Personal Value Proposition
Using my skills in both Marketing and IT, my personal mission is to bridge the gap between a business’s technical and business areas. I strongly believe that in doing this I can help an organisation to successfully achieve its business goals through creativity and innovation.
To do this I will remain up-to-date with both Marketing and IT best practices while also employing a growth mindset every day and continue to build on my knowledge within these disciplines. Using my knowledge, I will endeavour to identify areas of improvement and propose creative business solutions to achieve business goals. I will work to foster a strong bond between both sides of the business gaining their trust and respect.
Ultimately, I look to drive success within an organisation by bringing together the strategy and creative thinking of the business world and the technical expertise and analytical skills of the technological world. I am committed to this mission and through my efforts, I can enact a positive change within any organisation and the people it serves.
As an experienced Senior Systems Developer specializing in ServiceNow, I believe I bring a wealth of knowledge and a unique skill set that would position me as an ideal candidate for the role of ICT Operations Manager. With my technical expertise, customer-centric focus and track record of driving efficiency and innovation, I am poised to contribute to the seamless operations of ICT Infrastructure and the achievement of business objectives and goals.
In my role as Senior Systems Developer, the strategic utilization of automation is central to my methodology of optimizing efficiency and enhancing the user experience. By automating repetitive tasks, I have successfully empowered users to focus on strategic initiatives resulting in increased satisfaction and productivity. I cultivate a customer-centric environment that aligns with user expectations and needs in all of my development solutions. I excel in building and supporting multiple integrations, ensuring seamless data flow and streamlined operations by collaborating with developers from managed service providers. I prioritize maintaining comprehensive system documentation, establishing database standards, and data integrity to ensure system stability and reliability. I swiftly diagnose and troubleshoot issues and minimize disruptions to deliver seamless performance.
During my time as a Marketing Support officer, I contributed to many marketing activities including assisting in the development of marketing strategies, generating social media content while managing brand reputation, and the development of board reporting of public relations data as well as reporting to assess the return on investment of social media activities.
Additionally, I developed a personality profiling tool as part of an activity to help in change management activities for amalgamating regional marketing teams into a corporate-led marketing team. This personality profiling tool helped enhance communication and understanding among the team, facilitating and improving collaboration and synergy.
I believe my experience and expertise in both Marketing and IT disciplines, position me as an ideal candidate for the role of ICT Operations Manager. I would focus on embracing new technology and bringing a forward-thinking mindset to this role. My passion for staying abreast of industry trends would be instrumental in recommending and implementing new technologies that drive operational efficiency and support future growth. Additionally, my ability to create and manage reports, dashboards, and homepages would enable data-driven decision-making and enhance visibility across the organization.
Reflecting on your Student Journey at UniSQ
My decision to go to university was a significant and daunting one. After leaving school in year 11 I never believed university would be part of my journey. In 2017 that changed. I had reached a point in my life where I realised that obtaining a degree was necessary to make a career change and improve my employability. Despite my insecurities about my academic abilities and intelligence, I took a leap of faith and enrolled in a business degree.
During my first year, I came to realise that university demanded a high level of independent thinking, self-motivation, and time management skills. I relied heavily on the support of my mother to help talk through theories and ideas that I was learning, to gauge my comprehension of the subjects. I engaged business professionals at my workplace to discuss what I was learning so they could help me to understand how it would apply in the business world. Self-motivation was and is still a constant battle. The doubts about my ability waged a constant war internally that impacted my motivation.
Multiple factors contributed to changing my thoughts and feelings throughout my degree. The coursework was challenging at times and opened me up to new concepts and ideas that pushed the boundaries of my understanding. The intellectual stimulation at times became overwhelming but I began to recognise the importance of critical thinking. I found a passion for subjects such as accounting, finance, and economics, and developed a healthy understanding of and appreciation for the business world.
I enjoyed interacting with a diverse group of classmates during each subject, especially in this capstone course. This course helped me to see the theories we were learning from a different perspective and the group assignment helped me in understanding the value of teamwork. I came to appreciate the importance of understanding the knowledge your peers possess, what are their strengths and weaknesses and how we as a team combine these diverse skills to affect a successful outcome. This experience has helped me to broaden my horizons and have a better comprehension of the interconnectedness of business disciplines.
Managing a work-study-life balance has proven to be the most challenging part of my academic journey. It required immense dedication to study three semesters a year and balance work, and personal commitments. Responsibilities increased through work promotions and entering into a relationship, so finding the time for study became more difficult. Fortunately, my workplace allowed me to switch to a 9-day fortnight providing me with the necessary time to dedicate to studying and catching up when falling behind.
The major turning point in my academic journey was MGT100 – Organisational Behaviour. It introduced me to the concept of a growth mindset through Carol Dweck’s TED talk, which had a profound impact on my life. I learned to embrace personal growth and build confidence in my abilities. Angela Lee Duckworth’s TED Talk on the power of passion and perseverance was another influential resource, teaching me the importance of resilience. In times of self-doubt, these resources are my go-to and continue to remind me to push through challenges and stay curious.
My academic journey has been a transformative experience, helping me to overcome insecurities, embrace independent thinking, improve time management skills and how to be a better team player. Reflecting on this journey, I am eternally grateful for the opportunities that have shaped me personally, professionally, and academically.
Transitioning to a Post-Graduation Career
I am both excited and nervous about my transition into my post-graduate career. The change will be significant even though I already have a full-time, professional job. I am looking to take that next step to a management position. I am eager to embrace new opportunities and challenges and intend to employ the following strategies to facilitate a successful transition.
My first step is to take advantage of UniSQ’s career services. Their resume-building, interview preparation and job search strategies are valuable resources to equip me with the necessary tools to navigate the job market effectively.
I am already exploring available management positions while in my final year of study. I feel that this proactive approach will help me to understand what skills and qualifications are being sought by potential employers. Through this activity, I can begin to tailor my professional and educational experiences accordingly.
I am currently seeking a mentor within my current professional network who has experience in management. Their advice and guidance can help me to navigate the intricacies of transitioning into a management role. I hope to gain valuable insights, sharpen my career goals, and develop strategies to achieve them with my mentor’s wisdom. My next strategy is to increase my networking. I would like to involve myself more in special interest groups within my industry, improve my LinkedIn profile and look at connecting with other UniSQ alumni. I hope that by building relationships with these individuals it will help to open doors to potential job opportunities whilst also providing me with a robust support network as I take the next step in my career journey.
Towards Lifelong Learning
With one study unit to go, I now recognize the importance of the pursuit of knowledge and continuous growth. Looking ahead professionally, I would like to focus more on honing my coding skills and becoming a more proficient front-end developer. I would also like to expand my skillset outside of ServiceNow and obtain various micro-credentials in other systems, such as Microsoft Azure. I believe this will broaden my skills and make me a more versatile professional.
It’s time now to prioritize personal interests and passions. With intense study now passed, it’s time to develop my skills in activities I enjoy. I want to learn other creative pursuits such as crocheting. I spend so much time bouncing from screen to screen I want to take time to engage in more hands-on artistic activities to allow me to express my creativity.
Additionally, I would like to dedicate some of my time to ‘giving back’ by doing volunteer work. I have a passion for the environment and animal welfare and would like to make a positive impact on the environment around me or in animals’ lives. I feel that volunteering will provide me with valuable learning experiences and enable me to engage with a community of like-minded individuals. Embracing a mindset of lifelong learning helps me to stay open to new experiences, acquire a widening range of skills and find fulfilment in both my professional and personal life.
