What's your job about?
I am currently working in the Business Technology area, more specifically the IT Architecture team. Our aim is to develop IT models and specifications in response to the businesses requirement for a coherent and consistent approach for the delivery of IT needs to the organisation and more importantly our customers. At the moment I am currently working on a number of different projects that range from internal business asset mapping and licensing to upgrades of a system used by customers and employees in the life time care department. On other days I am also looking into IT security here at icare to ensure that all our customers and employees and their valuable data is guarded from outside intrusions.
On a day to day basis, I might attend and sometimes lead meetings alongside members of my team with internal and external stakeholders, who are invested in the respective projects, assist in drafting design documents for the IT architects, develop new dashboards and work collaboratively with my team to assist with various jobs on an adhoc basis.
What's your background?
I was born in Delhi, India and lived there for a short amount of time until my family decided to move out to Sydney. Even though I was born in Delhi, I am nothing short of your typical Sydney boy. Year 11 and 12 through high school were some important stages in life for me as I not only started to develop a liking to a field but also things about life and how to manage it. Throughout those final years I attained a love for all things tech and saw myself graduating with a Science in Information Technology degree at University of Technology Sydney. Attending a careers fair in my 2nd year of university was another crucial turning point in life as that’s where I picked up my first Job which allowed me to get my foot into the door at an early age. I then spent the next 3 years working and studying away which brought with it a number of long nights as work collided with university and my needs for a social life.
Once university was done and dusted a long 2 and half month holiday through Europe was in order. This little escape away saw me look at the world in a whole new light. In my failed attempts to overcome holiday blues, I came across the amazing customer centric work that was being done at icare and applied to its Graduate program thinking “Gosh, I would love to work here” and as luck would have it, here I am today.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Yes, definitely. One of the greatest things about working here at icare is the company’s attitude towards its employees and customers. So no matter your technical or personal background you are always welcomed. As long as you have the ability to empathise with customers and have a passion for helping them then working at icare is something that will be suited to you. As a graduate, your ability to learn on the fly and adapt and change quickly to the situation is also of great importance no matter what your background is as you are constantly put into situations that test your way of thinking.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
The coolest thing about my job is the level of responsibility and trust invested in me by the team. In terms of being a grad and our short rotations, I have been exposed to the ins and outs of the team and been given work that will have some meaningful outcomes. I particularly love interacting with stakeholders as it allows me to connect with the problem and provide a better solution. Within my first rotation, I had the welcoming experience of being on the IT service desk which always kept me on my toes and allowed me to meet and engage with other employees.
As a new starter in the business I thought this was pretty cool and allowed me to familiarise myself with the people and the organisation.
What are the limitations of your job?
As much as I love the 4 – 6 month long rotations, I think this can also be a limitation. The reason behind this is the fact those 6 months are long/not long enough periods depending on how you look at things. In one case, you may just start to feel comfortable with your team and confident in your work and then suddenly be put into a new rotation and have to start the whole process again. Likewise you may start a new project and have it passed onto someone else without seeing it through as these things sometimes do take some time. That being said, I wouldn’t have the rotations any other way as they really give you a comprehensive understanding of what the company has to offer.
3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...
Three things I would say to myself if I was a student is take every opportunity that comes your way, talk to as many new people as you can and push yourself out of your comfort zone and be open to experiencing new things. While it might feel uncomfortable at that moment in time the future you will benefit from it more than you can imagine. Be confident in who you are and speak your mind, life changes so quickly so take on everything you can and don’t let the bad experiences slow you down and discourage you from trying things again and again.