Industry Roundtable Reflection

Today, we had a roundtable with Michelle Sandford from Microsoft and Yalimay Jimenez from WSP, led by Katarina Milijkovic. This roundtable discussion was a really informative and uplifting session that left me feeling inspired for my future beyond the classroom.

One of my biggest takeaways was putting into perspective how my classes, especially NPSC2001, were preparing me for future work. Both Michelle and Yalimay discussed how they are continuously applying both research and critical thinking skills to their daily work. Most especially breaking down big tasks into smaller chunks that are completed throughout the year, similar to my NPSC project this year, is something they both do in the workforce a lot.

My other big takeaway was hearing Michelle talk about her role and the enjoyment she gains from it. Until this discussion, I had always thought that I would continue my Software Engineer role with Flight Centre or transfer to a major tech company like Microsoft or Google. However, I do really enjoy talking to people about development, giving presentations, travelling and inspiring the next generation of developers. These are all things that Michelle does on an almost daily basis, and I believe being a Developer Engager could be a very rewarding career for me. As such, I want to continue to develop my skills and am planning to be more involved with the student accelerator program that Microsoft offers in Perth and start a youtube channel to start teaching coding to a wider audience.