From dreams to reality: My journey into IT
When you're a child and someone asks you what you want to be when you grow up, the usual responses are fireman, ballerina, spy, or zookeeper. As you grow up and you learn more about yourself and the world around you, this changes quite rapidly.
For some, landing their childhood dream is a certainty they live by, but for me, the journey into my career was full of twists and turns I never expected.
Growing up in St Mary's, in Sydney's Western suburbs, I had always been interested in technology and gadgets, and understanding how they work. I had, however, never dreamed that I could work as a professional in this industry. Feeling it was so out of reach for me, I left school at the start of year 11 and found myself in a range of different jobs, looking for something that would satisfy my hunger for tech.
Holding onto my childhood interests and watching cyber hacks and leaks almost become the norm, I spent seven years teaching myself how to program and complete penetration testing. At this point – and after several nudges from my family and loved ones – I took the step into formal education.
At the time, I didn't realise what a turning point this would be for me.
Studying computer sciences strengthened my knowledge and fuelled that fire in my belly to make my childhood dream a reality. It also opened a world of opportunity thanks to the scholarship I secured with Orro. Initially, I had no idea this scholarship existed, but thankfully my girlfriend found it and pushed me to apply. As a proud Indigenous Australian, I was thrilled to see the scholarship gave support to minority groups and was even more excited when I made it though as a recipient.
As a student, gaining industry experience is a huge challenge when you begin your career, facing the push and pull of needing experience before gaining experience. Thankfully, the scholarship gave me an internship at Orro where I got to work with their Chief Technology Officer of Cyber Services and support live projects for some of Orro's customers. This was invaluable experience. As an integrated part of the team, I got to see the value of my skills and contribution. I learned so much and now, feel like I have a renewed belief in my dreams.
The internship fast tracked my learning and professional development in an important period of my career. It meant I could identify areas of interest and work collaboratively in a team of experienced cyber professionals. The scholarship and internship had the right amount of structured support that I experienced firsthand how important it is for cyber organisations to have a role in diversifying the industry and creating opportunities for new talent to join – no matter where they're from.
Without having this industry exposure, I never would have been able to grow or showcase my skills. This opportunity ultimately led to me securing a graduate position with Orro and kickstart my career.
From being a kid a little too obsessed with computers, to now being a full-time employee with one of the biggest tech and cyber businesses in the country, my life has completely changed in ways I never thought possible. Orro's support has given me the strength and expertise I need for a cyber career. It's pushed me to test my own limits and that of technology.
Our industry is one that is full of possibilities I didn't even realise. By creating opportunities for new talent and helping us develop our skills, my opinion is that businesses will reap the rewards of passionate and creative people. If everyone in the industry takes part in creating these opportunities, supporting new talent, and sharing more about what we do, there's no limit on where we can go.
