Careers with STEM: Technology 2026 by Refraction Media

CAREERS withSTEM

TERM 4, 2026

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LE B U DOISSUE R P FO L

FLITIFICIEANCE AR LLIG INTE

Technology Try a tech internship p6

Oceans of opportunity

junior Software engineer

p10

Secure a cyber career

p14

CAREERS with STEM.COM CYBER

DESIGN

SYSTEMS

OCEANS

SOLARPUNK

CAN TURN IDEAS INTO IMPACT What if a wearable sensor could help prevent skin cancer, detect disease in livestock or reduce greenhouse gas emissions? For Professor Noushin Nasiri, her Eureka1 prize‑winning innovation started with a mistake in the lab. That unexpected moment led to a breakthrough in nanosensor technology that is now being used to tackle challenges ranging from skin cancer prevention to sustainable farming.

From software engineering and data analytics to cybersecurity and advanced engineering design, you’ll learn through practical experience to solve complex problems, innovate responsibly and shape a smarter, more sustainable future – a future where you turn your ideas into real‑world impact. Build your future in engineering with us. 1 2

2025 ANSTO Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2025, ShanghaiRanking

FIND OUT MORE AND APPLY TODAY

CRICOS Provider 00002J | TEQSA Provider PRV12032 | FSE00664 | PHOTO: Getty Images – mihaperosa

When you study a Bachelor of Information Technology and Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at Macquarie – ranked #48 globally2 for ‘Computer Science and Engineering* – you will study alongside experts like Professor Nasiri and gain the skills you need to create the technologies of tomorrow.

FOREWORD

g n i n i a r t p o t S to be an employee self and If you can adapt, think for your ild, you’ll take ownership of what you bu next be ready for whatever comes

Professor arson Joel Peth e Future

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

wrong. ost people are getting AI t another They’re treating it like jus ones or technology, like smartph ology hn tec social media. It isn’t. Every and e scl mu d before this one automate e, nc ige ell s int machinery. AI automate any, mp co , ery job and intelligence built ev n u. Whe school and city around yo , everything ges an ch intelligence itself too. that’s built on it changes ting, but I’m nfr That might sound co on build an can a technology optimist. We cs and oti rob , incredible future with AI ine imag d yet, technologies we haven’t n’t build however good futures do rious, adaptable themselves. They need cu at means you. people to shape them. Th to thriving The good news? The key ing between sitt is ge through all this chan l cognitive cal I your ears. Develop what ection, dir ge agility: the ability to chan ways of old of learn new skills and let go r’s ginne mindset. doing things. Adopt a be s. Build the Experiment. Ask question able with not weird project. Get comfort knowing where it leads. For a century, Education will shift too. have trained schools and universities er the next Ov people to be employees. The people who decade, I think that flips. ‘ownists’: people thrive will be what I call r than doing work who own their work rathe

Director of Minds Lab & Deputy Director of Human Readiness UNSW AI Institute someone hands them. Start practising now. Take on projects, use AI and every tool you can find and make them yours: choose what to build, choose how, take responsibility for the result. That agency has to sit at the centre of education’s future. One warning, though. If AI lifts all the mental weights for you, your own thinking muscles won’t grow. Use it to test your ideas and tackle bigger problems, not to avoid thinking. Your human strengths only become more valuable alongside powerful machines: creativity, empathy, judgement and the ability to earn trust. Nobody predicts the future well, including me. You don’t have to. Keep learning, keep experimenting, keep taking ownership of what you make. The future is just another project. Make it yours. Professor Joel Pearson Director of the Future Minds Lab Deputy Director of Human Readiness UNSW AI Institute Research Associate, Vanderbilt University

PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Sydney Director, Future Minds LAB

Academic, UNSW Sydney

Deputy Director human readine UNSW AI Institute

ss,

TECHNOLOGY

CONTENTS

Double issue: Flip over for Careers with ArtificIal intelligence

What’s inside?

P5 Wanted: Humans 5 super important human skills for the robotics revolution

P21

P6 Get ahead in the real world

Ready to plug into a tech internship or industry placement?

P8 Solarpunk

Use solarpunk to dream up a radically sustainable and hopeful tech future

P13

P9 Find your tech career

+ X (S=TEM) STEM chnology

Do you click with tech? Take this quiz to find out

Mix te with your passion (+X) to level up your career! P12 Technology + …

P18

P10 Oceans

Make waves with tech to explore and protect our blue planet

P14 Cyber IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK, SUPPLIED

security

Outsmart the hackers and become a hero of the digital world

Why technology? T

he Australian tech sector is huge, employing about 1 in 16 workers nationwide. Australia already has close to a million people working in tech, and we’ll need even more to reach the national goal of 1.2 million tech workers by 2030. That means tech needs you! You’ll find opportunities to solve big challenges, shape the future and step into careers we haven’t even imagined yet!

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

P26

P20 Design

n! Make Put the ‘fun’ in functio le love to use creative tech that peop

P24 Systems

d learn Get with the system an gether how complex tech fits to

UPFRONT

WANTED: HUMANS

can Here are 5 super-important human skills you bring to the table in the robotics revolution

? Wait, what exactly are human skills of skills Basically, they’re your non-technical abilities. These types help you relate to other people (like your future co-workers), navigate situations, overcome challenges and make decisions. And they’re pretty special because AI can’t replicate them!

Empathy

Creativity

Psst! AI is jealous of your awesome imagination and creative talents. Yep, it does a good job of helping you come up with ideas, but without your input and unique point of view formed from having so many experiences on this planet, it wouldn’t be able to design or form anything original.

One of the coolest (and kindest) things we can do as humans is put ourselves in other people’s shoes to understand how they feel or where they might be coming from. Machines can’t empathise, so it’s up to us to recognise emotions, manage conflict, negotiate and build trust with others.

Critical thinking

It’s crucial we have humans working alongside AI so we can continue to question it. This means analysing its output and checking it for errors, as well as challenging its biases.

WORDS: LOUISE MEERS | IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK

Communication

Resilience

AI needs you to speak for it. While it’s great at generating insights, it’s humans who know how to make something meaningful from them. Communication is also key to teamwork and collaboration – something you’ll need to do with your human workmates as well as AI!

AI is here to stay. It’ll continue to weave itself through jobs of the present and future. We’ll need to be adaptable while keeping up-to-date with its evolving technological capabilities and be open to the possibilities it brings to all careers.

TECHNOLOGY

UPFRONT

Get ahead in the real world Looking to build epic skills in a real workplace? Try a tech internship or industry placement

Inspiration station

These tech legends all got th eir start from an internship! Check out their stories...

internship vs industry placement An internship is usually a voluntar y experience that takes place over a shor t period of time, like the summer holidays. An industry placement is often built into a specific degree, can be mandatory or optional, or completed for academic credit. They can last weeks or sometimes up to a year, and your uni will help arrange it with their industry partners.

Spring into a summer internship Keep these employers in mind when choosing a tech degree and/or industry you’d eventually like to work in. They all offer tech-related summer internships to undergraduates.

EMPLOYER

INDUSTRY

ANZ

Banking

BAE Systems

Defence

CSIRO

Science

Sophie Gardner UX designer at Google bit.ly/ux-sophie

Troy Poulter Senior software engineer at Commonwealth Bank bit.ly/cba-troy

EY Professional services nbn

Telecommunications

TikTok

Technology

Sarah Tan Software engineer at Atlassian

bit.ly/software-sarah

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

WORDS: LOUISE MEERS | IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK, SUPPLIED

tech internship or industry placement is more than just work experience or network building – they can help land a graduate role after uni. Small and large businesses offer a range of tech internships and industry placements to undergrad students. Some run over the summer months and others are designed to fit around your studies. They’re a great way to level up your skills, , flex what you’ve been learning at uni t wha out find make connections and a particular job or company is like. Their other superpower? They can help you get your foot in the door with an employer and secure a job when graduation rolls around. These experiences can be extremely valuable, so when you’re considering your future tech degree, be sure to explore what it offers in this area. You can check what industry partners a uni has, as well as how they support their students undertaking internships and industry placements.

On the fast track

or of Information Meet Finn Randell, a UTS Bachel student, who Technology (Co-op) scholarship tion! secured a tech job before gradua UTS The Bachelor of IT (Co-op) at h wit dy stu combines academic ry ust extended, full-time ind 0 in placements and up to $49,50 rs. yea financial support over three “I chose the Bachelor of IT ible (Co-op) because of its incred ties,” uni ort opp nce industry experie rn lea to lity abi says Finn. “The pace hands-on in an industry works h is a huge advantage bot lly.” professionally and academica ted Finn and his cohort visi 13 work companies to learn about the ies they do. One of these compan Bachelor of Information Technology (Co-op), UTS

ital was Updoc, an Australian dig ts nec health platform that con . He patients with doctors online ent was then matched to a placem ered a there and was eventually off . junior sof tware engineer role er, ine eng re twa As a junior sof ms ble pro ck sta Finn works on full been o als ’s He across the business. app bile mo ’s able to work on Updoc and an automatic document processing system. the “UTS has equipped me with this technical skills to succeed in s. role,” Finn say Product development intern, Updoc

finn randell junior software engineer

Junior Software Engineer, Updoc

This article was produced in partnership with UTS

If you can imagine it, you can create it.

See where a degree in Engineering or Information Technology can take you.

Engineering

Information Technology

TECHNOLOGY

UTS CRICOS 00099F

UTS TEQSA PRV12060 42156

UTS Engineering and IT graduates are next-generation leaders with innovation and entrepreneurship skills in new and emerging fields. Learn specialist knowledge and gain hands-on industry experience in cutting-edge facilities.

UPFRONT

SOLARPUNK Be part of imagining a radically sustainable and hopeful future

ave you heard about solarpunk? It might just be your new favourite thing! Solarpunk is a movement, a genre, an aesthetic where technology, people and the environment live in harmony. Solarpunk combines our current technologies and diverse knowledges – including Indigenous knowledges – to envision a radically optimistic future. Solarpunk has been building momentum in popular culture for years. Marvel’s Black Panther showcases a solarpunk city called Wakanda, where high-technology buildings integrate seamlessly with the surrounding mountains and bodies of water. In Pokémon, the natural world is prioritised, renewable energy is mainstream and relationships between humans and Pokémon are harmonious. You can also spot solarpunk glimpses across Studio Ghibli films (think the anime worlds), puzzle games and even everyday DIY projects!

Supercharge your problem-solving skills

Tune into the Sci—Burst podcast for more solarpunk fun!

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

Make solarpunk happen A solarpunk future will need kind, clever and creative people to bring it to life! •B iologists, Indigenous knowledge holders, farmers: work together to make a more equitable and resource-efficient food supply chain. •C oders, UX designers, economists: design a non-monetary economic system. •A rchitects, entomologists, urban designers: redesign our cities with biomimicry principles, using nature’s time-tested designs to create more sustainable and efficient structures. • S ystems engineers: see the ‘big picture’ to bring interconnected social, digital and environmental systems together. What skills will you bring to this awesome future?

WORDS: ELLA MCCARTHY

Blue-sky thinking and creative problem-solving are important skills across STEM. When you think outside the box, your problem-solving skills become supercharged! Solarpunk encourages us to use these skills to imagine a tomorrow where the best parts of our world shine brightly together. It objects to the current status quo and challenges us to think creatively to build a fairer, greener and more connected tomorrow.

Find your tech career Keen on the ‘T’ in STEM but not sure what to specialise in? We’re here to help

Points system

❉ = 10 points

✦ = 5 points

✤ = 1 point

First tech-related thing you do after school?

❉ Play video games

✦ Work on your coding skills

✤ Scroll on your phone

2✤

You’re known for:

Your love of tech ✦ Solving everyone’s problems ❉ Having incredible ideas

Circle yo answers ur tally the then to find t score he r tech car ight eer for you.

7 to 30 points Internet of Things specialist Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the billions of devices, machines and appliances that connect to the internet and exchange data. As an IoT specialist, you’d build and manage the digital networks that connect these physical items. It’s a brilliant career for a curious tech fan like yourself! Find out more in our Internet of Things Specialist Job Kit: bit.ly/IoTSpecialistJK

Have you ever taken part in a hack athon?

✦ Yes

❉ A what? ✤ Not yet

In primary school, you dreamed of becoming:

❉ An artist ✦ A detective ✤ An inventor

31 to 59 points

60+ points

Cyber security engineer

game designer

Hey there, digital defender! You’ve got the problem-solving skills and tech know-how to make your mark in the cyber security industry. As a cyber security engineer, it would be your job to prevent cyber attacks, protect data, keep networks safe, work on firewalls and detect hackers and malware.

With your tech + creative skills, you’d be an amazing game designer – designing and developing games for mobile, PC and consoles. You’d also work with technical and creative departments to come up with prototypes and concepts, as well as overseeing the process of making a game from start to finish.

❉ Nintendo ✤ Microsoft

Find out more in our Cyber Security Engineer Job Kit: bit.ly/CyberSecurityEngineerJK

Find out more in our Game Designer Job Kit: bit.ly/GameDesignerJK

Or scan here

ies You like writing stor nt re fe dif up g kin or ma worlds in your mind.

✤ Nah

✦ Sometimes

❉ Constantly

Where would you most like to work?

✦ Commonwealth Bank

WORDS: LOUISE MEERS | IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

Or scan here

If you got surprised with a test at school, which subject would you hope it would be?

❉ Design and Technology ✦ Maths

✤ Information Technology

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY+OCEANS

OCEANS OF OPPORTUNITY

th these marine tech jobs Get ready for a sea change wi

Dive into these subjects • Marine Science • Software Engineering • Engineering • E arth and Environmental Science

• Physics

Marine data t scienystetmsis are in danger from

Ocean ecos climate change and pollution, plus they’re hard to monitor. The good news is that newer tech can help us learn about these ecosystems. Microphones, cameras and GPS trackers are all used to watch ecosystems. Then, data science and machine learning tools are used to help researchers make sense of the data. This info can help give us plenty of details, like the movements of individual animals, or images that show the extent of coral bleaching on massive reefs.

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

Try it out: monitor corals from your couch

The Great Reef Census taps into citizen science power to monitor the Great Barrier Reef. Volunteers diving on the reef take photos and send them into a database, along with the locations they are snapped in. Then, citizen scientists help to analyse and classify the corals in each photo. This project has already analysed more than 600,000 images. Talk about big data!

You can get involved right now if you’re keen. Sign up to help analyse reef images from the comfort of your own home.

WORDS: ELLEN PHIDDIAN | IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK, SUPPLIED

renewable ood, minerals, shipping, se growing energy, tourism. All of the n. ea oc industries rely on the t marine ges lar Australia’s got the thirdue “bl area in the world, and the ually eq is rts po sup economy” it alian str Au the to g big. Accordin my no eco e blu Government, the ar ye h eac n generates $229 billio 00 0,0 70 n and supports more tha o int e ng jobs! Time to take the plu ocean tech careers.

TECHNOLOGY + OCEANS + STUDY Bachelor of Coastal and Marine Science, University of Newcastle Bachelor of Data Science, QUT

If you want to see a cool visual of ocean currents in motion, head to earth.nullschool.net

Ocean modeller Knowing how the ocean is moving is vital for understanding everything from the weather to shipping, fishing and a host of other oceanic activities. Ocean currents are mapped with ships, autonomous floats, and satellites tracking temperature and ocean height. All of this data heads to ocean modellers, who predict how currents might move and change in the future. They need some of the world’s biggest supercomputers to make their calculations.

Bachelor of Maritime Engineering (Specialisation) (Honours), University of Tasmania Bachelor of Science (Marine Science), Macquarie University Master of Oceanography, University of Western Australia

TECHNOLOGY + OCEANS + JOBS

Maritime engineer

Work here

We can’t send scuba divers to ever y part of the ocean we want to investigate – and even if we could, it’s usually way safer to let a robot do the work! Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are used to map ocean floors, collecting data for ecological, mining and engineering projects such as offshore wind farms. Meanwhile, autonomous devices floating in the ocean send data about temperature and speed so we can monitor currents. All of these devices have to handle very low temperatures, low light and high pressure – and, oh yes, being underwater. If you’re interested in some of the trickiest problems in robotics, you should look into maritime engineering careers!

•A ustralian Department of Defence •B ureau of Meteorology •A ustralian Institute of Marine Science • F ugro Australia •C SIRO

Maritime engineer: $95K–$115K Marine surveyor: $105K–$115K Naval architect: $100K–$120K Hydrologist: $100K–$110K Data scientist: $115K–$135K *Salaries according to seek.com.au

TECHNOLOGY

NEXT STEPS

START YOUR CAREER HERE

TECHNOLOGY+OCEANS

Shrimp-ly amazing Here’s how Macquarie University researchers are using tech to help ocean life

LED lighting + surfboards

Macquarie is exploring the use of LED lighting on surfboards to reduce white shark bites. White sharks are visual hunters and a surfer on a board can look like natural prey. By fitting high-intensity LEDs to the underside of a board in carefully designed patterns, it can change what sharks see and remove the sensory trigger.

AI + marine wildlife trafficking

Watch out, wildlife traffickers! Macquarie is developing world-first marine wildlife algorithms with Rapiscan Systems and the Taronga Wildlife Conservation Society. They’ve taught computers to look for shark fins, seahorses and sea cucumbers in luggage and mail.

Citizen science + whale behaviour

Whale scientist and Macquarie University lecturer Dr Vanessa Pirotta co-authored a paper that explores ‘gaping’. This is when humpback whales open their mouths widely without an obvious reason. The study analysed 66 internet and social media instances of gaping, showing how tourists, whale-watch operators and drone users can provide useful scientific observations.

Study time Make a splash in tech + oceans with these degrees:

Macquarie University + Tech Bachelor of Information Technology – you could major in Artificial Intelligence or Data Science, which are both useful to a career in oceans.

Bachelor of Science (Marine Science) – take elective units in Scientific Computing or introduction to Python Programming to skill up in tech tools and languages that’ll help you present data.

Read more awesome tech + oceans innovations at lighthouse.mq.edu.au

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

WORDS: LOUISE MEERS | IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK, SUPPLIED

Macquarie University + Oceans

This article was produced in partnership with Macquarie University

DIVE INTO MARINE SCIEtasNticCcarEeer path An underwater hobby inspired Cay-Leigh Bar

ix weeks into a design degree, Cay-Leigh realised it wasn’t for her. “I then started looking at s volunteering and was drawn to oversea she ,” ects diving and conservation proj says. She’d always loved scuba diving and started thinking she could mix this with conservation to build a career in marine science. As a first step, Cay-Leigh enrolled in Macquarie University’s Bachelor of Science (Marine Science). She liked that r she could focus on her major in first yea from and says being taught by experts across the country was a highlight. Her first gig out of uni was at the . Australian National Maritime Museum l toria cura the in Here she worked team, specialising in ocean science and technology. During her time at the museum, she worked with the New South Wales Department of Industries to create a travelling exhibition called Bidhiinja – Restoring Our Oyster Reefs. “I wanted to bring a heavy art and science focus into the exhibition,” says Cay-Leigh. “I worked with a lot of creative people, as well as Indigenous curators, to do that and we created something really informative.” The exhibition is made up of five , moveable panels with touch elements m agra Inst an e mad n eve and Cay-Leigh r you put you “If . filter of an oyster reef on, camera on Instagram onto the exhibiti s. lain exp a live reef pops out of it,” she Cay-Leigh and the team also used tech to extend the exhibition online, io with a website housing videos and aud about healthy reefs and 3D printable biomaterial made from Sydney rock oyster shells. Bachelor of Science (Marine Science), Macquarie University

tnicke’s fin-

Myth busted “You have to be a diver or a strong swimmer to be a marine scientist.” Nope! Cay-Leigh says you can do marine science from a desk! “With tech improving and underwater drones, this field is becoming more accessible. None of the work that I’ve done has been because I have a dive license.” And if you are into fieldwork? Cay-Leigh says to be prepared to do lots of stats and computer work back at the lab.

Bidhiinja – Restoring Our Oyster Reefs

Check out Cay-Leigh’s exhibition and other projects at cay-leigh.com and @cayleighb_

cay-leigh bartnicke marine scientist & assistant project officer Now she works as an assistant project officer on Saving Our Species at the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Their goa l is to improve conservation outcomes for threatened species, including marine animals. This involves working with a lot of data and using new tech to communicate and report findings in interactive ways. Want an oceans career? Cay-Leigh recommends getting involved in you th organisations where you can do ocea n work and clean-ups. “You’ll get exposed to everything on a volunteer basis befo re choosing if it’s the right path for you.”

Curatorial assistant, Australian National Maritime Museum

Curatorial intern, Australian National Maritime Museum

Assistant project officer – Heritage NSW, NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Assistant curator, special projects, Australian National Maritime Museum

Assistant project officer – Saving Our Species, NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY+CYBER SECURITY

SECURE A CYBER CAREER living by getting Prevent and fight crime for a nal into cyber security! Cape optio

In-demand cyber gigs There are a range of roles going in cyber security. Which one sounds good to you? Cyber security analyst Looks out for and responds to digital threats.

What is cyber security? Cyber security is all about protecting systems, networks and programs from cybercrime. Cybercrime includes everything from identity, online banking and shopping fraud, to hacking bank accounts and stealing money. It’s a huge problem, with 84,700 cybercrime reports made in Australia in 2025. That equals one report every six minutes! It’s also expensive, costing the Australian economy $30 billion a year. What does all this mean? We need more cyber security professionals to protect us online. Enter you!

Can you hack it? Is a cyber security career right for you? Count up how many sentences apply to you:

#1 You’re an expert puzzle solver

#2 You’re always up for an epic challenge

#3 Y ou want a job helping and protecting people

#4 You always know about

Study options Whether you want a uni degree or would prefer to go down the VET path, there’s a place for you in cyber security. If you’re a hands-on learner and want to skill up quickly to get into the workforce ASAP, a diploma is a great place to start and can help you land entry-level positions. For a deeper understanding of cyber security and more career paths to choose from, do a degree.

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

the latest tech

#5 You’re curious about everything

#6 Y ou’re super

detail-orientated

Did you count four or more? Congrats, you’ve found an awesome study and career path for yourself!

Cyber security engineer Designs, builds, maintains and oversees the security of complex systems and networks to protect them from cyber attacks. Forensic analyst Investigates cybercrimes by examining evidence and uncovering facts. Incident manager Directs a business’ response to cyber attacks by managing tech teams, directing communications, reporting and post-incident analysis. Network security engineer Protects big systems and networks – think schools and hospitals. Penetration tester Evaluates systems by simulating real-world cyber attacks.

START YOUR CAREER HERE

Where you could work These industries all need cyber security professionals:

Big employers

• F inance

•P alo Alto Networks

etail •R

•C ISCO

ealth •H Quiz you

• F ortinet

• Education

rse

lf Ta k e o u r ‘W hat’s yo u r c y b er secu rit y career?’ qu iz at C a r e er s w ith ST EM.c om! bit.ly/cw s-cyber-q uiz

• IBM • CyberCX

• Energy • Government • Defence

• Accenture

• Transport

Did you know?

Cyber secu rity is one of the fastest grow ing tech sectors in Australia. Employment is expected to grow by 14.2% by 2029.

WORDS: LOUISE MEERS | IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK

Or scan here

Diploma of Information Technology (Cyber Security), TAFE NSW Bachelor of Cybersecurity, Torrens University Bachelor of Cybersecurity, UTS Bachelor of Science (Cyber Security), ECU Bachelor of Cyber Security, Deakin University Bachelor of Cyber Security, Macquarie University

TECHNOLOGY + CYBER SECURITY + JOBS Cyber security analyst $61K–$129K Cyber security engineer $62K–$155K

Watch this In this video, you’ll hear from an expert in the use of AI to enable clinical decision-making; a renowned researcher in threat intelligence, Blockchain and remote conditioning monitoring; and a cyber security and digital trust consultant: bit.ly/cws-cyber-webinar

TECHNOLOGY + CYBER SECURITY + STUDY

What do cyber s professionals decurity o? On the job, they

can be tasked w ith:

✔ Monitoring and pr otecting systems and networks from cyber attacks ✔ Developing solutio ns to individuals and busine protect sses from harm ✔ Designing secure networ and cloud environmen ks, firewalls ts ✔ Using ethical hack ing and penetration testing skills to patc hw beating hackers at th eaknesses (aka eir own game!)

Penetration tester $59K–$156K Security architect $118K–$265K *Salaries according to payscale.com

TECHNOLOGY

teacher Mike Cargill’s first career as a primary school inspired him to get into cyber security!

IT s a teacher, Mike managed his school’s take ’t didn it and systems and iPads – ere him long to notice security issues! “Th on rds were staff members leaving passwo s, sticky notes, students sharing account e cyberbullying incidents and even som their with es gam ne onli to up students signing pted him personal details,” he says. This prom rity. secu er cyb in to explore a new career ed anc Adv an He kick-started this with er (Cyb logy Diploma of Information Techno of lots ed Security) at TAFE, where he gain on to hands-on experience. He then moved y) at ECU. a Bachelor of Science (Cyber Securit -track Mike chose ECU because of their fast es Industry Pathway Program. “It recognis r you ces redu E, TAF all your learning from last the for pay course length and you only s. 18 months of your degree,” he explain ree At ECU, Mike loved that his deg s incorporated so many different area within cyber security. This included forensics, AI, threat hunting, ethical ware hacking, governance and risk, and mal es mak this eve beli “I reverse engineering. k.” pac the graduates stand out from his Another ECU highlight was meeting fair ers care future employer! “ECU hosted a . says e for graduates and companies,” Mik in ed “I met the recruiter at EY and we hon

Advanced Diploma of Information Technology (Cyber Security), North Metro TAFE

Mike c

Graduateargill sec consulta urity nT

on an area that made sen se for me – technology consulting.” Mike went on to land a job at EY, working as a graduate security con sultant within the cyber team. “I now work on a range of exciting cyber security projects, he lping organisations strengthen their defences and better protect their systems and data.” To give yourself the best chance of landing a graduate gig in cyber, Mike says it’s important to meet pe ople, ask questions and do your research. “Employers are looking for candidates who bring something differen t, so think about what makes your background or interests unique and use that to your adva ntage. Find the angle that helps you stand out from the rest.”

Daniel McMeekin Memorial Prize for Software Reverse Engineering, ECU

Bachelor of Science (Cyber Security), ECU

Graduate security consultant, EY

This article was produced in partnership with ecu CAREERSwithSTEM.com

WORDS: LOUISE MEERS | IMAGE: SUPPLIED

TECHNOLOGY+CYBER SECURITY

From teaching to tech

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY+CYBER SECURITY

Blackhat (2015)

WarGames (1983),

An oldie but a goodie. In WarGames a high school student accidentally hacks into a military supercomputer and threatens to start a world war. Tech careers spotted: Programmer, AI researcher, defence technologist Where to watch: Apple TV

Movie Night

5 realistic cyber security flicks to watch if you’re interested in this career path

An imprisoned hacker is asked to help the government track down a cybercrime network responsible for a nuclear power plant explosion. Tech careers spotted: Penetration tester, cyber security analyst, cyber warfare specialist Where to watch: BINGE

me (2014) The Imitation Gamath ematician

This one is based on the life of any’s Alan Turing who was tasked with cracking Germ Enigma code in World War II. puter Tech careers spotted: Cryptographer, com scientist, intelligence analyst Where to watch: Stan

#5 Sneakers (1992)steal A cyber security team is hired to a black box that can crack any encryption code. But what happens if it ends up in the wrong hands?

Special mention ed Okay, it’s not a movie but we want to give a shout-out to a TV series called Mr. Robot. It’s about Elliot, who works as a cyber security engineer by day and a vigilante hacker by night. It’s got the thrills, it’s got the tech and you’re going to want to binge-watch all four seasons in one weekend. Catch it on 7+ or Amazon Prime.

Tech careers spotted: Penetration tester, cyber security specialist, electronics technician Where to watch: Amazon Prime

Snack bar Munch on these cyber security themed snacks during your movie of choice: • Phish and chips • Cookies with binary icing • Cryptographic hash(browns) • Malicious muffins • Spam and PINeapple pizza • A burger with *secret* sauce

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Snowden (2016)

Follow ex-CIA and NSA intelligence contractor Edward Snowden who leaks highly classified information about global surveillance programs. Tech careers spotted: Cyber security specialist, infrastructure analyst, systems administrator Where to watch: Apple TV WORDS: LOUISE MEERS | IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK

Nathan Timms shares what a cyber career is really like

On the job... 9am: Get to the office,

WORDS: LOUISE MEERS | IMAGE: SUPPLIED

zles athan mixed two of his interests – puz y and computers – to find his dream stud and career path in cyber security. helor He enrolled in Torrens University’s Bac for to n draw was of Cybersecurity, which he who the small class sizes and the lecturers w that kne “I were also industry professionals. on cati I wanted to get the most out of my edu better and small classes allowed me to build connections with my lecturers.” e was One of the best parts of studying ther f, staf and ents stud the diversity among the t eren diff got I Nathan says. “This meant ch helped perspectives from all walks of life, whi cepts.” con of deepen my understanding of a lot rity secu er After uni, he scored a job as a cyb engineer in the operational technology ion space, specifically working on automat rgy. and renewable ene er If you’re keen to study and work in cyb y man as ask to is security, Nathan’s top tip just ’re you if ter questions as possible. “No mat an as up starting your degree or if you end expert in the field, asking questions and learning is a part of the job.”

catch up on emails from clients and coworkers then get set up for the day.

10.30am:

Usually, I’ll have some early meetings about specifi c project tasks and deliverables for the day and week.

1pm: I’ll be working

on tasks primarily to do with access management, networking and application security.

Bachelor of Cybersecurity, Torrens University

Nathan Timms cyber security engineer

TECHNOLOGY+CYBER SECURITY

A day in the life of a cyber security engineer 2pm: Any work that I’ve completed I send off to my seniors to either approve or get feedback on. Then I implement that feedback.

4.30pm: Wrap up for the day. I’ll close out any remaining small tasks such as password resets or account creation that needs to be done.

ineer, Cyber security engati Cromarty Autom on

This article was produced in partnership with torrens university australia 19

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY+DESIGN

m r o f e r e h W n o i t c n u f s t e me n cred, Tech skills will boost your desig

l from the virtual to the physica

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Interested in architecture? Give our Architectural Technician Job Kit a read to see how you can blend tech skills with building!

WORDS: ELLEN PHIDDIAN | IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK (TOP RIGHT IMAGE AI GENERATED)

a lot of reative visions often need and tech technical skill to realise vity to work! often needs a lot of creati bine the two. Design careers often com and Strong skills in graphics ur job yo ost programming will bo of things. e sid prospects on the digital lopers ve Web designers and app de s, utility and have to balance aesthetic e making tools. inclusiveness when they’r software to build Game programmers use nces. exciting playable experie ur creations out yo see Or, if you want to nk about career in the physical world, thi sign, product paths like architectural de People in n. design or industrial desig h skills to create these careers use their tec tapping into buildings and products, g to realise their graphics and 3D modellin uring out how visions. They might be fig roof can safely high a building’s soaring h phone case get to, or finding a stylis mobile from in a shape that protects a bumps and cracks. u’re more Can’t decide whether yo l or virtual world? interested in the physica things like Mix them together, with wearable tech! augmented reality (AR) or

START YOUR CAREER HERE TECHNOLOGY + DESIGN+ STUDY Advanced Diploma of Professional Game Development, AIE Bachelor of Game Programming, Torrens University Australia Bachelor of Design (Digital Media), RMIT University

Serious simulations The gaming industry is important for education as well as entertainment: the same skills that enable you to build a riveting game can also be used to make simulations that help people to learn and train. Here are three applications being used right now – could you imagine building something similar?

#1 MyDriveSchool

software simulates driving in traffic for people who are learning, without having to get behind the wheel of a car.

#2 T he iFire project,

Use your user experience

Obsessed with video games? Check out our Game Designer Job Kit for all the tips on how to get into the field.

developed by Fire and Rescue NSW and the University of New South Wales, will recreate bushfires in an immersive 3D cinema so firefighters can view and train within them.

User experience (UX) designers think about the experience someone has when using an app, website or digi product. There are a huge range of requirements that need to be satisfied – and they can change depending on what’s being used! Think about, for instance, sudden, bright graphics on mobile games – would you want them appearing on a banking app? Probably not! Next time you’re navigating a website, app, or device interface, ask yourself these questions:

• Does this tool make sense?

Bachelor of Games and Interactive Environments (Game Design), QUT

TECHNOLOGY + DESIGN+ JOBS App developer: $110K–$130K Game designer: $85K–$105K UX designer: $100K–$120K Web designer: $80K–$90K

• Is it easy or intuitive to get

Industrial designer: $85K–$100K

• Does it meet my expectations

Product designer: $100K–$120K

what I want with it?

for what this type of tool should look like?

#3 O xford Medical Simulation uses virtual reality (VR) scenarios to give medical and health students practice with patients.

Bachelor of Design (User Experience Design), University of Melbourne

*Salaries according to Seek.com.au

• How would I improve it? • Who needs to use this and

would they be able to? What about someone who was… - 10 years old? - 90 years old? - Had vision impairments? -D idn’t speak English as a first language?

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY+DESIGN

WORK IT OUT

Yes

uld you work for one day? co y an mp co n sig de + h tec Which

Making a poster or social post is more fun than making a video

Coming up with stories and characters would be a dream job for you

Getting a new gadget for your birthday would be awesome

You’ve always liked drawing or painting

You’ve made a website or done some coding before

You’re interested in technology AND engineering

Working in the television industry has crossed your mind before

You’d love a job where you got to help others combine their tech and design skills

Building a camera sounds super fascinating to you

CANVA

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LUDO STUDIO

TEAM CHERRY

BLACKMAGIC DESIGN

WORDS: LOUISE MEERS

You’d rather watch an animation than play a video game

Combine IT with creativity in a double degree at QUT

janice judge

WORDS: JASMINE FELLOWS | IMAGE: SUPPLIED

qut student

Bachelor of Design)/ (Inter action Designtio n Bachelor of Informa Technology, QUT Westpac Young , Student Ambassador Technologist High School Scholar, QUT Engagement, QUT

am of Technology Progrld State Excellence, Mansfie High School, Qld

ove solving logical problems but can’t resist getting creative? You don’t have to choose between the two! Meet Janice Judge, a QUT student and a 2026 Westpac Young Technologists Scholar. She’ s combining logic and creativity through a doub le degree in design and IT. “There’s so much you can do when you combine degrees!” Janice says . Studying both IT and design means Janice can explore digital products from every angle, from coding, to how an app or website looks and feels. Plus, Janice loves being on campus at QUT . It’s her home away from home. “You always have the opportunity to meet someone new,” she says . So, what’s next? While some people worry that AI will replace creative work, Janice sees potential for the two to work together in harmony. “My hope is to find a way to prov ide people with the opportunities to be more crea tive through AI,” she says.

TECHNOLOGY+SYSTEMS

Creative logic

This article was produced in partnership with QUT TEQSA PRV12079 | CRICOS 00213J

Ash is getting ahead with a QUT vertical double degree. QUT Bachelor of Information Technology / Master of Data Science 23

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY+SYSTEMS

m e t s y s e h t h t i Get w o stems is perfect for people wh Building and maintaining IT sy

love computers

nging he world of computer science is cha But AI. by pted rapidly, especially prom something that’s here to stay is the rely on. information systems that businesses needed to Computer science professionals are ticularly build and maintain these systems, par skills and people with strong problem-solving . zles puz out a knack for working making the Here are three examples of systems IT skills. with ple peo world better, maintained by

Internet of energy

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WORDS: ELLEN PHIDDIAN I IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK (TOP LEFT IMAGE AI GENERATED)

The billions of devices connected around the world – the Internet of Things (IoT) – allows us to do much more than change the colour of our lighting! One big application is in energy systems, particularly rooftop solar panels and home batteries. With a smart meter, a household can sell solar/battery power to the electricity grid when it’s needed and charge their batteries when it isn’t. With the help of complicated trading systems maintained by computer scientists, this allows the grid to get greener while households profit.

Preserving the archive

A healthy connection Healthcare is getting increasingly digital. Programs like remote patient monitoring allow doctors to check in on patients’ health info without needing them to come in for an appointment, while data generated in busy emergency wards can help hospitals figure out how best to triage cases. It’s crucial that these systems stay accurate, and protected from cyber attacks – people’s lives are literally on the line. Software programmers and technicians are a key part of the picture.

How is all the information in the Information Age kept organised? Database administrators and digital specialists do a lot of work making sure digital archives can provide people with the information they want when they search. Take Trove, for instance, which is run by the National Library of Australia. It’s a databas e of digital copies of newspapers, books, map s, magazines, photos, music, archived web sites… in total, it hosts a cool 14 billion digital item s, contributed by more than 900 different organisations. The library depends on digi tal specialists who can coordinate multiple data bases and the information in them so members of the public can browse with a search box.

Statement of Attainment (Networking and computer hardware), CIT Certificate IV in Information Technology, TAFE NSW Certificate IV in Information Technology (Networking), TAFE WA Bachelor of Information Technology, Monash University

Fascinated by how gadgets connect? Check out our Internet of Specialist ngs Thi Job Kit.

Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Systems) (Honours), Edith Cowan University Bachelor of Information Technology, QUT

efore becoming a senior network engineer at Telstra, Brooke Jones would spend her days as a graduate working on cutting-edge technolog y, 5G including robots, at Telstra’s ld Innovation Centre on the Go Coast. “I worked on multiple with projects while also engaging at wh ase wc sho customers to Telstra’s emerging network technologies are,” she says. Read Brooke’s story...

TECHNOLOGY + SYSTEMS + JOBS Database administrator: $105K–$125K IT consultant: $85K–$95K IT technician: $75K–$90K

Brooke Jones senior Network engineer

Bachelor of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering (Honours), University of Queensland Internship, Boeing

TECHNOLOGY + SYSTEMS + STUDY

Graduate network software specialist, Telstra

Internship, Rio Tinto

Network administrator: $80K–$100K Software developer: $85K–$105K *Salaries according to seek.com.au

Senior network engineer, Telstra

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY+OCEANS

START YOUR CAREER HERE

NEXT STEPS

Upgrade your future

Level up with a career in tech

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Teach yourself tech

Electives checklist

✔ Product Desig n an d Tech nolog y ✔ Systems Engineerin g ✔ Algorithm ics (HES S) ✔ Applied Computin g ✔ Physics

Codecademy

Offers a free tier with introductory courses in programming languages and web development concepts. bit.ly/CwS-code-academy

Khan Academy

Get free courses and tutorials on computer science fundamentals, including programming, algorithms and data structures. bit.ly/CwS-khan-academy

Managing Editor: Jasmine Fellows

A tech product manager who became an influencer and pod cast host after she got laid off! He r beautiful videos combine tec h with lifestyle. bit.ly/CwSchloe

Student advisors: Verity Beech, Emily Deng, Rachel Hoang, Vivian Lowe, Andrew Quah, Molly Taylor and Mia Yong

@chloe.shih

Inspired by Mark Zuckerberg’s story, from when he created the social networking site Facebook with his friend. The friendship turns sour as his business becomes successful.

A dystopian film – and book – that follows a tech worker as she joins her dream internet company and unravels some dark secrets.

IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK

Produced and published by: Refraction Media

Deputy Editors: Louise Meers, Ellen Phiddian and David Shaw

The Social Network

Sub Editor: Pippa Duffy Art Directors: Katherine Power and Kate Timms Writers: Jasmine Fellows, Louise Meers, Ellen Phiddian, Ella McCarthy, Samantha Wheeler

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Play Download on STEAM After five years of development and input from hundreds of real-world developers, Bitburner puts your JavaScript skills to work, positioning you as an unknown hacker in a dystopian world.

Bitburner

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pefcaustralia.org.au

Portal

This is a single-player puzzle game where you control Chell as she navigates different labs and chambers using her trusty portal gun.

Take our quiz: Which area of tech should you study? Careers with STEM’s tech study and career

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Cover image: Supplied by UTS

A YouTube superstar known for his in-depth, high-quality tec h reviews and insights. If it’s new and techy, MKBHD has probab ly covered it. bit.ly/CwSmarques

Watch

The Circle

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Provides free online courses on business security, data analytics and other tech-related topics. bit.ly/CwS-digital-garage A non-profit that provides free or low-cost tech training to help you launch your career in tech. bit.ly/CwS-launchcode

This issue went to press on 30 September 2026.

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quiz is here to help with hints and tips on job areas to explore! 26

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