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Australian Government Careers Profile
Megan Henry
Ms Megan Henry works at the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA) as a Web Operations Manager and
is currently studying her Masters in Applied Information Technology at Monash University.
Originally from country NSW-growing up in Narrandera, Bathurst, Goulburn, Scone and Newcastle-Megan enjoys watching her favourite NRL team, the Newcastle Knights, with a couple of drinks while socialising with friends. Her other interests include listening to music, watching Australian movies and taking off to the snow fields for the weekend.
Megan when did you first become interested in ICT?
I first became interested in computers in Year Four when I was selected for the special computer class. We only had two computers at school in those days. At home we also had a Commodore 64 where I discovered how to write programs. The further I went in my education, the more interested I became in computers, maths and science. When I completed high school I applied for a computer science degree and was accepted. However, I deferred as I wanted to move to the city to work.
I took up a Manager's Traineeship with David Jones in Sydney and stayed for two years, before moving to Newcastle to undertake a business degree.
At the end of those studies I found my love for IT and interests in related computer science areas had increased. I as still interested in moving around, so I started my own web development business and undertook studies by distance with Monash University. My web consulting firm was a good conduit for learning and enabled me to 'play' with new IT applications.
So how did you move into the APS environment?
When I decided I really wanted to stay in ICT I registered my details with an online employment service. I was interviewed by DCITA and moved to Canberra to commence work the next day. Since starting with DCITA five years ago, I have had opportunities to work on many applications and large systems. The work has been constantly interesting, with a number of redevelopments and launches of departmental websites.
At times the DCITA website has required modifications to up to 30 000 pages and involved intranet applications. It is complex, diverse and time consuming work but is always very
interesting. My work in the APS has involved dealings with ministers and department heads. Government websites require continuous content review, updates and maintenance as things evolve within departments. Today I am the Web Operations Manager at DCITA and supervise eight staff.
What else have you worked on in the APS?
In 2006, I transferred to Defence Housing Authority for six months where I was the Web Manager. My role there involved reviewing and managing web developments-including identifying business requirements, deciding what technology was required and whether it was available, developing specifications, designing solutions to fit in with current agency priorities, tasking and resourcing the projects and whether to undertake the work in-house or outsource it. The role requires good project management skills.
What are you currently working on?
My work involves administering the DCITA websites using an open source content management system, which represents a big shift in how government has approached this task previously. This work is interesting, in that we gain access to software and new functionality without the cost of additional licence fees. Although we still pay for maintenance and support services, this is a lot more cost-effective for Government than paying for commercial licences.
Megan what do you like most about the APS ICT environment?
One of the things I like the most about the APS is the many opportunities for training and development. I have undertaken many courses-the Red Hat Technician's Course, Microsoft SQL Administration and management courses in values and ethics, among others.
The APS ICT environment is not about dollars, but about the best way to do things for the community and public. For me, this is a more ethical approach to dealing with a situation.
My work area has a great team environment. We all respect each other, are equal and all team members are valued. We are all dedicated and committed to making things work well. We get along well and socialise out of work time and I value the fact that my opinions and ideas are listened to.
The work life balance in the APS is good, as are the money and benefits. There is more job security in the APS than in private industry and the benefits can transfer from one agency to
another. I have access to study leave, so that when I have exams I have support and extra time to study. The APS encourages secondments, which are very good for career and professional development.
I like living and working in Canberra. The pace of life is nice, it is close to the snow and there are lots of bushwalking tracks and gorges in and around Canberra to explore.
If you would like to find out more about the APS ICT career opportunities, see http://www.psgazette.gov.au/.
Ben Bowman
Ben currently works in the Department of Defence as part of the Applications Development and Network Support Team. He joined Defence through the Australian Public Service (APS) ICT Apprenticeship Programme. He is originally from Yass and his background is in farming. His hobbies include clay target shooting, water sports such as water skiing, snowboarding and snow skiing.
Ben how did you first become interested in computing and ICT?
I started to become interested in computers in Years 9 and 10. I really enjoyed working with computers and did several VET level courses up to Certificate 2. As part of a community development project for the Yass Region, I taught mature aged students general computing skills. I did this from Years 10-12.
When I left school I worked for Retravision for twelve months. It was interesting work as I learnt how department stores run and, because all the products were technology based, I learnt a lot about new technologies. Whilst at Retravision I decided to study part time at CIT in Canberra. I enrolled in a Certificate course in Network Engineering but unfortunately due to having glandular fever at exam time I couldn't complete it.
So what did you do next?
I was still very interested in computing but to finish the course I had to wait another semester to sit the exams so I applied for a position with Spherion. This was very good but after three months Spherion closed down so I moved to a company called Teletech International which was part of Telstra Big Pond. I stayed there for two years and really enjoyed it. I learnt so much about technology, business and the industry whilst with Teletech. However, there wasn't a great career path as I was working on the Help Desk Call Centre. One day I was driving from Yass to Canberra and I heard an advertisement on the radio for an ICT Apprenticeships in the Australian Government so I decided to apply.
How does this work?
The APS ICT Apprenticeship Programme has been set up to assist people like me who want to move into ICT but don't have a university qualification. There are 9 departments participating in the programme. These are: Australian Taxation Office; Centrelink; Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts; Department of
Defence; Department of Employment and Workplace Relations; Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources; Department of Finance and Administration; Department of Health and Ageing; Attorney-Generals Department and the Department of Education , Science and Training.
During my interview I indicated a preference for the Department of Defence and was fortunate enough to be chosen as one of three people to commence an Apprenticeship with Defence.
Ben when did you start your Apprenticeship with Defence and what are you currently doing?
I started with Defence in February this year. It has been an interesting process and the Apprenticeship Programme works in the following way. I am enrolled as a part time student at CIT in Certificate IV in Information Technology. At the same time I work part time with Defence in the Applications Support Area, so I am actively applying the skills I am learning in my course. My apprenticeship is for two years, and I am paid whilst I am studying and working, which is easier than studying full time.
My work at Defence involves many things including applications development, desktop support, administration, adding programs to the network etc. The work is very varied so I am learning a great deal and enjoying it immensely. The staff are very professional and dedicated and I like the Defence culture, the structure, and the people I work with. They are from many different countries including Vietnam, Thailand, and India so it is good to have this diversity of knowledge, skills and backgrounds.
I have found the staff to be very supportive and they really want to help me develop. The mentoring is really good and is helping me to learn a lot very quickly. There are so many different work opportunities across Defence and in the Public Service generally, that I can see it will be difficult to choose where I go after I finish my Apprenticeship. I will most likely stay with Defence as the skills I will have gained whilst undertaking my apprenticeship will leave me well placed to move into many different work areas of Defence. These skills will also allow me to work in other Government Departments if I choose to move elsewhere.
I like the Public Sector way of life and have always wanted in some way to contribute to my country, so Defence and the Public Sector is a good fit for me. I am hoping to do more in the way of Project Management in the future so I will continue my studies in this area once I have finished my Certificate IV in Information Technology.
Ben you sound as if you are really enjoying the Apprenticeship Programme. What else do like about the ICT Public Sector environment?
There are many things that I enjoying in the ICT Public Sector and ICT environment in general. I enjoy the diverse personalities and the variety of work is
hard to find elsewhere. The projects are interesting and each day offers new challenges. It is also a very professional environment in which to work and it
is team focused so you don't feel that you are on your own. There is always someone to talk to about a problem or situation.
I like the hours I work, it is well paced and gives me a good work life balance. I travel from Yass each day which is about forty-five minutes so I can still
live in a very country environment with wide open spaces whilst at the same time having the benefits of a bigger city close by.
I appreciate that the APS is prepared to sponsor me to study and at the same time allow me to apply my studies in a practical sense. This helps to reinforce
the learning aspects of my course plus I receive financial benefits at the same time. Once I finish studying if I stay in the APS, I will have a very good
career path and will earn good money, so this too is attractive and appealing. It will allow me to give back something to the community for the opportunity
they have provided for me.
There is ample scope to continue to be trained and developed in the APS ICT environment and with e-government there will always be different projects and
applications to work on. Due to the nature of Defence it also offers opportunities to move into really interesting areas such a encoding and encryption. So,
there are many things that I find attractive about the APS ICT environment.
If you would like to find out more about the APS ICT career opportunities, log onto http://www.psgazette.gov.au/
Anita Eastwell
Anita Eastwell is currently an ICT Apprentice. She works in the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) on the Help Desk. Anita grew up in Canberra and is married to a public servant. They have a bird, a cat and a dog. She likes the theatre, drama, movies, reading and beading (making earrings & necklaces etc).
A little bit about Anita by Anita
I'm a person of polar opposites I love logical things like computing, maths & science but I also love the arty type things like graphic design and beading. I love being at home with my puppy dog, pus-cat and husband but I also love going out with my friends (especially to a wonderful little Vietnamese restaurant in Dickson).
Anita can you tell us how you first become interested in computing and ICT?
I was very interested in computing when I was at primary school. My mum is a teacher and my dad was interested in & works in computing. From a young age we always had a computer at home. The first one we had was an Apple IIe (completely antiquated) I really enjoyed playing games (like Sticky Bears) and doing my assignments on the computer when no one else was. I remember in year 3 I was the only kid in class who typed their assignment up on a computer. In year 8 I became interested in graphic design work, so I was able to con my parents (Dad was my ally in this) into upgrading from the 486 to a Celeron equivalent of a Pentium 1 (a very good computer at the time) with a 64MB Diamond Viper video card. I became almost addicted to the internet and chat. I guess the family influence was strong and I grew up quite computer literate compared to many other students. My best friend used to come over to my house all the time to type up her assignments (as well as chat on the net) as her parents wouldn't buy a computer.
By year 10 I achieved A levels for all my computing subjects. In year 11 and 12 I was very interested in the graphics side of computing and designed the year 12 poster for A Mid Summer Nights Dream. I was also part of the team that created the design for the front cover of the Playgroup Handbook & Manual. Media, public relations and advertising were all areas I was interested in. In College (yrs 11&12) I majored in English Maths Chemistry and Drama.
Anita, how did you come to apply for the ICT Apprenticeship Scheme?
When I finished school I wasn't interested in University. I did a massage course and then some child care. I also did a CISCO course at Hawker College which was heaps of fun. I decided I wanted to work in IT but all the positions I looked at needed a degree qualification and/or experience, neither of which I had. So I then worked in Real Estate and I could see how computing could enhance the Real Estate environment, but they weren't very interested. From there I went to work in Teletech, a Bigpond Call Centre. This involved ISP support in the ADSL area and I built up my IT skills there.
The ICT Apprenticeship Scheme was advertised so I decided to apply for it. I realised it would enable me to gain the necessary skills and qualification whilst being paid for studying. I am enrolled in a Certificate IV level Course in Information Technology at the Canberra Institute of Technology. The course started in February 2007. There are two streams to the course: Applications Development and Infrastructure Support. It is a two year course and I love it. I attend classes one day a week, and also undertake a two week block of study at different times.
I am currently learning PERL programming and the issues associated with automating processes. I also work with Active Directory and Servers, networking and learn the theory behind Win Server 2003, which is quite different from what I am used to.
Anita how are you finding studying and working?
I am very lucky as I have a great Team Leader in the ATO and she is very supportive, so is everyone else at the ATO. They are so willing to treat you as an equal and take the time to help you learn. The work/life/study balance at times has challenges, but I am lucky that I have the support of my husband and family. My husband is very supportive and this has allowed me to take this opportunity which will help set me up for the future. I also get time release to do the exams and attend lectures, so this helps a in making the commitment to study easier.
My work at Teletech has helped me in my current position on the ATO IT Service Desk as it gave me experience in a call centre environment. I am learning a great deal about the ATO and how it operates as the Service Desk is the first point of call for over 600 applications. I provide first level support for all sorts of IT issues. If I am unable to solve the problem, then it goes to the 2nd level support, but the overall aim of the ATO is to fix the problem at the first
level. It is a nice environment to work in as the customer is the most important issue and fixing the problem is the priority.
When working in the private sector, everything was driven by money, and the time spent with customers was limited. I felt it was very regimented, micro managed and too focused on time and money so you could not provide the support to the customer that you would have liked. At the ATO I have the time necessary to give good customer/client support and this makes a big difference to my work satisfaction and to my ability to help people (not to mention my stress levels - lol).
The APS environment encourages you to learn, develop and grow. I meet with my Team Leader monthly to discuss how I am going, and what I want to do in the future. It is a very supportive, mentoring environment, very much a "wanting to help you approach" even when staff are very busy. Also people are very grateful that you have helped them.
Anita what is you like most about the APS environment?
There are many things about the APS that I like. Firstly, the supportive work environment encourages you to do your best. There is also more flexibility and a better work life balance than in the private sector IT environment. I don't work weekends which means I have more time to spend with my husband, friends & family and it is a less stressful environment than the private IT sector.
The opportunity for learning and development and career progression is excellent. In the APS you can do almost anything. I can study, work and gain the necessary skills and qualifications to leave me well placed for the future. The leave and benefits are very good compared to the private sector and I can take them with me to other APS departments. There is also more security in the IT APS environment and the work is very interesting because the government places so much importance on IT.
In the ICT Apprenticeship Scheme I will move every six months over the two years so I will be able to learn about different sections of the ATO and what part they play in the running of such a large department.
If you would like to find out more about the APS ICT career opportunities, log onto http://www.psgazette.gov.au/
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