Sandra Finow

What did you study?

I graduated at the end of 2018 with a Bachelor of Business (Business Management) and Information Technology (Computer Science) from the Queensland University of Technology. 

Where did you grow up?

I have spent my whole life in Brisbane, Queensland. I attended Brisbane State High and participated in rhythmic gymnastics each year, eventually becoming a gymnastics captain in 2011. During university, I held a few retail positions which helped boost my confidence and develop my soft skills. I was able to communicate with a wider variety of people from all walks of life, which helped me understand different perspectives on issues and points of interest. In my final years at university, I obtained an internship which led to a graduate position within the Voice IP sector. Unfortunately, this position was not right for me in the long term, but nevertheless, it was a great learning experience.

How did you get to your current job position?

Despite working in an IT position during university and after graduating, I felt like I wanted to change my scope of work, as my previous position wasn’t solely related to software development. Coincidentally, a friend of mine was employed at TechnologyOne during the time I made this decision (and still is too!) and recommended I apply for TechnologyOne. I immediately began researching the company and liked what I saw; I applied, went through a few interview processes, then miraculously got accepted into the graduate program! At the time of writing this, I have been with the company for eight months.

How did you choose your specialisation?

Since university, I always knew I wanted to pursue a career relating to software development. I thoroughly enjoy the problem-solving opportunities you are faced with when developing an application, and also appreciated the vast reach technology has. I find a lot of joy in working on things that can benefit as many people as possible, and hopefully help make their lives easier in some way. After doing my research, I decided that TechnologyOne would be the perfect place to facilitate this.

What was your interview process like?

The interview process at TechnologyOne consisted of multiple online submissions, including a video interview and a 'test your knowledge' coding task, an information session held at the company headquarters, which also allowed participants to network and meet the directors who would be conducting the interviews, and then face-to-face interviews with a handful of these directors. The information session was very different from what I had previously seen or heard about from friends who had applied for other graduate positions; it was certainly the highlight of the hiring process. We were able to get a general vibe of the company culture and see the workplace and its perks, as well as meet our potential directors, which dramatically reduced a lot of the angst we would otherwise have felt in the hours before walking into our face-to-face interviews and meeting the interviewers for the first time. The main questions asked in these interviews were related to how you would fit into the company culture, as opposed to the technical questions which were asked during the coding task to examine your technical skills.

What does your employer do?

TechnologyOne is a software company that focuses on Software as a Service (SaaS) Enterprise Software that transforms the way that businesses are run. TechnologyOne also is a vendor that develops, sells, implements, supports and runs a fully integrated suite of enterprise software solutions all under one roof. It services eight key markets: Local Government, Government, Education, Financial Services, Health and Community Services, Asset Intensive industries, Project Intensive industries, and Corporates.

What are your areas of responsibility?

In my role, my responsibilities lie in creating elegant code to develop new features relating to Property and Rating (government-based) applications and bug fixes. I also develop technical solutions in design sessions alongside business analysts, product architects, product managers and senior developers. In addition, I participate in daily stand-ups, sprint planning sessions, and internal product showcases.

Can you describe a typical workday?

On a typical workday, I would start the day by reading my emails and messages, attending a daily stand-up to debrief what I worked on the day before and determine what I would be working on for the day. I would then tinker away at a ticket assigned to me, either a new feature (user story) or bug fix, then have lunch and catch up with my fellow grads, go to a design session meeting with other members of my application team and continue to work on my ticket until home time.

What are the career prospects with your job?

Honestly, the sky's the limit at TechnologyOne. You could end up as a senior developer, system architect, product architect, enterprise architect, product manager, product owner, or a director to name just a few roles. Regardless of what position you start in, you can branch out to so many different areas or positions, including support, sales, consulting, marketing, or become a business analyst, tester, or project manager. You can even change which product team you work in; Student, Property and Rating, Financials, or Spatial, among others.

What would your career be if you weren’t doing what you’re doing now?

I would most likely be doing something related to animals, like working as a marine biologist or a vet!  

What do you love the most about your job?

I love how I am able to work collaboratively and also autonomously in my role. Typically, software development is done on your own, however, through design sessions, I am able to participate in collaborative discussions between multiple different roles within the company. This allows me to understand varying perspectives and ideas, helping me get a better understanding of the product, the market my application is for, and also improve my technical skills.

What’s the biggest limitation of your job?

The learning curve was quite steep to begin with, but the graduate project and the mass amounts of support you receive every step of the way helped lessen the intensity of it. The graduate program consisted of an eight-week project with business analysts and software developers working together to learn how TechnologyOne’s development life cycle works. We also got to learn the programs used, how each role works, what the scope of work is, and how they integrate together- this kick-started our ability to stand on our own feet in the company.

We had multiple mentors and points of contact to guide us along the project to ensure we didn’t feel completely lost and overwhelmed. Every new starter at the company, graduate or not, is also assigned a ‘buddy’ who is a personal point of contact for any questions we might have about the company on a less formal level. In every area of the company, you are constantly surrounded by people who are so knowledgeable and happy to help with any questions thrown their way.

Which three pieces of advice would you give to a current university student?

• Don’t be shy or scared to talk to people, or ask for help. If you don’t completely understand something, it is important to speak up. I’ve found that people really value others who are driven to improve themselves and develop stronger understandings of things. Even if you have no idea what you are doing or what you need to do to get something done, if you show initiative and reach out when you need a hand, people will usually be glad for the chance to help. Asking for help doesn’t make you look like you’re ‘dumb’, it shows that you respect the person you are asking to help and can help you build stronger relationships. This is relevant to both studies, work, and personal life.
• Put yourself out there. Everyone feels nervous when doing new things for the first time, so you aren’t alone in feeling scared to step outside of your comfort zone. Networking is something that is outside of most people’s comfort zones, and the majority of the time it is daunting for everyone involved, but if I had my time again in university, I would definitely join more social clubs and attend more networking nights. Being able to gather your courage and put yourself out there is so important for your professional development, and you won't regret it!
• Remember to look after yourself. Although everyone is always trying to improve themselves and get things done, you also need to remember to take care of yourself and rest so your mind and body can recover. Without taking some time out of your busy lives to rest, you will feel constantly tired, burnt-out or stressed, anxious, and so forth. Health should always be a top priority. When I was in my final year of university, I was trying to balance my internship, a retail job, as well as full-time study. I did not leave any time for myself and ended up only having maybe one or two days off a month. This took a massive toll on my overall health as I constantly felt tired, stressed, always on edge that I forgot assessments despite writing everything down in a diary, and fatigued. My mind and body were telling me to stop, so that’s what I did and I should have done it sooner. I ended up reducing my hours in my retail job and took an extra day off from my internship. Despite working less though, I ended up being even more productive and utilised my time in a much more effective manner at both work and university as my mind felt sharper again, my body did not feel fatigued, and my stress levels reduced dramatically.