability (including, without limitation, for any direct or indirect or consequential costs, loss or damage or loss of profits) arising from anything done or omitted to be done by any party in reliance, whether wholly or partially, on any of the information. Any party that relies on the information does so at its own risk.

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.

Recruitment process Step 1: Apply Submit your application form, CV, university transcript, and photo ID to ey.com/au/careers/apply. Our tip is to pay attention to the requested supporting documentation, word limits and eligibility criteria.

Step 2: Complete

The next step is to complete a blended online assessment that looks at your strengths and work-style. This will vary depending on the area of the business you apply for. You will answer questions both written and video based on the materials provided.

Our tips are to be genuine and honest in your responses, and to make use of the practice video questions provided. We want to get to know you, your motivations and interests, and the capabilities that you could bring to the role you are applying for.

Step 3: Attend Successful applicants will be invited to EY Recruitment Day. This is your chance to demonstrate why you are a great fit for EY, as well as see if we’re a good fit for you, so have some questions prepared to ask on the day. First impressions count, so remember the basics - greet your interviewers professionally and try to remember their names!

Opportunities Applications for the EY Student Programs will be opening in July (date to be confirmed). The following EY programs will be available for you to apply for in Sydney:

EY Career Compass Program

EY Vacationer Program

The EY Career Compass The EY Vacationer Program is Program is for students for penultimate year graduating in 2022. It is a students. This program is a two-day program which great way to experience the allows you to explore the working world and gain endless career opportunities valuable experience, skills within the EY organisation and networks to start and will help you make smart building your career. Show decisions about your EY what you’re capable of professional career. and you may be invited to join EY after graduation in a full-time position.

EY Graduate Program The EY Graduate Program is for final year students. This program will propel your career forward, helping you to build the future you want.

It will challenge you to be curious and innovative, providing you with ongoing training and support to help you shape your career with EY. This is a permanent position.

Who we are Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google in September 1998 with a mission to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Since then, the company has grown to more than 90,000 employees worldwide, with a wide range of popular products and platforms like Search, Maps, Cloud, Ads, Gmail, Android, the Assistant, Made by Google devices and YouTube.

What we look for Studying a degree relevant to the position you are applying for definitely gives you an advantage since you could be familiar with some of the technical questions you might be asked in the interview (eg. studying Computer Science when applying for Software Engineering roles), however, this is not a necessity.

Anyone from any background can definitely pass and sit interviews for the opportunity offered.

5 skills every Googler should have 1. Communication 2. Teamwork and Collaboration 3. Critical Thinking 4. Time Management 5. Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Opportunities at Google Applications for Internships and Graduates open in March. Internships usually run from December to February. Graduates normally start in January.

Student Training in Engineering Program (STEP) Internships

Designed to provide exposure for second year students in the technology industry. Targeted at students who are historically underrepresented in the technology sector including (but not limited to) women, LGBTQI+, students with a disability and indigenous students. This internship provides students with personal and professional development, programming skills and mentoring.

Software Engineering Internship

In this 12 week internship which runs over summer, you would work on our core products and services as well as those who support critical functions of our engineering operations.

Software Engineer, University Graduate

We need our engineers to be versatile and passionate to tackle new problems as we continue to push technology forward. As a key member of a small and versatile team, you design, test, deploy and maintain software solutions.

Connect with Google Connect with Google (CwG) partners with university students throughout their studies, and maintain that relationship through varied touch-points over an extended period of time. CwG tailors content to the individual student's location, degree level, background, experience, and interests. Sign up at goo.gl/aCvwdA

Intern and graduate projects In our Sydney office, our Software Engineer graduates get to work on products like Google Maps, used by a billion people around the world. In fact, a graduate worked on Google StreetView as a project, giving you the chance to explore vibrant panoramic views of places worldwide from the underwater imagery of the Great Barrier Reef to your own house. Now, this former new grad leads a large global team on Google Maps, a product that allows you to navigate your way around the globe by driving, public transit, walking, cycling, and even by Trolley Car in Nepal.

Other Software Engineer graduates get to build crisis maps that are used in times of natural disaster, helping people find and use critical emergency information when they need it most. And they’re working on some of the world’s coolest technology challenges, like how to make cars smarter or build products for the next billion users to come online for the first time.

The recruitment process Apply online

Technical

Keep your resume to 12 pages. Include relevant experiences and/or extracurricular involvement. Include any relevant and interesting projects you have worked on.

1. Take-home 45 minute coding challenge 2. Two rounds of technical interviews 3. Interview with Host (Hiring Manager)

Business 1. Logic Quiz 2. Phone Interview 3. Manager Interview (Technical) 4. Manager Interview (Behavioral)

Who we are IBM is an American multinational technology company operating in more than 170 countries. It produces and sells computer hardware, middleware and software, and provides hosting and consulting services in areas ranging from mainframe computers to nanotechnology. IBM is also a major research organisation, holding the record for most U.S. patents generated by a business for 27 consecutive years. IBM believes in progress — that the application of intelligence, reason and science can improve business, society and the human condition. IBM cultivates forward-thinking employees who are progressive thinkers and leaders producing progressive policy and action.

What we look for 5 key skills we look for in graduates and interns: 1. Growth mindset 2. Agility to learn 3. Innovation/challenging the status 4. Proactive 5. Team player The education qualifications or background that we look for vary depending on the role. For more technical roles, we typically look for students from IT/Computer Science/Software Engineering backgrounds. For less technical roles, we find that Business (across all kinds of majors) tends to be another popular degree background.

Our work culture We like to describe IBM as a 'choose your own adventure kind of company'. We provide lots of opportunities to explore different roles and areas of business if you are willing to seek it out and up-skill yourself. Our work culture is inclusive and collaborative - we encourage IBMers to ask questions and challenge assumptions.

Opportunities IBM offers internships and graduate roles. Our internships run differently to a lot of other companies in that they are generally 12 months full time. Some roles have some flexibility to complete the internship part time. Most internships begin in March, however we generally run on a business demand basis. In other words, as the business requirement and projects come up, the opportunities for students to join as interns will start opening up. This is similar to our graduate opportunities.

We encourage students to keep an eye on the IBM careers page, sign up for job alerts, and attend our events to learn about the latest opportunities.

On the job training is provided for all internship and graduate opportunities, as well as ongoing learning and development on a whole range of different topics whether that's machine learning, to kubernetes to cloud to design thinking etc.

The recruitment process

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Online application

Online test

Phone/video screening

Interviews

Tips on preparing for the interviews: have a couple examples up your sleeve of how you have demonstrated particular skills, such as attention to detail, problem solving, or customer service. You should also research what the company is about. Not only does it show that you are well prepared, it also demonstrates that you take a genuine interest in the company. Interviewers are also interested in what motivates and drives you and how that relates to your career and to the role that you have applied for. For example: "As a kid I loved taking apart things like remote controls, toys, etc. and that's led to my interest in problem solving and one of the reasons why I would love to pursue a career in a technology company".

For more information, follow us on social media! @IBMAustralia @IBM

@IBM

Who we are Lendlease is an international infrastructure and property development company based in Sydney, working on civic, social, and historical projects. Property and infrastructure are an essential part of everyday life, and Lendlease are dedicated to not only creating infrastructure that lasts physically, but infrastructure that leaves a legacy, exemplified by their involvement in the construction of the Sydney Opera House, the American Museum of Natural History and the September 11 National Memorial and Museum. With a determination to shape the future of property Lendlease is using technology to evolve smart city design, enhance property design, and develop exceptional project management.

Our work culture Lendlease prides itself on its inclusive and diverse culture. We work hard to make sure every employee feels welcome and respected. Our graduates, who will be our future leaders, gain not just experience and knowledge from our program, but also have the opportunity to meet like minded graduates and network.

The recruitment process Stage 1: Submit your application Submit online application, CV, transcripts, and right to work. Applications open at the end of February and are open for 4 weeks.

Stage 2: Complete a video interview Selected candidates are invited to complete a video interview.

Stage 3: Attend an assessment session Selected candidates are invited to one of our assessment sessions. Successful candidates will receive an offer.

Our opportunities We have many opportunities across our 4 different streams. To see all the available roles, visit our website.

Within technology, the roles available under our corporate functions stream are: Digital Information Technology Risk Corporate Affairs People & Culture (also known as Human Resources) Finance An example of a Digital Graduate project is the development of a Microsoft PowerApps application that incorporated workflows using Microsoft PowerAutomate that would be used to combine information based on what was entered in the application to generate a document used as guides for interviews.

Recruitment tips Application: The most important things we look at is the detail you’ve put into the application and how motivated you are to work for us.

Video interview: When recording your answers, ensure that you have no distractions (try to avoid recording outside as wind and other noises tend to interfere with the camera recording), and that there is good lighting. Most importantly, test your mic before you record or do a few practice to avoid any unwanted audio issues.

Assessment centre: Typically our Assessment Centre is a group activity coupled with a one to one interview. Remember to be yourself on the day and communicate with your group members and tell us how motivated you are to work for us..

What we look for We look for Graduates and Undergraduates with different backgrounds for our graduate program as we recruit across our four different streams: Services, Building, Corporate Functions & Development. These degrees may vary from Civil/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, Project/Construction Management, Finance, IT/Digital/Computer Science/Technology, Marketing, HR, Safety, Property Development, Investment Management, Enviro, Cost Planning & Quantity Surveying.

The 5 top skills we look for: 1. Motivation 2. Commitment 3. Adaptability 4. Team Work 5. Communication

Who we are Nine is Australia’s largest locally owned media company and the home of Australia’s most trusted and popular brands spanning news, business and finance, lifestyle, entertainment and sport. Nine News, Wide World of Sports, 9Now, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review are among many of our brands, reaching millions of users every day and providing significant opportunities for our staff to be involved in challenging and interesting problems.

Our work culture It's an exciting place to work. We use a lot of different and new technologies and our products have a large audience. The team culture is very supportive, everybody is encouraged to learn new things and speak up about what is important to them.

We work to continually inspect and improve on our processes and make sure we are working efficiently and always delivering value to our audience. It feels rewarding to know that the changes we make to our tech, and the new features we add, are going into households all around Australia and enabling them to stay informed and entertained.

What we look for The 5 skills every Nine employee should have: 1. Be passionate about your craft (love what you do) 2. Be curious with a learning mindset 3. Be self driven 4. Be analytical - ask the right questions 5. Be adaptable We don't expect graduates to have a lot of experience, however we do expect that you know your basics and have a passion for learning.

Opportunities Graduate Engineers You should be a passionate Comp Sci or Software Engineering graduate (or in a related field). Our graduates get to experience various systems including ReactJS, API development in Node or Golang, and mobile app native development, and work with data analytics, big data and machine learning. See the job listing here.

Internships Regularly during the year and over summer, we open a number of internship opportunities across our technical organisation. If you’d like to be considered for these, please indicate your interest by applying here.

The recruitment process Stage 1: Written Application Always include a cover letter. Make sure you talk about why you want to work for us.

What about working at Nine really interests you? What skills and experience can you bring to our company? What makes you you?

Stage 2: Phone Interview This is a chance to see whether expectations about the role match. Know what you are looking for and how to communicate it. This is also a chance to convey your passion in a way that can’t be expressed through the written word. What excites you about potentially working for Nine?

Stage 3: Face-to-face Interview We want to talk about your past experience in detail, whether it be university work or situations in other areas of your life where you have demonstrated soft skills.

Have a number of situations prepared in detail that you can talk about. For technical projects, be prepared to answer probing questions and details about why you chose a particular solution. We want to understand how you approach a problem and how you learn from your experiences. Finally, always be prepared, and bring your genuine self.

Want to know more about what it's like to work at Nine? Click here!

Who we are Palantir’s mission is to develop software that not only allows a user to analyse data quickly and effectively, but also allows for analysis that is driven by an interactive human response. With a focus on developing software for flexible and versatile data modelling, Palantir is enabling analysts to answer questions and problems that were traditionally an unsolvable challenge. Palantir’s expertise in AI, automotive, sales, defence, legal intelligence, insurance, manufacturing, and pharmaceutical industries as well as the constant improvement of their software is developing a world where an individual’s interaction with these essential avenues is being improved too.

What we look for Everyone is an engineer – how you think matters, not your degree Critical thinking Creative thinking Staying focussed on the problem Making a meaningful impact throughout the world Engineers build things that solve problems. You don't have to be a computer scientist or have any particular degree to be an engineer. You just have to speak up when things aren't right, evaluate ideas on their merits, and build things that fix what's broken. At Palantir we're all engineers, and we're focused on solving the hardest problems we can find.

Opportunities Opportunities for students and graduates are regularly updated and can be found here.

At Palantir, we’ll give you access to important problems and the freedom to solve them. If you want that kind of responsibility, then we want to work with you. To learn more about how you can be a part of our world-leading projects, click here.

The Application Process Each interview process is built around the candidate. The number and format of interviews that you'll go through will be personalised to your skillset and the type of role that you're looking for. For more information and tips on getting hired, visit our website.

Step 1: Phone Interview Our interview process begins with one or two phone interviews, typically lasting 20 to 45 minutes each. You should be prepared to talk about your background, experiences, and interest in Palantir. For tips on preparing for the phone interview, click here.

Step 2: On-site Interviews If your phone interview is successful, you will be invited to meet the team and have an on-site interview, where you’ll be asked about your accomplishments and what you’re most passionate about.

This interview will include a coding interview. The ability to produce excellent software is taken very seriously. So, to ensure that high-quality solutions are being delivered to customers, a candidate's ability to implement their ideas in a clean, logical code is put to the test. For tips on the coding interview, click here.

Who we are Quantium is a major data science company that pairs human intelligence with artificial intelligence that allows organisations to optimise individual experiences. Quantium’s revolutionary cloud-based platform, Q , powers this analysis in a variety of avenues, and not only analyses data for the present, but allows predictions for the future of consumer trends and market preferences to be determined, putting their clients at the forefront of the retail, banking, or media industry.

Our culture Quantium has a diverse team of experts in all fields who are all passionate about harness data to develop transformational outcomes for clients. We pride ourselves on our friendly and relaxed culture. We want everyone at Quantium to feel that they can easily approach others to get the help they need or be directed on how to get it.

What we look for The top 5 skills we look for are: 1. Curiosity. Quantium is about growth and you have to embrace the challenge and have the growth mindset to keep up and move forward.

2. Adaptability. Quantium is always changing and one day you can work on one thing and the next day it can be completely shifted.

3. Teamwork. No one can do anything alone and it’s always better to have different perspectives. We always work together in teams at Quantium.

4. Critical Thinking/Problem Solving. The essence of the work we do is being able to come up with different ways to solve problems.

5. Communication. Being able to communicate your ideas and receive feedback is extremely important.

Opportunities Quantium offers intern and grad positions as an analyst or a software engineer. Applications for grad open in February whereas intern applications open in June - find out more on our website.

The grad program is an 18-month dive into Quantum's diverse industry and technical specialisations with a goal to accelerate learning, foster top performance and facilitate your integration in Quantium. It involves 2 9-month rotations with a mentor, guided skill development sessions and ample opportunities to learn and share knowledge.

The intern program is a 9-week program from December to February. The program provides an opportunity to explore the world of data science and work on real work with client impacts. You are matched with a grad buddy and will work on a project with guidance of a dedicated team.

Intern projects Many intern projects involve developing internal tools which automated some of the processes used in the workflow of Quantium employees. The focus of these projects were to gain skills and experience so there was no pressure to complete the projects if you aren’t able to. In general, you are allowed to choose what language and tools you want and are able to direct our projects however you want with the guidance from the team. An example of a project was developing an interface that helped extend the use of one of the tools that Quantium was producing.

Recruitment Process Online application (+ case study for analyst role)

On-site case study (analyst) or technical interview (engineering)

Phone interview

WebEx Interview with Grad Team

Application tips: For interviews, prepared but not over-prepared. Research the company but don’t script out your answers word for word. If you are genuine about your interest, it will come through and work in your favor.

For technical interviews, we want to see how you solve problems so focus on explaining your thought process and don’t get too caught up if you can’t figure out the perfect solution. You can only get better with practice so keep practising all types of problems and explaining them to someone else!

Exclu Interv 72 74 76 78

Analyst at CBA Product Manager at Atlassian Software Engineering Intern at Google UX Design Intern at Google

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Elysee Ng ANALYST AT CBA Hi, my name is Elysee and I'm part of digital operations innovation at CBA. At UNSW, I studied a Bachelor of Information Systems (Co-op) (Honours). Before finding my home at CBA I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to work in financial services, pharmaceuticals and at FAANG companies. When I’m not learning about technology you can find me hiking to find hidden waterfalls, making graphs on the maturity of my sourdough starter or working on my not-for-profit – She Loves Data.

CBA is one of WIT's major sponsors for 2020. Find out more about them and their opportunities in the Sponsor Opportunities section!

Q: What makes up a typical day in your role?

My day starts at 9:00AM with a team coffee run before being peppered with meetings, models (the financial kind) and data visualisations. In my role I consider myself as an investigator. We have a stand-up every morning to set the tone for the day, then the detective work begins!

As an analyst in such a large organisation I'm often exploring existing processes, gathering information and clues to understand the business’ pain points and working with stakeholders to develop the most effective solution.

In the afternoon I’ll be visualising and sharing my findings with senior stakeholders or diving deep down into the nitty gritty taking a tougher problem. *note – I’m a strategy analyst at the moment but we basically do the same things; though I’m a little removed from the technology

Q: What’s the most challenging aspect of business analytics?

For me, the most challenging part of my job is telling a story with numbers and visualisation.

Teams are becoming more data-driven but the human brain isn't designed to deal with huge deluges of data when making time-critical decisions. An expert analyst can extract the core insights from the data and contextualise these into the problem environment to make them easy to understand. For me, this is where the fun and the challenge lies. There's a core skill in telling a convincing story with numbers whilst also balancing gut feel to support others to make better decisions.

Q:Â What is one skill (either technical or soft) you advise students to upskill on?

From a soft skill perspective - being curious is the most useful mindset for a student to have. Constantly challenging and questioning the data allows you to discover more about a business and a process. It also highlights that you're engaging with the problem, willing to learn and have a go. From a technical perspective, SQL is bread and butter.

Learning databases in university has set me up very well! Additionally, take the time to play around with data visualisation tools to hone your visualisation skills. There are plenty of challenges online where you can try a new tool, technique or approach.

During my time at university I used kaggle and Story Telling With Data check these out!

...being curious is the most useful mindset for a student to have.

Q: How did you get into this field and how well did your work relate to what you learnt in university?

Sometimes, what you learn in university doesn't track directly back to what you use in the workforce.

Having said this, studying and immersing yourself in technology throughout your degree lays the foundations for your future career. I personally learnt data analytics basics through a variety of internships and I would strongly recommend all students to apply for these. This gave me time to experiment with graphs and charts in Alteryx, Tableau and Qlik on real world problems while receiving mentorship from my professional colleagues. I've also been fortunate to be mentored by many in the data field by volunteering with She Loves Data. They have some amazing workshops and speakers who have encouraged me to keep learning and challenging myself with new data problems.

Rachel Lin PRODUCT MANAGER AT ATLASSIAN Atlassian is one of WIT's major sponsors for 2020. Find out more about them and their opportunities in the Sponsor Opportunities section!

I studied Information Systems at UNSW, graduating in 2018. During uni, I was involved in FABSOC, CoopSoc, MSOC, UCC, Blitz TV, uni tutoring etc. But probably my favourite was co-founding WIT with an amazing team of strong females.

Q: How did you get into this field and how well did your work relate to what you learnt in university?

My degree enabled me to get a good level of technical understanding to be able to grasp those conversations but also learnt lots about the business side of applying tech. I got started through an internship at Atlassian as an APM in my penult year, which then led to a grad offer. I think with every experience you take, you should think about the additional learning or growth you could get out of it. As someone with limited hours in the day to focus on things, you need to optimise your time so you're focusing on the right ones to help unlock your goals.

Q: What made you want to pursue a career as a product manager at Atlassian after graduation?

I actually didn't start at Atlassian after grad. I started my career as a Management Consultant at McKinsey but ultimately and quickly decided it wasn't for me. I wanted to do Product Management because I felt like it leveraged my interests and strengths in business and technology and I was super excited to be quite hands-on in building product and getting to be creative! I knew I wanted to work at Atlassian because of their culture and values, which I resonated with quite strongly.

Q: What’s the most aspect of your role?

challenging

There are so many challenging aspects, especially as an introvert. PM is not easy. Some of the challenges I can list off the top of my head are: juggling a million things at a time, so many conversations & meetings, problem-solving and needing to really get the WHY in decision making, knowing there's a million things you could do that are all great ideas but figuring out what is the most important and saying no to the rest!!

Q: What makes up a typical day in your role?

Nothing is typical in a PMs life!

Firstly, every team has different things to focus on as a PM - when I went from an established product team to a new product team, my responsibilities have been totally different. As a PM, you wear so many hats across the business, in dev, design, marketing, business strategy etc. it's super hectic, there's a lot of meetings, talking to customers, talking to team, etc. I do have a video though on Youtube where I posted about a Day in my Life as an APM, which you could watch here.

Q:Â What is one skill (both technical or soft) you advise students to upskill on?

You could always work on your foundational skills such as communication, leadership, problem solving etc. But the one PM specific thing you could do is start practising deeper level thinking, in terms of digging into value of doing things, why they're important, what's the root problem. A good book to read could be Start with Why by Simon Sinek.

Q: How have others inspired you at different periods throughout your career?

I am constantly inspired by other people! I try to seek out mentorship from a variety of people in my work environment and also those who I aspire to be like. Just reaching out to them with genuine interest and questions is helpful, as long as you're also conscious of not wasting their time.

Q: Throughout the course of your career, how have you best adapted to and taken advantage of change?

Firstly, I preface this with the fact that I'm a strong J personality (referring to MBTI), which means change makes me pretty uneasy and anxious. When I was in uni, I would make long-term plans for my future, trying to map out every step I was going to take for the next 5 years, but since then I've realised how valuable it is to be flexible and enjoy life as it comes as well. My life definitely didn't turn out as planned, since I had expected to be in consulting for 2 years, exit into industry, then start a company etc. which has clearly not been the case. I think I've learnt to embrace and be open to changes as they happen, with the example being that the opportunity to go back to Atlassian was not in my plans but something I took advantage of so I could be in a career where I was thriving and reaching my full potential.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

No idea! Like I said, I'm now learning to take things as they come and plan probably no more than a year ahead.

Obviously, I still have dreams like maybe start my own company one day...but only when the time is right and the opportunity arises.

Otherwise, maybe I'll stay at Atlassian, maybe I'll go somewhere else, VC has looked interesting too... not sure - the options are limitless :D

Sophia Lin SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INTERN AT GOOGLE I am currently in my 5th year of a combined degree in Computer Science and Mechatronics Engineering. Outside of studying, I enjoy meeting lots of people through a variety of extra-curriculars, such as Taekwondo and dance. I was also a CSESoc Careers Director in 2019.

Q:Â How did you get into this field and how well did your work relate to what you learnt in university?

I got exposed to coding through robotics competitions which were totally different to work and uni. But the theory and problem solving skills I learnt at uni/robotics definitely helped me pick up new tools faster at work. Uni has more defined lines between different types of topics/tasks, whereas work was more a mix of everything you learnt at uni.

Google is one of WIT's major sponsors for 2020. Find out more about them and their opportunities in the Sponsor Opportunities section!

Q: What made you want to specialise software engineering?

After doing COMP1917 (COMP1511), I found coding really fun and transferred into this degree. I want to help build tech products to make people's lives more convenient and connected.

Q: What's the most challenging aspect of software engineering?

There is so much to learn and everything is constantly changing.

Initially I found it very overwhelming because there is so much I don't know. But now I find it fun because it means you can learn something new everyday!

Q: What makes up a typical day in your role?

On a typical day, I would chat with and learn from lots of super smart and nice people, eat lots of yummy food, and write code to solve realworld problems through a 12-week internship project. As a part of the Gallery Go team in Sydney, I worked on a backend tool which would impact millions of users. Aside from work, Google also offered a lot of fun activities for us to socialise outside of our team.

Q:Â How did your internship experience and role differ in Google and Microsoft?

It's difficult to say because I interned at different locations (Google Sydney, Microsoft Seattle) so the culture of each country was already quite different. Also my projects were different across the two companies (frontend vs. backend). On a high level the two companies have similar structure, and as an intern at big tech you are spoiled with lots of benefits. On a low level, each company had their own internal tools and priorities, which made the workflows different.

Q: How have others inspired you throughout your career?

Throughout my career I have been super lucky to meet many intelligent people who encouraged me to improve. Whenever I felt lazy, I would look at these friends and feel motivated again. There were also people who challenged my beliefs and helped me see my weaknesses.

Thanks to them I was able to refine the direction I want to work in.

There is so much to learn and everything is constantly changing... it means you can learn something new everyday!

Q:Â What is one skill you advise students to upskill on?

Communication skills. A lot of students practise for interviews on websites like HackerRank and LeetCode (so do I). While that's important, it's really valuable to do mock interviews with actual people so you can practise thinking out loud, asking for hints and stepping through examples.

I think it's important to feel comfortable having a friendly chat with the interviewer and not feel like they are there to judge you.

Cheng Chua

UX DESIGN INTERN AT GOOGLE Hi! My name is Cheng, and I’m a UX Designer and Front End Developer based in Melbourne, Australia. I’m in my final semester of the Master of Information Technology programme at The University of Melbourne, majoring in Human-Computer Interaction. Before this, I completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at Unimelb as well. Outside of work and university, I love dancing, playing musical instruments, making art, and reading.

Q: How did you transition from psychology to technology and become interested in UX Design?

I decided to major in Psychology during my undergraduate because I was very interested in learning how people behave, and how the mind works. During my second year at University, I took an Introduction to Computer Science subject as an elective, after a friend recommended it to me. I fell in love with programming instantly, and I had a lot of fun doing the exercises in that subject. I knew from then on that I wanted to work in tech! I found out about UX Design during a hackathon, and realised that it was the perfect combination of my interests in psychology, design, and technology.

Q: How did you get into this field and how well did your work relate to what you learnt in university?

After I found out about UX Design, I offered to do UX Design and Front End Development work for some of my friends who were building websites and applications at the time, to gain some experience. This really helped me to build up my portfolio, which in turn helped me when it came to applying for internships, which was how I started in this field! Through my University degree, I took a range of programming and Human Computer Interaction (HCI) subjects. The HCI subjects were directly related to the work of a UX Designer, and through these subjects, I learned how to conduct user testing, and how to consider various usability factors when designing for an end user. The programming subjects also taught me how to consider various technical constraints in my designs, which was especially useful when it comes to working with software engineers!

Q: What do you do as a Google UX Design Intern?

Google has an amazing UX Design internship program! During the internship, UX Design Interns are usually given full ownership of a project, which they work on for 3 months. In my internship, I was assigned a feature within Google Maps, and was in charge of the full design process for that feature. This usually begins with researching the problem space and coming up with user needs. After that, I created wireframes and mockups for a proposed feature, and worked with UX Researchers to test and validate my designs.

Throughout the internship, I also got the wonderful opportunity to work with Software Engineers, Product Managers, UX Writers, Researchers, and Visual Designers!

Q: What skills would you advise students who are interested in UX design to upskill on?

In terms of technical skills, I would recommend learning about design principles, such as common usability heuristics, and having a good understanding of what is “good” or “bad” UX Design. I would also recommend learning some programming, and upskilling in visual design! These are not directly used in some UX Design roles, but will be very helpful when it comes to understanding how your designs work.

In terms of soft skills, communication skills (both written and verbal) are very important for a designer! For example, designers have to communicate their design decisions to other roles within the team, and have to be able to justify why they made a particular design choice.

I fell in love with programming instantly... I knew from then on that I wanted to work in tech!

Q: What is the piece of advice that you would give to your younger self?

There’s a famous quote by Steve Jobs that said “you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future”. I would advise my younger self to worry less, and trust that everything will work out in the future!

Acknowledgements Content Created by the WIT 2020 Education team:

Vivian Wong Education Executive

Georgie Mansfield Education Subcommittee

Victoria Ruming Education Subcommittee

Elisa Sanjurjo Education Subcommittee

Designed by the WIT 2020 Marketing team:

Felicia Ee Marketing Executive

Anisa Islam Marketing Subcommittee

Connie Shi Marketing Subcommittee

Kim Nguyen Marketing Subcommittee

Edited by:

Vivian Shen President

Amanda Li Vice-President

Acknowledgements Thank you to all our partners and sponsors who made this Careers Guide possible:

UNSW FACULTIES

SPECIAL THANKS Professor Lemuria Carter, Head of School School of Information Systems & Technology Management UNSW Business School, UNSW Sydney Professor Sri Parameswaran, Head of School School of Computer Science and Engineering UNSW Sydney

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