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The human element
I thought I could get the best of both worlds”
Learning to code is about putting yourself in someone else’s brain for a while, says Deloitte senior consultant Serene Chia
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ne of Serene Chia’s favourite projects was building a software robot that skims your social media feed and messages you when it spots something it thinks you’d love. Now, as a senior consultant in Deloitte’s analytics and cognitive area, Serene uses coding and business skills from her Bachelor of Business Information Systems degree. She also taps into hands-on know-how from placements in an insurance broking company, food manufacturer (her favourite part was taste-testing new products) and in Deloitte’s graduate program. “Coming out of high school, I didn’t even know how to print screen,” Serene admits. Music and economics were her favourite subjects, and she was fascinated by the human behaviour aspect of economics, so she chose her degree through a process of elimination. Too squeamish for medicine or science, she preferred music as a hobby, and arts and commerce held no appeal. “I thought the course would mix IT and business and I could get the best of both worlds,” she says. Though daunting at first, to Serene’s surprise, she found she really enjoyed coding. “There’s a certain detailed, logical-thinking process you undergo,” she says. “I was intrigued by the human side, you’re essentially breaking down people’s thought processes and then translating them into clear steps.” Communication skills are really important – “there are plenty of workshops using loads of coloured Post-It notes” – and she loves working on process-improvement projects. “I have a real passion for making things better, faster, stronger, and merging that with technology to find ways to do things better.” – Fran Molloy
JESSE MARLOW
ss Bachelor of Businems , Information Syste Monash University Gr aduate, Deloitte
2 x 6-month Placements, ARTHURt J. Gallagher/SimPlo Senior Consultant, Consultant, deloitte DELOITTE
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