Careers with STEM: Technology 2024

CAREERS withSTEM

TERM 4, 2024

™

TECHNOLOGY

Software Engineer

Unlock a career in gaming p34

User Experience Designer

Tech jobs using psychology p40

Match your hobby to a career p12

CAREERS with STEM.COM TRANSPORT + GAMING & ANIMATION + PSYCHOLOGY + CYBER SECURITY + AI & ROBOTICS + FASHION

YOU CAN KEEP THE WORLD OUT OF HOT WATER with us CAREERSwithSTEM.com

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Think technology is a dry topic? Not at Macquarie University. Our technology experts are creating smart sensors that monitor water quality to help oyster farmers deal with climate change challenges like heatwaves, floods and drought, and developing advanced data analytics to increase the cost-effectiveness of mushroom cultivation.

We’re also using cutting-edge IoT, advanced data analytics and AI to enhance future water security, productivity and management.

Macquarie is ranked in the world’s top 50 for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (QS World University Rankings

by Subject 2024), so when you enrol in one of our IT degrees, you’ll be learning from world-leading researchers.

You’ll study a future-focused curriculum developed in consultation with industry, which allows you to specialise in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, game design and development, information systems and business analysis, networking, software technology solutions, or web and mobile app development.

Your learning will be enhanced by our 14-lab computing hub with VR space and cybersecurity, networking and gaming labs. You will also study in Australia’s largest high-tech precinct, offering the potential for collaborative, internship and employment opportunities.

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TECHNOLOGY

CONTENTS

What’s inside…

Tech that helps people

P22

ers Be inspired by tech care that help us all!

P6 A-Z of tech careers o P8 Tech needs soft skills to

P34

P8

P14

= STEM + X nology (STEM)

P10 Sci-fi tech made real P12 Match your hobby

Combine tech to with your passion (+ X) reer… discover your dream ca Technology +…

to a tech career P14 Making tech greener ber P15 Affordable (or frsee) cy security study option P18 Work experience with a difference P20 How to choose P44 a tech school

P22 Transport m A to B Help people get fro

ty P28 Cyber secumrion line threats Protect people fro

animation P34 Gaming &yo ur sick skills

Hook gamers with

P40 Psychology e centre of

CAREERS

Put tech users at th everything

withSTEM JOB KIT ™

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Free download

AI ETHICIST Discover this growing field helping ensure Artificial Intelligence is safe and beneficial to humanity

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

P44 AI & roboti-frcsiendly

This free Careers with STEM job kit download is your introduction to careers in ethical AI. Inside, you’ll find stories on what AI ethicists do, plus salary insights and advice from those already working in this field.

Make AI human

P48 Fashion

of fashion Work at the cutting edge

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FOREWORD

Invent the future Technology is the key to solving problems you’re passionate about

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we often echnology is something ; innovation and associate with the future for what our the endless possibilities challenges we could world could look like, the could help. solve and the people we this magazine gh ou But a quick flip thr wi technologists are shows that Aussie and Ki of the most critical already addressing some g lives around the challenges and improvin mate change, world. They’re fighting cli er, protecting us making healthcare smart ve tricky problems online and using AI to sol s so you can get to – like predicting traffic jam school on time! also creating new And these advances are y has about the same careers. Australia alread it does school number of AI workers as according to the Tech principals or architects, ich is predicting AI Council of Australia, wh lated jobs by 2030. could create 200,000 AI-re ’t just for adults.

But technology like AI isn e up with amazing Students like you can com p building and ideas and learn coding, ap

Marie Efstathiou comp

uter science Education leader

Aussie and Kiwi technologists are the addressing some oflenges” most critical chal

design skills, right now. Yo u’re uniquely placed to invent solutions to ch allenges in your local school or community – all you need is a little tech know-how!

As you read through thi s magazine, you’ll notice the varied and som etimes surprising pathways that the techn ologists within have taken. I hope you find rol e models, jobs and careers that you didn’t kn ow existed. Take a moment to think about how you could use technology to solve a pro blem you care about or make life a little easie r for others.

Marie Efstathiou AUNZ Lead, Computer Sc ience Education and University Relation s, Google

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TECHNOLOGY

UPFRONT

s r e e r a c h c e t f o A-Z

ide here! Get ready with this A-Z gu The careers of the future are

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echnology is now part of almost every aspect of our lives – which means that when it comes to choosing a tech career, your options are almost limitless! Below, we’ve listed some of them to get you started. – Amy Briggs

uman-computer interaction designer puter

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h com Study how users interact wit erstanding into interfaces and feed that und e and engaging the creation of more intuitiv user connections.

I ethics specialist

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by researching Prevent AI biases and misuse erent AI models the ethical implications of diff and how they’re trained.

T consultanofftand on again? Help

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Have you tried turning it s to manage their businesses and organisation cyber security tech systems, from assessing ud-based storage threats, to recommending clo g training. solutions and providing ongoin

Biotechnologist

terials to help with Study and work with genetic ma more resistant to everything from making crops dical treatments. pests, to developing new me

yber security analyst s and

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Protect individuals, businesse eats. Learn more organisations from cyber thr Analyst Job Kit! through our Cyber Security

Journalist

Gather and analyse data to develop compelling story ideas and enhance our general understanding of different tre nds and topics through data journalism.

tist ata scien sets to uncover

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Analyse large data and develop patterns, trends and insights, s that can del mo algorithms and predictive . ms help solve complex proble

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inetic engineer Desig

-learning developer

n and develop wearable dev ices that monitor and enhance physica l activity and health.

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ng online learning Create interactive and engagi ployees wanting content for everyone from em hooled kids! to gain new skills, to homesc

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ab technician Prepare

samples, design and run tests, interpret results and maintain equipment to help scientists working on everything from pharmaceutical research to conser vation bio log y.

ood scientist

F SHUTTERSTOCK

examine the Look for pathogens in food, ients and even molecular structure of ingred large sets of data. analyse food trends through

Msedpeiccaialliimsatging

reen energy engineer ble energy systems

In this tech + health career, you’ll use different imaging technologies (think : MRIs, CTs and X-rays) to help diagnose diff erent injuries and medical conditions.

G

Design and implement renewa electric power. such as solar, wind and hydro-

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of careers with tech

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Nseuperociatelichsntology

X researcher

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Develop and apply technolog ies that interact with the ner vous system to treat neurological disorders, enhance brain fun ction or facilitate brain-computer interfaces.

ng systems to Use cool tech like eye-tracki with digital t research how users interac create more products and help designers rfaces. intuitive and user-friendly inte

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ccupational health specialist Analyse work environments

oice user interface designer give users the power

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and design ergonomic solutions to preven t injuries in the workplace and enhance pro ductivity.

These high-tech designers like mobile phones, to interact with technologies human speech. speakers and even cars, using

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recision agriculture specialist Inc

i-Fi engineerdifferent place

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rease agricultural productivi ty while minimising environmental imp act in this tech gig, which could see you workin g on everything from remote sensors that mo nitor soil conditions, to drones that tra ck crop health.

The world would be a ver y g us connected. without these experts keepin tall, configure and As a wi-fi engineer, you’ll ins maintain wi-fi networks.

uantum Q computing researcher

Study and develop quantum computers, which use the prin ciples of quantum mechanics to per form complex calculations much faster than traditional computers.

obotic process automation developer ots to

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XdeR veloper

Create extended reality (XR ) experiences that blend physical and digital env ironments using augmented reality, virtual rea lity and mixed reality technologies.

re rob Create and implement sof twa sed tasks, -ba rule automate repetitive and more on us foc freeing up employees to ts. jec complex (and interesting) pro

YouTuber

oftware engineer

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Edit footage, publish conten t and use analytics to track per formance, unders tand viewer preferences and optimise con tent strategy.

intain sof tware Design, develop, test and ma this gig that applications and systems in g of programming requires a good understandin languages and tools.

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ero-emission vehicle technician Ma

ransportation planner data from sensors,

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intain and carry our repairs on electric- and hydrogen-powered cars to kee p them operating efficiently and reli ably.

Transportation planners use traffic patterns, cameras and GPS to analyse congestion. improve traffic flow and reduce

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TECHNOLOGY

UPFRONT

SOFT SKILLS PAY THE BILLS The 5 big ones you need for your future tech career!

22. Teamwork

Amazing innovation happens when we work together, use people’s strengths and nurture talents.

Work tasks and projects are a team effort, so you’ll need to be thinking about how you can cross the finish line together while producing solid results.

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1. Communication

In tech, you’ll often be workin g on collaborative projects, so good communic ation skills can go a long way to achieving shared goa ls. You’ll need to listen, use positive body language and practice having empathy for your team memb ers.

Sort it at school: Get comfor table speaking in front of your classmates and rem ember to use eye contact.

Sort it at school: Join a school sports team – not only is it fun and social, but you’ll learn a lot about being a team player.

33. Problem-solving

nication and If you can nail good commu well on your way to be ady teamwork, you’ll alre but being creative being a pro problem-solver, is key to coming up and flexible in your thinking too. with out-of-the-box solutions e electives or Sort it at school: Take creativ to give you new try extracurricular activities problems. kle tac perspectives on how to

55. Time management

44. Confidence

Help ensure you never miss an important deadline by using digital cal endars, time management apps and to-do lists.

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Believe in yourself and your abilities, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. In tec h, it’s important to speak up when you don’t kno w something.

Sort it at school: Practice breaking your assessments down into smalle r, more manageable chunks, and pla n out how you’ll chip away at them gra dually rather than waiting until the last min ute.

Sort it at school: Find a me ntor (this could be a teacher, family friend or pro fessional contact) who can give you advice and guidance.

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

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Code life into your ideas Graduate with a degree in Technology.

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TECHNOLOGY

YOUR ONLINE INSPIRATION HUB FOR STEM CAREERS er news and study tips. re ca ily da th wi te da to up • Keep STEM professionals • Meet hundreds of real life th our FREE Job Kits wi re tu fu e th of s job e th re • Explo nality with online quizzes • Discover your STEM perso career videos and webinars for l ne an ch yt r ou to e ib cr • Subs out on Insta or TikTok! • Connect, share and reach

Join 1 MILLIO STUDENTS ea N year growing ch future with STtheir EM!

Like Careers with STEM? Join us, connect with other STEM-minded CAREERSwithSTEM.com 10 peeps and widen your network before you’ve even graduated!

Your career in Game Development starts here.

Our alumni work at studios around the world working on games they love, and ones you’ll love to play. Begin your journey at Media Design School and develop your dream into a career.

Choose your path: Game Art – Craft spectacle and beauty in the forms of characters, environments and objects to tell your story in the most captivating way.

Game Programming - Bring art to life and make it work, providing your players with a fulfilling and satisfying journey.

Year 3 will blend these classes into teams, where you’ll create your own game with a small group of your peers. With your combined expertise of artistry and programming, the sky(box) is the limit!

So, are you ready?

Scan the QR code, or head over to mediadesignschool.com to start your adventure!

Screenshot from student game ‘Sky Noon’. See the full game at skynoongame.com Media Design School Limited, NZBN 94290396673, is registered as a Private training establishment (PTE) by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). NZQA Educational Organisation Number: 8192

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TECHNOLOGY

UPFRONT

L R I h c e t i f i c S ent it!

If you can imagine it you can inv

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lot of the tech we use today was featured in the sci-fi of old. It has always been so! And it follows that some of the super-the oretical tech we see in today’s sci-fi might one da y emerge in our future liv es.

Aside from the fun of pre dicting the future, you can also use sci-fi to get a hand le on some of the tech careers of the future – ma ny of which already exist today! So dial-up these fav es on your streaming servic e and set your tech imagina tion free. – Charis Palmer

computers Tech: TabletA Spa ce Odyssey, In the 1968 movie 2001: hip Discovery One astronauts aboard the spaces ices to read reports use flat, touch-sensitive dev long before touch and watch videos. This was screens were even a thing!

p Careers created: Ap t developer, IT suppor er gn specialist, UX/UI desi

Tech: Universal trans lator

First appearing in the 1960s, the universal translator in the Star Trek series allowed crew members to communicate effortlessly with alien specie s, breaking down language barriers. Fast for ward to tod ay and we have tools like Go ogle Translate and real-time transl ation apps to help us.

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Careers created: Na tu processing engineer, ral language Machine learning engineer, Algorithm engineer

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Tech: Wearable techno logy

We may not have got the hov erboard from Back to the Fut ure, but wearables like the glasse s that could display informatio n and make phone calls in Bac k to the Future II are now her e.

Think: Microsoft’s HoloLens for mixed reality or Ray-Ban’s Meta Smart Glasses.

Careers created: We ar engineer, UX/UI design able device er, Data analyst, AR/VR expe rience designer

Tech: Virtual reality

VR started appearing in movies in the early 90s, such as in the 1992 film The Lawnmower Man. Now VR headsets and devices like Apple Vision Pro are becoming part of our everyday lives, not only in gaming but also in medical training, architecture and counselling.

Careers created: VR developer, VR technician VR game designer

Tech: Voice-activated assistants

The AI love interest in the 201 3 film Her probably best cap tures how AI could become deeply embedded in our lives, but the first voiceactivated assistant appeared all the way back in 1968, also in 2001: A Space Odyssey. The computer HAL 9000 was a helpful ass istant, until it went off the res ervation (watch the film to see how). Now we’re all dia lling up Siri, Alexa and Googl e Assistant.

Careers created: Vo ice User Interface (V UI) designer, AI engineer , Machine learning en gineer

What’s next?already here,

Holographic technolog y is dial-up so how long before we can all Stark in y Ton like een a holographic scr ances adv but , say Iron Man? It’s hard to m dot ntu qua or y in light field technolog see it ld cou ys and nano-material displa to one the get closer. Perhaps you’ll be make that breakthrough!

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TECHNOLOGY

UPFRONT

Y B B O H R U O Y H MATC R E E R A C H C E T TO A day excited to go to work! y er ev up ke wa u yo re su en ll Fun fact: doing this wi

ART Always had a knack for drawin g, painting or generally makin g things look good? You should consider becoming a user interface (UI) designer. When it comes to websites and app s, a UI designer thinks about thin gs like accessibility (such as font size, colour contrast and spacing) and applies resear ch and insights to create a produc t’s design.

CODING

rself to If you’ve already taught you the ore bef to code (or have plans ’re you n end of high school), the ing already on your way to becom job a sof tware developer. This involves making, testing and ms maintaining computer progra of ds kin all for s and phone app industries. Think: finance, education, retail and more.

Scan here to get our free !

Sof tware Developer Job Kit

GAMING

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Played every Super Mario or The Legend of Zelda video game that’s ever been released?

A career as a game designer or game developer might be perfect for you. You could code and create the games you want to play, and be behind the next best-selling game series!

Is this the job for you? Download our free Game Designer + Developer Job Kit!

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HEALTH

Tech + health is an awesome and important combo, especially in an area like me ntal health. As a virtual reality (VR) therapist, you’ll use VR technolog y to deliver immersive therapies that can help improve the lives of people with menta l health challenges including phobias, PTSD and pain management.

MUSIC

nts as a sound Get paid for your musical tale , you’ll use role y -da designer! In your day-to trol sound in con and technolog y to create, edit apps and VR es, gam interactive media like video work on movies, o als projects. A sound designer can atres.

TV shows, in radio and in the

PUZZLES AND BOARD GAM ES

Completing puzzles and pla ying board games on the regular can build up some pre tty impressive code cracking and problem-solvin g skills – tools you’ll need for a career as a cyber security analyst. These tech legends protect people from identity, online and shopping fraud.

Think of them as the cops of the virtual world!

Find out more about this tec h career by getting a copy of our Cyber Security Analy st Job Kit.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Did you know that being tech a photographer is actually a nt career? From using differe t shot, to devices to set up the per fec sof tware, enhancing images with editing tech sav vy to a photographer needs to be t images. make sure they deliver the bes ertising, Your clients could work in adv organising be n eve or travel or publishing, ! big events and weddings

SPORTS

r favourite Combine your passion for you product sport with tech to become a arable developer specialising in we ices that dev ign des technolog y. You’d tistics like sta lth monitor important hea to help ns ter heart rate and sleep pat improve ple athletes and everyday peo ry. their per formance and recove

READING

y’ve read For anyone who feels like the o can’t be every book in the library or wh make an without their e-reader, you’d stacks of incredible AI ethicist! They do identif y ethical reading and researching to arise from AI. and moral issues that might to start Read our AI Ethicist Job Kit eer path. car and dy planning your stu

WRITING

Yep, the tech industry needs writers too! Put your wordsmit h skills to good use as a techni cal writer – that’s someone wh o writes and edits manuals and documents for technical pro ducts in a way the intended user wil l understand. – Louise Meers

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TECHNOLOGY

UPFRONT

Jobs in greener tech Our tech-centric culture isn’t always kind on the planet, but you could be part of the solution

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r lives more echnology helps make ou but sometimes efficient and convenient, vironment. it comes at a cost to the en ds and tho me Whether it’s improving the gy, or olo hn tec materials we use to create there is , ces du pro reducing the emissions it re tech mo work to be done to make e emerging STEM som are re sustainable. He make tech kinder careers that are helping to oker on the planet. – Reece Ho

#1 Sustainable tech inventor Researchers and companies need people like you to help them make their tech products more sustainable. You could invent the next generation of green data sto rage or work on the electric cars of the future !

#2 Green product designer Many companies now design products that are more durable, and easier to repair and recycle. For example, some smartphones are now built with modular parts, allowing users to replace a broken screen or battery without buying a new device.

#4 Sustainability consultant

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#3 Renewable energy specialist

power the s like wind and solar will help The rise of renewable energie specialist, rgy ene ably. As a renewable tech of the future more sustain utilities n eve government agencies and you’ll help engineering firms, uce their red h, erging renewable energy tec companies to understand em . impact and plan for the future

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AI systems use a huge amoun t of energy – the average ChatGPT query require s 10 times more electricity than a Google sea rch. With AI use growing every year, finding wa ys to improve the industry’s energy efficiency will be vital.

PATHWAYS

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ways to get into cyber security without a degree

Cyber security skills are in demand and you don’t necessarily need a degree to put them to use

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reer in cyber f you’re interested in a ca of ways to security, there are plenty e going uir req n’t get started that do options se the of to uni. Check out some er ok Ho ece and thank us later! – Re

1TAFE

Vocational education institutions like TAFE in Australia or ACMI in New Zealand offer practical and affordable cyber security courses.

Google Career 2Cer tificates

Google’s online career certificates are designed to teach you job-ready skills through flexible and self-paced learning.

Short courseys

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Cyber security compan Tesserent is one of many providers offering short-term your training programs to improve cyber security knowledge.

Bootcamps

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Part-time cyber security bootcamps are intensive, that short-term training programs al focus on giving you the practicinto skills needed to jump straight the workforce.

Apprenticeshipses

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Apprenticeships like tho my offered by the CyberCX Acade er Cyb and Health New Zealand Academy allow you to gain ng real-world experience while doi paid work.

Industry certifications

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dge Validate your skills and knowle s co’ Cis like ns with certificatio

CCNA and CompTIA’s Security+, which are highly regarded in the cyber security field and can help you land a job.

7Defence

Get paid to train with the Australian Defence Force for a straight-out-of-school path into cyber security.

8Networking

The Australian Information Security Association (AISA) offers networking opportunities, resources and events for people interested in cyber security. And students can join for free!

9Online training

Coursera, Udemy and edX are just a few of the online platforms offering cyber security courses.

10Industry experience

Learn fast and make contacts with a cyber security internship or work experience placement.

Follow cyber security companies on LinkedIn to see what’s on offer.

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Not sure if cyber security is for you?

Check out CyberEXP, an online experience from the Australian Signals Directorate, to get a taste of what it’s like on the frontlines of cyber security.

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TECHNOLOGY

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s an IT projects engineer, nts Charlotte works with clie s, creates using different IT system and builds virtual computers, designs des network phone systems and upgra of being on site, hardware. “It’s a good mix m the office and working independently fro team,” she says. having meetings with my the coolest things Charlotte believes one of is. “When people about IT is how creative it agine something envision IT, I think they im reality it’s a really super technical, when in hen I began working creative field,” she says. “W , I gained a lot of as an IT projects engineer with clients to help freedom to work directly s they need.” design the computer system lls to use on She also puts her design ski ng email ati cre platforms like Exclaimer, esome! aw It’s ? campaigns. And her office le. We host op pe ng “I work with a lot of amazi loa and do ds of other barbecues, go go-karting fun activities after work.” pleted a Certificate To get this gig, Charlotte com logy (Computer IV in Information Techno eship through her Networking) and a traine

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

employer, ONGC Systems. “My training provider [Australian College of Information Technology] was really flexible with my on-the-job traineeship and I was truly able to work at my own pace when it came to studying,” Charlotte says. “I was also onboard with other trainees in my workplace completing the same course, so it was great that we could all work together to complete our certificates!”

In 2023, Charlotte was named the Queensland Trainee of the Year and a finalist for Trainee of the Year at the Australian Training Awards.

Her advice for anyone wanting to study IT is to explore different pathways. “Vocational education especially, gives all kinds of people the opportunity to transition into different careers at any stage of their lives.” – Louise Meers

my training pr ider was really flexibleov ” 18

Mentor, BrainSTEM Certificate IV in IT (Computer Networking)

it projects engineer

Computer systems engineer, ONGC Systems

charlotte ross

2023 qld trainee of the year & trainee of the year finalist at the australian training awards

IT projects engineer, ONGC Systems

arlotte Ross found her perfect Thanks to an IT traineeship, Ch ines tech and creativity!

STEM career – one that comb

Traineeship, ONGC Systems

TECHNOLOGY+PATHWAYS: NATIONAL CAREERS INSTITUTE

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T I r o f y d a e r u o Are y

YOUR CAREER

Unsure of where to start? Looking for something new?

Got skills but not sure what jobs are suited to them?

Career information can be overwhelming, that’s why we have made it simple for you.

Explore yourcareer.gov.au to: • find occupations and career information based on your hobbies, skills and interests.

• complete a career quiz to start your career journey.

• search study and training options.

• read real life career journeys from Australian VET Alumni and case studies.

Visit yourcareer.gov.au today!

Know what you want to do when you finish school?

Got plans to do some study or training, start working, or take a gap year?

Download the School Leavers Information Kit for information about: • study or training options to upskill • financial support for further study • how to nail a job interview and more!

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yourcareer.gov.au/schoolleaver

TECHNOLOGY

PATHWAYS

e c n e i r e p x e T t r a t s p m u to j ! r e e r a c r u o y

consider programs for you to e nc rie pe ex rk wo ch Here are 8 top te

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animator, YouTube ant an elite tech job, like 3D tware engineer, but data scientist or Apple sof so, this list of not sure where to start? If wo ocused rk experience companies offering tech-f skia Horgan-Catchpole programs is for you! – Sa

#2

Forage

Forage offers job simulations that replicate a real employee’s work day. Companies they offer imitations of include Red Bull, lululemon and even Electronic Arts (creator of The Sims!).

Grandshake

Not sure what career path you want to explore for work experience? Grandshake offers virtual work experience opportunities in everything from app development to eco-friendly design.

Defence

Year 13

#5

P wC

#6

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Tech Council

As par t of Tech Council of Aus tralia’s virtual work experience, you ’ll learn from cyber security specialist s, data scientists and sof tware eng ineers.

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

#4

Want to see what it’s like to be a food scientist at a gelato factory, and a marine technician for the Navy? At Year 13 you can do both without setting foot in an actual workplace.

The Defence STEM Work Exp erience program is open to Year 10 students in South Australia and Victoria.

See what a Defence career might be like working with cutting-edge tech!

#1

More tech programs!

• UTS STEM x Impact •N ew Zealand Summer of Tech Internships •A ustralian Signals Directorate Work Experience Program •D atacom New Zealand virtual work experience

#3

CSIRO Ever wondered what it’s like to work at Australia’s national science agency?

CSIRO’s work experience program allows you to experience this through online projects, developing workplace, tech and STEM skills.

#7

PwC is a tech-powered organisation focused on providing advisory and tax-related solutions to over 5000 clients across Australia. Their Vir tual Case Experience simulates client projects with advice from actual PwC staff.

Women in ICT

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#8

ation and If you’re interested in inform the Women in ICT y, log communications techno be right up your l wil work experience program h an organisation wit alley. It aims to connect you career aspirations, tailored to your interests and work experience. giving you relevant and fun

g sport Worried about jugglin y? James Thompson commitments with stud Massey University did it with help from , James was n his last year of high school n represented New snowboarding A LOT – he eve his love of learning, he Zealand in Europe. So, despite e time for uni. wasn’t sure whether he’d hav y’s Academy of Sport In the end, Massey Universit of study for James. tipped the balance in favour loped online learning Thanks to the uni’s well-deve e to both compete and environment, James was abl helor of Science, majoring train while studying his Bac says, the suppor t in computer science. And, he at he expected. system went well beyond wh ic suppor t workers “There are designated academ edules and arranging who help with organising sch adjustments, especially special permissions for exam when competitions clash.” e experience under Now with his degree and som own path as a freelance his belt, James is car ving his – Charis Palmer developer and data scientist.

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Bachelor of Science (Computer Science), Massey University

James Thompson

TECHNOLOGY+MASSEY UNIVERSITY

The best of both worlds

Snowboarder and software developer

System administrator and developer, Telefund NZ

Freelance developer and data scientist

Programme the Future

with a Bachelor of Information Sciences World Class Teaching and Hands-On Learning.

Study on campus, online or both.

APPLY TODAY

Find out more: massey.ac.nz/binfsci 21

TECHNOLOGY

PATHWAYS

Top tech schools Wondering how to choose a tech degree or course?

Here’s what to consider

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e. For some, ech careers truly are divers particularly if you can teach yourself – others, you’ll you’re self-driven – but for a university need specialist training or oose from the degree. So how do you ch er in Australia? hundreds of courses on off individual It all comes down to your you’re hoping to do circumstances and what when you graduate. ng to consider While rankings are one thi er factors to take when choosing a uni, oth experience options into account include work ry, the majors on and connections to indust the career you’re offer and how they link to ployment interested in, graduate em res, cost outcomes, ATAR cut-off sco

(including travel to the uni you choose), scholarship options and any student clubs you might be super keen to join.

Uni rankings take into account factors such as academic reputation, how many high-quality research papers it produces and how employers view its graduates. But they don’t include other important considerations like how students rate their uni experience, nor do they cover other institutions like TAFEs or vocational education colleges.

So figure out what’s important to you, make a checklist, do your research, and then when it comes time to make your choice you’ll be fully prepared. – Charis Palmer

Top tech unis* 1U niversity of Melbourne 2 Monash University 3 University of Sydney 4 ANU 5 UNSW 6 UTS 7 University of Adelaide

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8 Macquarie University

Did you know?

Computing and infor mation systems students at non-uni institutes rank their experience higher than those at universities, particu larly for student support.

*Rankings based on average of QS World University Rankings

by Subject 2024: Computer Science and Information Systems and Times Higher Education: Best universities in Australia for computer scienc e degrees 2024.

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

Source: QILT Studen t Experience Survey 2022

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TECHNOLOGY+CHARLES STURT UNIVERSITY

st trackll Dederer On the faersit y student Mitche Charles Sturt Univ e IT industry thanks to a paid is making waves in th tech firm IBM. internship with global pment, Mitchell’s pecialising in sof tware develo -accredited Bachelor of Australian Computer Society rles Sturt University has Information Technolog y at Cha eer in IT. set him up for a successful car my foot in the door, get “My internship helped me oduction to a career in and it’s been a fantastic intr “It’s given me opportunities technolog y,” Mitchell says. ics, and I’ve achieved to study a wide range of top ns, which have been a great several industry cer tificatio boon to my résumé.” to Charles Sturt’s expert Mitchell credits his success sive IT education. “I’ve lecturers and his comprehen with some ver y popular and studied and worked directly ing React JavaScript library, prolific technologies, includ esforce. I’ve also gained lots TypeScript language and Sal AI systems,” he says. of hands-on experience using many different types of “IT is such a vast field with so working in a development roles. I’m lucky enough to be where I want to grow my role in technolog y, which is career.” – Charis Palmer

S

mitchell dederer junior associate intern

Diploma of Software Development, Computer Software Engineering, TAFE NSW

Learn more about s at your study option ng csu.edu.au/computi Bachelor of Information Technology, Charles Sturt University (ongoing)

Junior associate intern, IBM

Power Powerupupananexciting excitingITITcareer careerwith withour ourinformation information Power Powerupupananexciting excitingITITcareer careerwith withour ourinformation information technology technologyand andcomputer computerscience sciencedegrees degrees technology technologyand andcomputer computerscience sciencedegrees degrees Cyber Cyber security. security.

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Whatever Whatever sparks sparks your your development. development.

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So follow So follow youryour passion passion with with our our flexible flexible Bachelor Bachelor of Information of Information or Bachelor of of There There has has never never been been a better a better time time to join to join the the IT Technology industry.

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Learn Learn more more Learn Learn more more csu.edu.au/computing csu.edu.au/computing TECHNOLOGY csu.edu.au/computing csu.edu.au/computing

© 2024©Charles 2024 Charles Sturt University Sturt University - TEQSA - TEQSA Provider Provider Identification: Identification: PRV12018 PRV12018 (Australian (Australian University).

University).

CRICOSCRICOS Provider: Provider: 00005F. 00005F. M3107. M3107.

Bachelor Bachelor of Information of Information Technology Technology CRICOSCRICOS 012006F. 012006F. © 2024©Charles 2024 Charles Sturt University Sturt University - TEQSA - TEQSA Provider Provider Identification: Identification: PRV12018 PRV12018 (Australian (Australian University).

University).

CRICOSCRICOS Provider: Provider: 00005F. 00005F. M3107. M3107.

Bachelor Bachelor of Information of Information Technology Technology CRICOSCRICOS 012006F. 012006F.

TECHNOLOGY+TRANSPORT

s s e c c u s o t d the roa Put yourself in the driver’s seat of a tech + transport career and you won’t look back!

F

rom GPS navigation and advanced traffic blind-spot monitoring to h is every where management systems, tec nt a career that helps in transport. So if you wa king the world more keep people safe while ma ther! sustainable, look no fur ic vehicles (EVs) and ctr ele of e With the ris f-driving cars), automated vehicles (or sel nd need skilled Australia and New Zeala lop and test new people to research, deve d safety, technologies related to roa tructure, ras incident management, inf ur sec ity. trip planning and cyber r roads will Having more EVs on ou to its net help Australia get closer transport zero goal – currently, the rd largest sector is the country’s thi les, as well hic ve emitter. Automated ology (that’s hn as connected vehicle tec ormation inf where vehicles exchange pla o y a part. with each other), will als rk in tech + It’s an exciting time to wo you get to play transport. Not only will l be helping your with the latest tech, you’l too. – Louise Meers community and planet

Get the skills Here are some of the skills you’ll need to score a tech + transport job :

Attention to detail

Whether it’s squashing bugs in lines of code or making sure all you r client’s needs are being met, being detail-oriented is a key skill for tech success.

Communication

Given you’ll be working wit h many different teams, you’ll need to be able to explain your ideas clearly and to different audiences.

Creativity

Yep, there’s a lot of logic in tech, but sometimes the best sol utions come from creative minds.

Data analysis

The ability to analyse data and apply what you learn to your product, sys tem or work is super important.

Problem-solving

Fun fact

People will look to you for the ver y best tech solutions. Are you up for the challenge?

In 2021, Hond a was the first manufactu rer to sell a car w ith level 3 self-driv in g tech nology .

Its system uses data from maps and a gl obal navigatio n satellite system , as wel l as heaps of ex ternal sensors, for ve hicle control.

Who’s hiring?

If you want a job in tech + transport, you could work for:

SHUTTERSTOCK

• Applied EV • Chargefox • Google • NEC • Tesla • Transmax • Transurban • State governments

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

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START YOUR CAREER HERE TECHNOLOGY + TRANSPORT + STUDY Certificate IV in Information Technology (Networking), TAFE NSW Diploma of Software Engineering, Torrens University

Awesome projects

Top technologies

Unis across Australia and New Zealand are working on epic solar cars and pushing the boundaries of tech in transport!

en it These will be important wh public comes to working with both s: and private transport system

Sunswift

• AI • Automation • Cloud computing • Data management • Digital connectivity • Drones and service robots • Smart sensors

UNSW

This project is all about developing sustainable automotive technology.

So far, the team has built seven solar vehicles, with the eighth currently in production. They’ve been part of (and won!) solar vehicle races, and even hold the Guinness World Record for completing 1000 km on a single charge in under 12 hours.

Bachelor of Information Technology (Data Analytics), Flinders University Bachelor of Information Technology (Data Engineering), TAFE NSW Bachelor of Science (Information and Technology Management), University of Auckland

Ascend

TECHNOLOGY + TRANSPORT + JOBS

Investigator IV

Cyber security analyst $59K–$122K / NZ$55K–NZ$133K

Deakin University Flinders University

Lumen II

Data architect $101K–$186K / NZ$100K–NZ$262K

The University of Adelaide

M024

Software engineer $61K–$126K / NZ$52K–NZ$101K

University of Auckland

Solar Spirit

Network engineer $56K–$128K / NZ$51K–NZ$109K

Australian National University Did you know?

UCM35

*Salaries according to payscale.com

In NSW, smart motorways use real-time information, communication and traffic control systems to improve traffic flow and reduce crashes by up to 30%.

How’s that for tech to the rescue!

University of Canterbury

Unlimited 5.0

Western Sydney University

25

TECHNOLOGY

D

ps was id you know that Google Ma stralia?! It’s come invented right here in Au now it’s even a long way since then, and vehicles (EVs)! Lots of being tailored for electric olved in making tech + transport pros are inv works with the latest sure it runs smoothly and what an average day EV models. We found out — Charis Palmer looks like for five of them.

Harrison Cook

Harrison’s top career tip

Software Engineer

Intern, Google

Software Engineer, Google

Do what doesn’t make you bored, where you can get into the flow.

Liv Nemes-Nemeth

Software Engineer, Google

Google Maps Meet the team that’s bringing into the age of electric vehicles

Software Engineer, Xero

arrison works on the app-wi de user interface for Google Maps for cars. When the colours were recently upd ated on Google Maps, Harrison helped adapt the new colours for an automotive context, tak ing into account factors like driver distractio n. “Sounds simple, but things like this can often take a while as we have to ensure every par t of the app still works and looks as expected, ” he says.

Harrison loves seeing his wo rk in action.

“It’s quite rewarding to see people liking (or occasionally not) the things I’ve worked on.

Sometimes it’s the real minor pieces of work people are most excited abo ut!”

Bachelor of Compute University of Cante r Science, rbury (NZ)

TECHNOLOGY+TRANSPORT: GOOGLE

ON TRACK

H

Liv’s top career tip

Bachelor of Science (computer science) / Bachelor of Arts (philosophy), University of Sydney

LAUREN TROMPP

Intern, Max Planck Institute for Software Systems

Software Engineer

Never pass up an tures iv works on Google Maps fea opportunity to do in s that help users plan longer trip something that excites through you because you don’t their EVs. When not talking gues, she feel like you’re good new features with her collea ting for enough for it. might be found coding or hun bugs in existing code. m “I love working on the EV tea efront of for because I get to work at the y, and log a new and important techno re help make that technolog y mo says.

Liv ” ne, ryo eve for manageable to an EV Switching from a petrol car most for ns ter pat breaks established Pat’s top I’m like y onl not people. “I love feeling career tip in some like o als but rs, use our g pin hel ne by small way I’m helping everyo Try out as many away making the essential transition diverse opportunities ” ier. eas ch mu t tha s car rol from pet as you can to broaden

L

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

your perspectives.

Bachelor of Design Computing (Minor in IT), Univers ity of Sydney Product Designer, Atlassian

Pat Hwang

User Experience Desig ner

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at works on the user experience (UX) of Google Maps’ navigation, testing and taking on feedback from users. He also designs user flows to make sure the app is easy and enjoyable to drive with.

After studying engineering and realising it wasn’t for him, Pat came across UX design and hasn’t looked back. “It was the perfect blend of both of my passions for creativity and technology,” Pat says.

Experience Design Intern, Deloitte Dig ita Guest Lecturer & Tut University of Sydne or, y

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User Experience Analyst, Triniti Studi User Experience Designer, Google

o

Bachelor of Creative Industries (Television and soun d design), QUT Product Manager, Jacaranda

Language Coordinato r, European Captioning Institute, London

Chief Product Officer, Cogniss

ps e Maps Automotive, Anna hel s a product manager on Googl y is pan is awesome and that the com ensure Google Maps in cars h ting wit a lot tures. This means collabora investing in the right new fea earchers, engineers, designers and res of people, including sof tware much time as nd spe to technolog y. “I try the h wit se clo up ting get and Maps,” Anna different cars using Google as possible driving in lots of to see how ns unfamiliar driving situatio says. “I like to put myself in also helps and ers better – it’s a lot of fun Google Maps could help driv ing can driv t of drivers and the stress tha me to understand the needs ” es. improvements to our featur cause to inspire new ideas and

A

Anna’s top career tip

Anna Goldfeder Product Manager

Product Manager, Google

Emily’s top career tip You miss 100% of the shots you never take, so try absolutely everything!

Curiosity is your superpower! When you’re curious you’re much more likely to learn new things.

Emily Duhne

Software engineer

formance of Google Maps in mily works on the ongoing per ht be learning how a par t of cars. On a typical day she mig other components and then code works or interacts with nge par t of my job is that any cha planning fixes. “The coolest s. across the world,” Emily say I make will impact people all k jan to ent em rov stantial imp “As an example, I made a sub s Thi ps.

Ma e ogl zen) across Go (which is where a screen is fro ing dur sed mis number of turns ended up also improving the in a car and someone is using sit I navigation. Now, any time helped improve that!” our product I can say that I

E WATCH Find out how ers these Google engine ch te in t ar got their st

Diploma of Professional Dance (Elite Performance), Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts Bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Adelaide

Bachelor of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, University of Adelaide

Research Scientist Cadet, Defence Science and Technology Group

27

Software Engineer, Google Australia

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY+TRANSPORT: GOOGLE

ardner r Sophie Gnc e Designe

user eXperie

in transit

Bachelor of Design Computing, University of Sydney

LAUREN TROMPP

UX Design summer internship, Google

UX Design internship, Palantir Technologies

Teaching Assistant for UX Design, University of Sydney

UX Designer, Google

UX designer Sophie Gardner lov es seeing people using Google Maps features sh e has worked on

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and a love of ith an obsession for computers her sights set hie well-designed things, Sop high of on computer design at the end but n, lised it the school. She may not have rea ) with technology was (UX s nce designing user experie the perfect career for her. done art or coding “I was worried that not having back but it didn’t at all,” in high school would hold me er too late to learn Sophie says. “Turns out it’s nev is easier than you think!” these skills and catching up Sophie works with As a UX designer at Google, blems a team to understand the pro with ideas to help up e com people are having and solve them. nagers and engineers “I then work with product ma and real working to turn these ideas into code for people all around the features inside Google Maps world to use,” Sophie says. ps for public Her team works on Google Ma s connect all the transport, helping commuter to get around. different modes of transport as and seeing people Sophie loves travelling overse Maps features she walking around using Google features are helping se worked on. “Seeing that the

people everywhere get around is such an amazing feeling,” Sophie says.

Her advice to students is to gain experience through internships and paid work, and to ask for feedback. “Don’t spend the first few years of your degree trying to figure everyt hing out on your own.

Other people have helpful adv ice to give!”

And she says there are lots of exciting opportunities for aspiring UX designers.

“The breadth of industries tha t are now hiring UX designers means you can really combine any passion of yours with UX,” Sop hie says.

“UX design no longer means just making websites or apps; there are so many exp eriences that UX designers are being hired to make, from voice to experience design.” – Charis Palmer

you can really combine any passion of yours with UX”

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

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TECHNOLOGY+TRANSPORT

Renee’s advice to young people in STEM “Attend career da ys, go to un iversity open days and ask your friends and fa m ily more about what they do in ST EM.”

Train tech helps you Renee Ngan’s software ever you are! get from A to B, wher

E

SHUTTERSTOCK

l apps know ver wondered how trave is and when it in exactly where your tra nks to tha will get to you? That’s all at r team people like Renee and he W. Transport for NS in Renee’s team specialises from ut inp es a system that receiv d an trains all across Sydney Google broadcasts it to apps like iew.

Maps, TripGo and TripV e In primary school, Rene an e com be thought she’d enjoyed accountant because she t when Bu . ers working with numb eering at gin en t she learnt more abou t was the tha ed high school, she decid caught my ng career for her. “Engineeri olv inv es a lot of interest as a field which o has work that problem-solving, and als says. feels very tangible,” she ing at uni with eer gin en d Renee studie Engineering a concurrent Diploma of she successfully ing dy Practice. While stu cadetship with applied for a three-year Sydney Trains).

RailCorp (later known as duate, Renee When it came time to gra been one of her faced what she says has so far: finding the biggest career challenges

Renee Ngan Senior technical specialist confidence to apply for he r current position. She even tually submitted her application and got the job, securing a ca reer that she loves.

“I’m constantly moving onto new projects and the next challenge,” she says.

Not only does Renee cre ate essential transport softw are, she also creates knitting projects that win ribbons at the Sydney Royal Easte r Show!

– Saskia Horgan-Catchpo le

engineering caught my interest as a field which involves lots of problemsolving and tangible work”

ineering) / and Mechatronic Eng ering (Mechanicalng UTS e, tic ac Pr Bachelor of Enginelom a of Engineeri Dip t3– Technical Specialisguration Confi t2– ms lis cia ste Sy Spe l ol ica ntr hn Co Tec nfiguration Design, Sydney Trains Control Systems Co Design, Sydney Trains

29

Engineering cadet, RailCorp cialist, Senior Technical Spe ins Tra y dne Sy

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY+CYBER SECURITY

CAN YOU HACK IT? Skill up for a career in this high-demand area

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ying on technology and ith so much of daily life rel urity is becoming an wireless services, cyber sec ld. increasingly important fie l like the police of the virtua Cyber security analysts are nts businesses and governme world: they protect people, ing nd po res d an s, ipating threat from cyber crimes by antic occur. to breaches when they do ge of a is experiencing a shorta ali The problem is… Austr l field. – Amy Briggs people in this professiona

make it personal not limited Cyber security attacks are mpanies co to just areas of big tech or e three with novel technologies. Th : most targeted sectors are

• Public sector de • Retail and wholesale tra nal • Commercial and professio services sations Many companies and organi sses, dre ad store personal data like d car names, birthdays and credit attack details. One cyber-security tails. de se tho of could reveal some e of tur pic a But with more attacks, e. zzl you can be formed like a pu

SHUTTERSTOCK

Learn from it’s like to Jasmine Dong about w cyber secu be on the frontlines hat inspire morerity, as she strives t of o women into tech!

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

The landscape is angin g, and more diverse voiceschar e joining the conversation.

STEM is all about solving proble ms , and it’s incredibly rewarding and fun” Read her pr ofile on p32

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START YOUR CAREER HERE TECHNOLOGY + CYBER SECURITY + STUDY

The career sk ls in highest demanil d

Bachelor of Cyber Security, UNSW Canberra

Offensive security

Use your skills to help make sur e oranisations are protected from hacking… by doing it yourself! You get to seek out vulnerabilities in their systems and report bac k on how you’re able to get through.

Bachelor of Cyber Security, Griffith University Bachelor of Cyber Security, Macquarie University

Security operations

Help maintain and organise the infrastructure in an organsiation that keeps it secure.

Keeping tabs on software upd ates, hardware updates and all IT infrastructur e in an organisation is a big task… one you could be up for with this in-demand ski ll!

Bachelor of Cybersecurity, Torrens University Bachelor of Cyber Security, RMIT

Artificial intelligence

Many dif ferent sectors are int egrating AI into their operations now, makin g this a useful skill to have on your resume!

There are lots of ways to work with AI, from tra ining models to looking into the ethics of thi s tech.

Research has al shown 60% of glob y rit IT and cyber secu ng li leaders are strugg

to hire qualified cyber security candidates.

Experts say AI will presen t new risks in the future with digital fra ud increasing… so AI experien ce is a serious plus!

TECHNOLOGY + CYBER SECURITY + JOBS Cyber security analyst $59K–$122K / NZ$56K–NZ$134K

Soft skills

• Attention to detail • Creative problem-solving • Clear communication • Adaptability

Penetration tester $58K–$148K / NZ$71K–NZ$89K Cyber security engineer $65K–$151K / NZ$70K–NZ$146K

Hard skills

• Computer science fundame ntals •K nowledge of programming languages •U p-to-date on attack tools an d techniques

Turn to page 15 to find pathways into cyber security that don’t involve a degree.

*Salaries according to payscale.com

pean, Check out Andra Cim curity se r be cy ied who stud ity. rs ive Un at Edith Cowan

rong and ety i design stn af s a d put stop m e t s y s e f s sa place to essing c measures in ys from ac the bad gu formation” data and in 3 Read her profile on p3

31

TECHNOLOGY

Founder, Baidam Solutions Investment retail portfolio manager, Indigenous Business Australia

Reis switched After a career in the NRL, Jack curity company tracks and founded a cyber se

jack reis cyber security specialist

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Finding your path There are conventional and non-conventional pathways into cyber. I learnt cyber security by working in it. A lot of schools now are introducing IT into their classes but, to be frank, we look for kids who are curious. You know how to use an iPhone or play an Xbox?

You’re on your way.

Don’t stress about not knowing exactly where you’ll end up. You need drive, a good work ethic and resilience. It might not be easy but it gets better. My advice: trust the process, trust your heart and be patient. – Danika Davis with Jack Reis

at investment opportunit ies for the government. All that tim e I knew I wanted to own my own company bu t I didn’t know what in. Then an opportunity landed in my lap – that was cyber security.

Five years ago, when I sta rted Baidam Solutions, I couldn’t name any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander CE O or CIOs. I wanted to create ‘the role model of cyber’ and find the Johnathon Thurston – the JT – of IT. If you don’t want to kick a footy like JT, you want to game and code, we can sh ow you somebody who’s done it.

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

know how to use an iphone or play an xbox? you’re on your way” 32

banking and finance at QUT

Branch manager, Commonwealth Bank

s a kid, I wanted to be a sports star – something I attribute to watching stars. our First Nations sports ey I was signed to the Sydn ars Roosters at 17 but two ye d an d ure inj later I got couldn’t play anymore. had Luckily I was young and ork tw a good support ne died around me. I went and stu iversity un at banking and finance ing. nk ba and started a career in equity te I did some time in priva ls of and learnt the fundamenta o business. Then I went int nt me est inv an government as king loo , ger na retail portfolio ma

Professional rugby league player

TECHNOLOGY+CYBER SECURITY

Cyber boss

Security engineer Ka bir ac comps and working wi harya loves security th others to keep ahead in his field

G

eak technolog y”, rowing up with a desire to “br in cyber security.

Kabir was made for a career ject was sof tware e In years 11 and 12 his fav sub en he found out Macquarie design and development. Wh Bachelor of Cyber Security, University was introducing a he was sold immediately. at I wanted to do,” Kabir “I knew that was exactly wh ensive security, which is says. “I wanted to work in off breaking things.” ver y hands on and all about er at Australian sof tware Kabir is now a security engine a lot outside the office too. giant Atlassian, but he does keep your knowledge “It’s important to constantly y industry,” Kabir says. base updated in the securit y competitions, called CTFs “I also par ticipate in securit rld stage. I started doing [Capture the Flags], on the wo

TECHNOLOGY+CYBER SECURITY: MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY

Move fast and break things

Kabir Acharya

this in my first year of university and it significantly helped my career prospects by proving my passion and skills to employers.”

He says the coolest thing about his job at Atlassian is working collaboratively to find novel vulnerabilities in security systems.

“Being able to work with other software and security engineers to achieve similar goals, share knowledge and learn from others is very helpful and brings a social aspect into work,” Kabir says.

His advice to students considering cyber security is not to worry about your ATAR. “My ATAR did not contribute to me landing my job,” Kabir says. “I think this can be generalised to any field that isn’t hinged on a perfect ATAR. Don’t skimp on extracurricular research and work that aligns with your interests.” – Charis Palmer

Security engineer

doing security comps my significantly helped career prospects” Summer Camp, National Computer Science School

Bachelor of Cyber Security, Macquarie University

Security Engineering Intern, Atlassian

33

Cyber Security Intern, Macquarie University

Security Engineer, Atlassian

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY+CYBER SECURITY

Inspiring leader

lem-solving Jasmine Dong is using her prob n into tech skills to inspire more NZ wome

Jasmine Dong Cyber security consultant

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SHUTTERSTOCK

orking on the frontlines of cyber security in New ors, Zealand, Jasmine monit cyber detects and responds to basis. ily da a security threats on ging an ch y idl It’s an exciting, rap r he s say environment that she for. r he red STEM education prepa on d rke “During my studies, I wo d ine ga I ere various assignments wh s, sic foren practical skills in digital ntesting, pe d an e ns incident respo ity incidents and learning to analyse secur identify vulnerabilities.” job as a cyber To help land her current ne undertook a range security consultant, Jasmi ips alongside her uni of cyber security internsh ed through the New course, which she access program.

Zealand Summer of Tech ving and a desire to A passion for problem-sol tation of women in bridge the underrepresen for ward in her career. tech has driven Jasmine n in tech, I wanted “Seeing the lack of wome and inspire more to change that narrative she says. women to join the field,” ge of continuously “Additionally, the challen cyber sec ur ity’s lea rn ing and ad apting in Bachelor of Engineering (Cyber Security) (Honours), Victoria University of Wellington

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

ever-ch anging environ ment keeps me engaged and ex cited about future possibilitie s in this field.”

After being involved wi th the Women in Tech Committe e at Victoria University, Jasmi ne has now turned her attentio n to developing an app desig ned to inspire teenage girls to pursue ST EM careers.

She says young people wa nting to break into the industry shouldn’t be put off if they feel underrepresented.

“The landscape is changin g, and more diverse voices are joinin g the conversation.

STEM is all about solvin g problems, and it’s incredibly rewarding an d fun.” – Reece Hooker

the challenge of continuously learni cyber security keepsng in engaged and excited” me

Security operations internship, InPhySec Security

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Information security internship, Z Energy

Graduate cyber security consultant, EY

TECHNOLOGY+CYBER SECURITY: EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY

Safety first Andra Cimpean works on the frontlines of cyber security to protect her friends and family

A

the West s a cyber security analyst in helps ra And Australian government, online. ple peo protect the information of put and s tem “I design strong and safe sys bad t stop the safety measures in place tha information and a dat guys from accessing she says. they shouldn’t be allowed to,” is getting to job “The coolest par t of my when faced is e see how strong the defenc with attacks.” was taking up all Her pathway to this dream gig through her degree at the opportunities unlocked luding networking Edith Cowan University, inc lots of fun studying events and internships. “I had work with so many my degree because I got to ut their countries people and learnt so much abo and life stories.” ving – a skill she Andra says that problem-sol ss player – is an honed as a professional che

Andra Cimpea

n Cyber security analys t

essential part of her role. “If I were to desc ribe my job I would say it’s like a puzzle,” she says.

Andra initially studie d a Bachelor of Psycho log y, but then stumb led upon cyber security and wa s captivated.

Looking to the future of her field, Andra is excited about the challenges and opportunities that AI presents. “We must lea rn how to use AI resp onsibly as a tool rather than fearing it!” – Amy Brigg s

i had lots of fun studying because i t to work with so many peoplego ”

Top tips

SHUTTERSTOCK

Andra’s tips for keepin g your data sa fe in clude choosin g lon g pa ssword s and not click in g on lin ks un less you were ex pecti ng to receive one.

Bachelor of Psychology, West University of Timisoara

Master of Cyber Security, Edith Cowan University

35

Cyber security analyst, Department of the Premier and Cabinet of WA

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY+GAMING & ANIMATION

GAME ON

ing and fun STEM Here’s how to unlock an excit career in gaming and animation

O

rprising) ne of the best (and most su it can lead to things about STEM is how other STEM a highly creative career. An ur hobbies, perk? It mixes well with yo sts. If you’re a gamer, passions and other intere about the latest artist or know everything re is a place for you movies and TV shows, the ing or animation in STEM – and a gig in gam could be the perfect fit. e, PC and You could work on mobil lity, platformers rea l tua roleplaying games, vir e studios, you’ll be and more. And besides gam ployers too. in demand with other em d in industries like Gamification is being use ance and education, health, retail, fin engagement and hospitality for marketing, training purposes. e? If you dream Is animation more your lan d movie or making of working on an animate e, studying the next viral app or gam ll help get you there. animation after school wi ur tech + art skills to You could go on to use yo TV and programs, create visuals for games, m the and work everywhere fro software to ry ust ind entertainment . – Louise Meers ing rtis ve publishing and ad

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Boost your XP You can start sharpening you r gaming and animation skills while still at high school. Future gam e developers should check out Scratch, Google for Games, Game Builder Garage and eve n Super Mario Maker to start getting a feel for how games are put together and what eleme nts you need. Animators might like to get a head start by teaching themselves how to use Adobe Animate, Adobe After Effect s and Toon Boom Harmony.

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

Level up lification, there When it comes to getting a qua and uni options to are a range of amazing VET best path for you, choose from. To work out the ’d like to specialise have a think about what you tion, programming, in – that might be 3D anima r experience. design, mobile devices or use the options is to Another way to narrow down ’d like to go to uni, think about whether or not you nal school or or if TAFE or another vocatio for you. institute would be a better fit

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START YOUR CAREER HERE TECHNOLOGY + GAMING & ANIMATION + STUDY

Let’s-a-go!

There are so many cool roles in gaming and animation. You could be a:

Bachelor of Animation, Griffith University

✔ 3D artist or modeller ✔ Game level designer

✔ Animator ✔ Audio designer

✔ Graphic artist or designer

✔ Character rigger

✔ Graphics programmer

✔ Environmental designer

✔ Quality assurance officer

✔ Content designer

✔ Simulation specialist

✔ Game designer ✔ Game developer

✔ Systems designer ✔ User experience designer ✔ Visual effects artist

Bachelor of Creative Technologies – Game Art, Media Design School Bachelor of Game Development (Game Design), AIE Institute Diploma of 3D Design and Animation, Torrens University Diploma of Information Technology (Game Programming), TAFE NSW Diploma of Screen and Media (Animation, Gaming and Visual Effects), RMIT

TECHNOLOGY + GAMING & ANIMATION + JOBS Animator $45K–$85K / NZ$43K–NZ$144K

games Get paid to playen sta ll and

n dyk oliver va engineer

Hemp QU T grad s Rachel d roles as quality de lan k Oliver Va n Dy ane at Ga meloft in Brisb assu ra nce testers t. en ev ing ork tw ne i after attendin g a un to try to s their job As QA testers, it wa at Ga meloft years ll Sti s! me ga break a 3D ar tist and w no later, Rachel is e en gineer.

Oliver is a softwar ir study the t Read more abou .ly/ bit : ths pa r ree and ca rs creativega mi ngca ree

Video game designer $48K–$97K / NZ$54K–NZ$80K Software developer (games) $52K–$116K / NZ$52K–NZ$101K *Salaries according to payscale.com

software

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TECHNOLOGY

Game developer, SkillsVR

TECHNOLOGY+GAMING & ANIMATION

Intern, StretchSense

David Haverland Game

ng Bachelor of Engineeri School ineering), Media Design Eng e ar ftw So r ute (Comp

il drafting cadet, Structur al and civ nsultants Quoin Structur al Co

developer

STEM in motion

Haverland the tools to set Studying STEM has given David

D

ssionate about avid has always been pa st job took him in making games, but his fir . a very different direction g cadet to earn ftin dra al “I started as a structur rience before pursuing money and gain life expe ment,” he says. my dream of game develop studied computer After high school, David d landed an internship software engineering an cialised in motion with a company that spe capture gloves. them, showing how “I did content creation for I got to meet many their gloves can be used. people who had worked professionals, including on my favourite games.” background in This experience, plus his land his dream job in STEM, later helped him w Zealand. game development in Ne has allowed me to “Having a career in STEM since many skills are pivot as much as I want am very passionate transferable,” he says. “I

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

high scores all day

about my job but being ab le to also come home at the end of the day and wo rk on my own dream is what gets me out of be d every day.”

One of his current projec ts began as a side project at home. “I broug ht it to my manager and we quickly merged it into another ongoing project. Because of this, I was able to help guide the project from an early stage.”

David’s dedication and pa ssion for game development haven’t gon e unnoticed on the world stage. Two games he made while still at uni won a student prize at New Zealand’s game awards, and another was a finalist in The Game Development World Cham pionship.

David’s advice to young STEM enthusiasts who want to follow a sim ilar path? “Take every opportunity to learn and grow. The skills you develop can open doors to diverse and exciting career paths.” – Reece Ho oker

having a career in stem has allowed me to pivot as much as I want” 38

s to After transitioning from the art tual vir s ate cre now STEM, Rebecca Jeffries up! reality games from the ground

TECHNOLOGY+GAMING & ANIMATION: QUT

Start a new chapter

Jeffries Rebecca me s and Video ga animation student

W

ng careers ith the average person changi important to keep several times in their life, it’s you might end up. an open mind about where when she realised life as That’s what Rebecca found suited her. a classroom teacher no longer studied music and After high school, Rebecca a teacher and as teaching before working as y theatre groups. While she a keyboardist for communit h jobs, she found herself loved the creative side of bot she could see herself wondering if this was a career doing forever. than just waiting for the “I wanted my life to be more you can decide to become weekends. At any moment, not obligated to make a dif ferent person – you’re er people perceive you,” decisions based on how oth Rebecca says. leap and enrolled in Eventually, Rebecca took the eractive Environments a Bachelor of Games and Int T. Her new pathway allows majoring in animation at QU ting with programming, her to combine her love of wri ual worlds. art and constructing new virt

Now in her third year, Rebecc a recently created a virtual reality (VR) game fro m scratch! During her final semester, she plans to progra m a character to respond in real-time to a virtual environ ment. She’s excited to tackle the code needed to ma ke the game work.

Rebecca says her QUT lectur ers and tutors have been an important suppor t net wo rk during her transition bet ween careers.

Her advice to others startin g out on a STEM pathway?

“Stay curious and learn from a variety of sources. Stay earnest and tenacious. Ask the ‘stupid’ question – don ’t assume the answer won’t be given to you, ask any way.

And write everything down!”

– Saskia Horgan-Catchpole

At any moment, you can decide to become a different person – you’re not obligated to make decisions based on how other people perceive you”

Bachelor of Music (Composition), Queensland Conservatorium – Griffith University Piano tutor

Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary), QUT

Classroom teacher

Bachelor of Games and Interactive Environments (Animation), QUT (ongoing)

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TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY+GAMING & ANIMATION

Race for talent Australia and New Zealand are in hot competition for gaming and animation specialists

SHUTTERSTOCK

S

porting rivals since way back, Australia and New Zealand are also competitors when it comes to the gaming and animation sectors. Both countries use tax incentives to lure big game and film producers to their shores.

And when they land, they need people with gaming and animation skills to deliver.

For example, the new Lord of the Rings movie, set to land on our screens in 2026, will involve plenty of animation work.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand Game Developers Association says skills shortages remain a constraint on the sector’s growth.

A recent survey found 35% of studios say it’s challenging to recruit qualified programmers, especially those with experience. And 20% find it challenging to recruit 3D artists or animators.

In 2023, the numer of people employed by Australia’s game development studios grew by 17%. So whether you’re based in New Zealand or Australia, gaming and animation is a serious STEM career to consider. – Charis Palmer

Who’s hiring •B lind Squirrel Games (New Zealand and US) • Gameloft (Global) •H alfbrick Studios (Australia) •N ot Doppler (Australia) •O uterdawn (New Zealand) Star power

says Screen New Zeala nd ects eff l ua vis 0 15 st at lea from ve mo to jobs are ex pected the of n tio uc od pr the US, as sol idated Avatar sequels is con in New Zeala nd in com ing years.

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

40

• PikPok (New Zealand) • Riot Games (Global) • Ubisoft (Australia) •W eta FX (New Zealand)

Ethan Uy’s pathway is playing out like an action packed RPG: fast-paced and full of side quests

E

gaming startup with cla ssmates and released the successful sim Bron zebeard’s Tavern.

With a CV full of real-w orld experience, Ethan scored a game de veloper gig at BIGA straight out of his final ye ar, and now spends 9ish to 5ish programming features and creating games from scratch.

And yep, button mashing is legit part of the role. “I’m always fiddling with a controller,” he admits. “Sometimes we have to play the same scenario over and over to squish a weird bug.”

ethan uy

game developer

THE MERMAID MENZT/ SHUTTERSTOCK

start early

For anyone keen to pursu e a career in game design, Ethan recomme nds developing a strong portfolio before you finish Year 12.

“There’s no better way to show off your personality and experie nce with basic games that you have designed/ programmed yourself,” he stresses.

The best way to get skille d up? “Keep playing,” Ethan says. “E xpose yourself to every thing!” – Cassie Ste el

finding out we haveNZ a great course here” in changed everything 41

Bachelo (Computer Softwarreof Software Engineering Engineering), Media Des ign School

chelor of Software Media Design School’s Ba for his dream career Engineering set Ethan up me assignments and in NZ. On top of the aweso also launched an indie industry-led lectures, he

The Mermaid Mnz, Pro t Manager, Back End & System jec Progr ammer

Level up

Game developer, BIGA

career in game than pressed play on his in high school. He design while he was still the look and feel of became fascinated with -diving into advanced PSP and PC games, deep d playing around with animation techniques an . code – from his bedroom mes was Team ga e rit ou fav “One of my a program that was Fortress 2 and there was Filmmaker,” he says. free to use called Source to code with my first “From there, I learnt how made some of my language being Lua and dio.” first games in Roblox Stu sses in Py thon and cla At school, Ethan took n he learnt he could basic website design. Whe design? Game over! make a career out of game a possibility, and that “Finding out that it was ered here in New we have a great course off thing,” he says. “I’ve Zealand, changed every never looked back!”

TECHNOLOGY+GAMING & ANIMATION: MEDIA DESIGN SCHOOL

Not a hobby

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY+PSYCHOLOGY

GET PSYCHED 5 hnology and psychology? tec ing dy stu n ee tw be se oo Can’t ch to combine the two Don’t! There are plenty of ways

T

ow a thing or ech professionals who kn n dive into so two about psychology ca sting jobs. many exciting and intere nk gives everyone Knowing how people thi X) designers to from user experience (U an edge. They nts cyber security consulta d use it to their can predict behaviour an be to create an advantage, whether that shopping app, or intuitive and successful e it happens. to stop online fraud befor nsfer straight into Psychology skills that tra e communication, the tech industry includ nking, research critical and analytical thi your tech + psych re and organisation. Explo Meers options below. – Louise

Deep dive into psychology careers with our Psychologist Job Kit. It’s an eight-page mini magazine that’ll get you psyched for all the places this area of study could take you. Get your copy at bit.ly/CwSTEMJK

1Cyber security analyst

Having an understanding of mind works, and how people how the human be can be super beneficial in tra have online, cking down hackers and fraudsters.

2deGasimegndeerveloper or

Psych skills help the gaming ind player motivation, build emoti ustry work out on and gameplay, and create eng in the story aging and intuitive user experiences.

3Product manager

Knowing how people make interact with products helps decisions and pro work out ways to drive and boo duct managers st sales.

4UX/UI designer

CAREERS wit

hSTEM JOB KIT ™

Free download

tech+psych careers to know about

These creative tech legend people use a product, as we s research how ll as their attitudes towards it, and incorporate that knowledge into a product’s final design for eas e-of-use.

5Web designer Psychologist Make a difference with a career studying the human mind

By using design elements typography, spacing and lay like colour, ou help build websites that look t, web designers good, are user friendly and can drive clicks and sales.

lauren fell

space startup founde r

Success

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story L auren Fel l has had a su career, hav per varied in g worked in user ex pe consu ltin g an rience d on projects look in g at th of v ir tual re e use al ity for ne urod iverse She’s even people. ta ken part in (a nd won design chal ) NA SA len ges, fou nd ed a space and co-desig star tup ned an app to help men health prof ta l essionals st ream li ne th reportin g. Sh eir e now helps students u nderstand the role of te ch in society. Chec k out her C V and read her fu ll stor y here : bit.ly/laure nfell

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

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START YOUR CAREER HERE

UX/UI explained Psychology is a huge part of UX /UI design. And, according to SE EK, jobs in this space are set to grow by 21.7% over the next five years!

WHAT IS UX?

UX (user experience) is all abo ut designing intuitive, easy-to-u se products such as websites and apps. A UX designer tak es on the perspective of the end-user – mapping out, fro m start to finish, how they would use the product. They then come up with solutions for any ‘pa in points’ (or problems) in the user’s journey. To do this, they con duct lots of research to find out more about their target users and what their needs are.

OKAY THEN, SO WHAT IS

UI? UI (user interface) is concerned with the overall look of a product – thin k: icons, colours, typography and ima gery. A UI designer considers accessibil ity (such as font size, colour contrast and spa cing), and takes findings from a UX designer bef ore creating designs that will be used in the product.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEE N UX AND UI IS …

UX is about the overall experie nce the user has with a product (how it fee ls), while UI focuses on the visuals (how it looks).

WHAT TO STUDY

TECHNOLOGY+ PSYCHOLOGY + STUDY Bachelor of Cybersecurity / Bachelor of Psychological Science, La Trobe University Bachelor of UX and Web Design, Torrens University Bachelor of Information (Web Design and Development), University of Wollongong

TECHNOLOGY+ PSYCHOLOGY + JOBS Cyber security analyst $59K–$122K / NZ$55K–NZ$133K Product manager (software) $76K–$154K / NZ$67K–NZ$146K UX designer $58K–$119K / NZ$52K–NZ$105K *Salaries according to payscale.com

You can learn more about bot h UX and UI by studying a Bachelor of Comp uter Science, a Bachelor of Computational De sign or a Bachelor of Design Comp uting. Some universities also offer short courses on UX and UI, such as the Universit y of Sydney’s Introduction to User Experie nce (UX) Design Course, and RMIT’s Fut ure Skills Short Course in User Interface Design.

WHERE YOU COULD WOR

K UX and UI designers can be found in all kinds of industries. Think:

• Technology • Finance • Re tail • Government • Health • Manufacturing • Travel

43

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY+PSYCHOLOGY

Designed for humans hology skills to help Kate Nielsen is using her psyc people make software work better for

K

SHUTTERSTOCK

p in New ate works for a new startu wered Zealand that makes AI-po tware. management support sof that Her career path is proof l asset in rea a psycholog y skills are the tech industry.

X)/user As a user experience (U Kate’s job to interface (UI) designer, it’s company’s ensure that users of her intuitively. software can navigate it amount of “With AI, there is a huge behaviour change human psycholog y and idered,” she says. that is already being cons log y and product Using her skills in psycho nk about what users design, Kate is able to thi need. of her software actually of that gap between “My interest area is kind n,” she says. the product and the huma te was interested in While studying at uni, Ka her upskill in product projects that would help come interested in design. This led her to be tech and UX/UI design. problem-solving “I was really interested in s also just really and innovating, but I wa interested in people.”

kate nielsen Ux/UI designer

Kate’s first real taste of UX design came when sh e scored a user experience internship at Atlassian du ring her third year of uni.

“It was really awesome lea rning there and it actually em bedded so much of my science degree. It all started connecting massively with psycholog y especially.”

Not coming from a tech background initially, Kate had a steep learning curve when it came to understanding how to translate her psycholog y skills into tec h principles.

Overall, Kate has found her unique perspective a bonus for her work. “Having a bit of a deeper understand of human psycholog y… bringing that into my wo rk as a designer has been really interesting.”

– Amy Briggs

Bachelor of Product Design (industrial) / bachelor of Science (Psychology), University of Canterbury User experience research internship, Atlassian

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

UX/UI designer, Latent

44

Product design internship, Enztec Product design and science tutor, University of Canterbury

Next-gen designer Annie Tran is using her creativity to carve out a career in tech

choose your path at torrens • Diploma of UX and Web De

sign

•B achelor of UX and Web De

sign

•G raduate Certificate of UX Design More at: torrens.edu.au/co urses/ technology

annie tran

L

pathway has ike most creatives, Annie’s been colour ful and nonlinear. er high Stumped on what to study aft rce me com d die school, she initially stu t. and worked as a consultan nts on “I worked with a variety of clie m fro different projects, and people s say of her various backgrounds,” Annie n realised first corporate role. “But I soo solving and two things: I loved problemgs.” thin ing ign I wanted to be des completely, eer car Before uprooting her UX design, in rse Annie took a par t-time cou ity (not ativ cre t which confirmed for her tha consulting) was her calling.

ux/ui designer

role at Transport NSW, where a big part of her job involves un derstanding user needs, problems and behaviours.

“This knowledge helps me design digital products that are ef fective, intuitive and engagin g,” she says.

Smart art

When she’s not analy sing her users by conducting surveys, collecting data and do ing user-testing, Annie sp ends her week designin g simple and engaging user inter faces for th e Transport NSW webs ite and Opal travel ap p.

Her advice to student s keen to future-proof their pathways? “Pursue a degree in a related fie ld, connect with profess ionals on LinkedIn an d familiarise yourself wi th the design tools for your field,” she says. “Also , attend design meetups to learn about the lates t trends and build your network, before you even start studying!” – Cassie Ste el

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Psyched up

duate Cer tificate of For Annie, enrolling in a Gra s University’s Billy Blue UX and Web Design at Torren the natural next step.

College of Design seemed like damentals and “My goal was to learn the fun s,” Annie says of gap dge address any skill or knowle lly focused on creating her time at Billy Blue. “I rea to showcase my skills case studies for my por tfolio and experience.” lls Annie learnt was One of the most valuable ski ciples to inform design how to use psychological prin otal in her first UX /UI decisions. This has proven piv Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Marketing), University of Sydney Service designer, Transport for NSW

TECHNOLOGY+PSYCHOLOGY: TORRENS UNIVERSITY

Creative technologist

I focused on creating a portfolio to showcase my skills and experience” Senior consultant, EY

Graduate Certificate in UX and Web Design, Billy Blue College of Design at Torrens University

45

User experience design, course UX/UI design lead, Transport for NSW

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY+AI & ROBOTICS

I A E L B I S N O RESP

ly? ve to ensure it’s human-friend mo the of rt pa be t no y wh re, he In a world where AI is everyw

A

t found 84% recent study from Microsof are already a ali str of desk workers in Au United the d using AI in their jobs. An of % says 70 Nations Children’s Fund used ve ha nts Australian stude the last 12 in ot atb a generative AI ch d one to use ve ha months. One in five ir the do write an assignment or schoolwork for them! am use, Now that AI is in mainstre leaders are government and company ng it talking a lot more about usi means AI ible ns spo responsibly. Re systems in developing and using AI and society. le op pe a way that benefits philosophy and ing bin So if the idea of com ology sounds ethics with the latest techn th waiting for pa appealing, there’s a career aris Palmer you in responsible AI. – Ch

For teachers

Day of AI Aust ra lia is a free classroom prog ra m for Austra lia n teachers and st udents in year s 5-10.

It includes a le sson designed to be taug ht by an y teacher on ‘Eth ics and re sponsible use of AI’. Fi nd ou t more at dayofa iaustral ia.com

Tech+Responsible AI Jobs AI Ethicist

The 100 Jobs of the Future report places ‘robot ethicist’ in the top tech jobs of the future. In this job you’ll work on ethics across AI, robots and augmented or virtual reality .

User experience designer

UX designers are the behind -thescenes heroes helping to ens ure tech is as easy and enjoyable to use as possible. And to do so they need a handle on responsible AI.

Product manager

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Tech product managers can play a crucial role in helping bake ethics into AI-reliant products right from the start.

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

Meet an AI Ethicist With serious credentials in philosophy and cognitive science, Inês is at the Ê forefront of responsible AI. The Ó also er tur lec y rsit ive AI Un ethicist arie cqu Ma led MissionAI to founded her own company cal organisations prevent bias act as an AI ethicist, helping of AI. and protect privacy in their use shipolito Check out Ines’s CV: bit.ly/ine

Dr In s Hip lito

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Australia’s 8 AI Ethics Principles human, societal and environmental wellbeing

AI systems should benefit ind ividuals, society and the environment.

Human-centred valu es

AI systems should respect hum an rights, diversity and the autonomy of individuals.

Fairness

AI systems should be inclus ive and accessible, and should not inv olve or result in unfair discrimination against individuals, communities or groups.

Bachelor of Information Technology (AI & Philosophy), Macquarie University Bachelor of Artificial Intelligence, UTS

Reliability and safe ty

AI systems should reliably ope rate in accordance with their intend ed purpose.

TECHNOLOGY + AI & ROBOTICS + JOBS

Transparency an explainability d

AI specialist $61K–$150K / NZ$54K–NZ$142K

Contestability

When an AI system significan tly impacts a person, community, group or environment, there should be a timely process to allow people to cha llenge the use or outcomes of the AI sys tem.

Accountability

™

Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) / Master of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, QUT

Responsible Artificial Intelligence online course, TAFE NSW

There should be transparency and responsible disclosure so peo ple can understand when AI is impact ing them and know when they’re engagi ng with AI.

wit ST

TECHNOLOGY + AI & ROBOTICS + STUDY

Privacy protection and security

AI systems should respect and uphold privacy rights and data protec tion, and ensure the security of data.

S CAhREER EM JOB KIT

START YOUR CAREER HERE

People responsible for AI sys tems should be identifiable and accountab le for the outcomes of the systems, and human oversight of AI should be ena bled.

Product manager (software) $76K–$154K / NZ$67K–NZ$146K UX designer $58K–$119K / NZ$52K–NZ$105K Machine learning engineer $60K–$148K / NZ$58K–NZ$128K Automation engineer $58K–$125K / NZ$75K–NZ$87K *Salaries according to payscale.com

Free download

This free Careers with STEM job kit download AI your introduction to careers in ethical AI. ETHICIST isInside, you’ll find stories about what AI helping Discover this growing field e is safe ensure Artificial Intelligenc and beneficial to humanity

ethicists do, plus salary insights and advice from those already working in this field.

47

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY+AI & ROBOTICS

Robotics meets art combining Neve Foxcroft loves ich makes robotics with art, whe of the her job operating on Australia’s National Gallery of its most expensive exhib the perfect fit!

Neve Foxcroft Ro botic art technician

AMY BRIGGS

G

rowing up, Neve had a passion for both art and science, but when e, it came to choosing a degre t. ou n wo her creative side e, “I loved both, and I was lik s. say e sh ‘which way do I go?’” appear dis n’t Her love of science did to combine rnt lea though – she eventually rob gh otics. it with her artwork throu art, it’s all science“Even when I’m making based,” she says. ew her hat into After graduating, Neve thr tional Gallery of the ring for a role at the Na te missing a key Australia (NGA), and despi robotics) listed in the prerequisite (a degree in ! job ad, she landed the gig ns and Now, Neve is an operatio for Body Sculpture, maintenance technician n Wolfson at the a robotic artwork by Jorda suring the robot NGA. Her job involves en nce members doesn’t harm itself or audie ich is important during its performance, wh % success rate. because the robot has a 93 g, it’s Neve’s on When things do go wr thing off, make responsibility to turn every clear the room sure everyone is safe and leshoot. before she starts to troub at happened, “Sometimes it’s obvious wh no idea.” and other times we’ll have

Even when everything go es smoothly, Neve still has to look after the robot once the showing has finished.

“It’s quite a high-energy performance and there is a fair amount of maintenance that needs doing,” she says.

When it comes to giving advice, Neve says not to stress too much ab out knowing exactly where you’re headed with your career.

“See what comes, especiall y with tech because it’s changing so quickly. It’d be really good to be able to tell my past self to just do what you love.” – Amy Br iggs

it’d be really od to be able to tell mgo past self to just doy what you love”

Operations and maintenance technician, National Gallery of Australia

Bachelor of Visual Arts, Australian National University

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

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TECHNOLOGY+AI & ROBOTICS: UTS

HealthypassAionI for AI and machine

UTS Amy Yang found a ting her master’s at learning while comple ard-winning project hen Amy got involved in an aw 4 UTS Tech Festival, called ErgoAmigo for the 202 path she hadn’t it opened her eyes to a career previously considered. her team As part of the project, Amy and p give hybrid built an AI-powered app to hel onomic office and remote workers more erg nt advice. setups with real-time adjustme mic “Think of it as a virtual ergono s. professional,” Amy say increasingly Her team was inspired by the desking we hot common hybrid working and e sometimes aus see today. “It’s a problem bec workstation, which we cannot properly set up our n,” she says. can trigger back pain, neck pai learning analyst, Amy Now, as an associate machine gs about AI and says she’s still learning new thin machine learning every day.

AI are to focus on Her top tips for starting out in and study with a friend to projects you’re interested in, ggs keep accountable! – Amy Bri

W

Accountant, BridgePoint Group

Master data specialist, Arrotex Pharmaceuticals

Amy Yang

Machine learning analyst

AI study Check out the industry-leading Bachelor of Artificial Intelligence at UTS!

Data science intern, Atlassian

Master of Data Science and Innovation, UTS

Associate machine learning analyst, Luxury Escapes

Be workforce ready for the jobs of tomorrow UTS Engineering and IT graduates are next-generation leaders with innovation and entrepreneurship skills in new and emerging fields.

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49

IT

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY+FASHION

Technically trending

hion hires are fluent in IT fas st tte ho ’s on as se s thi d an Smart design is where it’s at

G

job in fashion one are the days when a hand or meant cutting a pattern by ead. In thr d an navigating a needle nd an ma de roles 2024, next-gen industry h tec x ple advanced knowledge of com logistics , lity tual rea including coding, AI, vir tware design. tech, 3D printing and sof increasingly Eco-conscious brands are lp them rethink employing engineers to he supply chains to be materials and reimagine ers are engaging more sustainable, while oth to rs supercharge app developers and code their online capabilities. mers? Efficient, And the benefit for consu ined purchasing eco-friendly and streaml . Oh, and then and production processes e clothes. there are the cutting-edg

Dressed to skill

Future jobs

SHUTTERSTOCK

that the industry If you’re looking for proof t The Business of is evolving fast, check ou

Fashion yourself one of these fancy tech jobs: Data scientist Create and employ algorithms to improve a fashion brand’s product. Think: a website or app.

Fashion’s recent employm ent study. It found fashion recruiters are inc reasingly seeking out tech grads to fill elite fashion industry roles – a trend the OG tas temakers at Vogue are celebrating.

“Tech people really are tak ing all the fashion jobs,” the magazin e stressed in an article last year. “Silicon Valley’s finest are moving into fashion.”

Many unis now offer un its such as digital design, fashion technolo gies and customer experience as part of the ir fashion degrees to help prepare students for this transitioning industry. Or , you could study computer science with a Bachelor of Information Technology or a Diploma of Software Engineering, wh ich will give you the skills to up the indus try’s production and purchase game. – Ca ssie Steel

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

3D printing engineer Those with 3D-printing skills are often tasked with creating complex garment patterns for big-name fashion houses.

Fabric technologist These fashion engineers understand the properties of different materials and how they can be used to create different effects.

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Garment tech and pro duc Infamous and Mini tSwdeveloper, im

Styling software Boric used her Garment tech Alyssa owledge to advanced software kn fashion career dive into a next-gen

Y

Bachelor of Branded Fashion Design, Torrens University

Design and productio assistant, Steele n

Master of Computer Science (AI), Monash University

TECHNOLOGY + FASHION + JOBS Product developer $53K–$86K / NZ$49K–NZ$73K

Garment tech and des igner, Coco Fields Boutique

CRM specialist $64K–$104K / NZ$61K–NZ$147K eCommerce manager $53K–$122K / NZ$56K–NZ$112K *Salaries according to payscale.com

IT

my understanding of design software allows me to problem-solve while creating designs”

Bachelor of Fashion (Design), RMIT

Bachelor of Fas n (Design Technologyhio ), RM

garment

TECHNOLOGY + FASHION + STUDY

Fashion and productio n assistant, Kat the La bel

ric alyssa bo tech

ou wouldn’t know it from her supersized pathway, but Alyssa only finished uni two years ago. After school, the Melbourne-base d creative enrolled in a Bachelor of Fashion (Desig n Technolog y) at RMIT. During her degree she picked up traditional fashion skills in pattern-making and fabric sourcing as well as an advanced knowledge of des ign-specific sof tware like CLO 3D, Rhinoceros 3D , CAD programs and Adobe applications.

“I graduated with both creativ e and technical skills,” Alyssa says. “My und erstanding of design sof tware has allowed me to problem-solve while creating designs, illustrations and patterns.”

With this killer combination – a major drawcard for employers – Alyssa had no problem scoring a job in the fashion industry after gra duating. Her first role out of uni was a par t-time pro duction assistant gig at lingerie brand Kat the Label.

This led to a garment tech job at Coco Fields Boutiq ue and then a design position at apparel brand Ste ele.

And now? Alyssa is in her ele ment designing swimwear at iconic local sist er labels Infamous and Mini Swim. – Cassie Steel

START YOUR CAREER HERE

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TECHNOLOGY

NEXT STEPS

7

ways to get started in tech If you want a tech career, start planning now

1

Choose the right electives

Make sure you’re choosing electives with your dream job in min d. Besides maths and science, you mig ht also need:

• Digital technologies • Engineering studies • I nformation and processes technology • S oftware design and development

Electives have different nam es in every state and territory, so ask you r career advisor which tech options sui t your chosen study and career pat h.

4

Find your X

Combining tech with your favourite hobby or interest is a winning move. Take a look at CareerswithSTEM.com/ STEM-plus-X to find a tech career in an area you’re passionate about.

5 6

Suss out tech courses

In Australia, have a look at .au for gooduniversitiesguide.com ov.au r.g ree rca uni degrees and you land, Zea w Ne In for VET qualifications. .nz ovt d.g lan go to studywithnewzea

2

Teach yourself to code ork!

Yep, we’re giving you homew of ics bas Teach yourself the Swift, programming languages like set to S CS JavaScript, Python and out eck yourself up for success. Ch nine fun ways to do this at unCareerswithSTEM.com/9-f ways-to-learn-to-code

3

Careers with STEM: Technology 2024 is a publication and trademark of Refraction Media. Copyright © 2024 Refraction Media, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner or form without written permission. If you would like to reproduce anything from this magazine, email: info@refractionmedia.com.au.

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

This issue went to press on 7 October 2024.

Fill your TikTok feed with tech

na Ernst is @shebuildsrobots – Christi and the founder gle Goo at a software engineer anisation that has of She Builds Robots, an org introductory ing beginner courses in cod and h school. hig in s circuit projects for girl ineer @misodope – A software eng cringe’. and s eer car who’s into ‘code, -theind beh n’s You’ll love Jerry Che and s bug scenes videos of fixing er. what life is like as a programm

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Cover image: Lauren Trompp Produced and published by: Refraction Media Co-founder, CEO & Publisher: Karen Taylor-Brown Partnerships Manager: Rachel Jones Managing Editor: Charis Palmer Deputy Editor: Louise Meers Editorial Coordinator: Amy Briggs Sub Editor: Amelia Caddy Art Director: Katherine Power

@careerswithstem – Check us out on TikTok to keep up with all things STEM! You never know, we might be your next favourite STEM TikTokers.

Writers: Amy Briggs, Reece Hooker, Saskia Horgan-Catchpole, Louise Meers, Charis Palmer, Cassie Steel

7

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Attend online events

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Add these tech events to you r calendar:

Get on LinkedIn

Use it to track down career role models, work experience opportunities and tech employers you might like to work for one day. You can search by job title, university, company or name.

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•S TEM + X – Tech webinar, 6 No CareerswithSTEM.com/events vember, •S TEM 2024 ‘On Demand’, no w December, stem2024.com.au until 31 •H our of Code (during Compute Education Week), 9-15 Decembr Science er, csedweek.org 52

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pefcaustralia.org.au

53

TECHNOLOGY

One path.

Two degrees.

Fast forward to a Master of Data Science Meet soaring industry demands and graduate with a bachelor and master in four years. Combine data science with a bachelor in: • information technology • mathematics • science.

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

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