5 Minutes With... Manjot Kaur, Computer Networking Graduate

10th June 2020

Highlights

Manjot Kaur is a new Computer Networking Graduate, having recently completed her studies at Melbourne Institute of Technology
She was recognised by her peers and academic staff as an outstanding student in her course, having received the outstanding student of the year award for attaining academic excellence in Master of Networking
She believes that it’s important to not limit yourself in only learning from your accomplishments, but to also learn from your failures too

1. What do you enjoy most about working in tech?

The ICT industry hosts a world full of challenges wherein we become part of research, creation, problem-solving and innovation in a learning-by-doing environment. I learn not only from my accomplishments but also failures. The most interesting aspect of working in the tech world is problem-solving and to make the creative solutions work. All in all, being a part of the ICT sector makes me feel that I am doing something meaningful to contribute to the growth, development, and advancement of our society. Moreover, it offers a huge number of prospects in a dynamic environment leading to lifelong learning.

I am particularly interested in the areas of networking, such as secure network architecture, security configurations, TCP/IP networking and network project management. I am passionate about learning recent tools such as MS Azure and Power Apps for cloud computing, API integration tools, project management tools, application security tools, data migration tools and penetration testing.

2. What is the key piece of advice you would give someone interested in making the move to the ICT Industry?

ICT is a field with no boundaries. One can explore as much as he/she wants and continue to try and learn not only from the things that work, but also those which do not. The people who are interested in building their career in the ICT industry should expect the unexpected challenges which would keep them creative and a problem solver. One would learn how to convert their abstract ideas into concrete form.

Based on the above-mentioned facts, the extracted piece of advice from my side to all the prospective IT individuals is to never give up and keep up the spirit and the zeal. The affection towards technology should help you to accomplish the milestones and excel in the ever-updating environment.

3. Tech changes fast. How do you keep your skills up-to-date?

There are ample challenges that emerge every now and then in the technological world, which necessitates the ICT workers to think ahead and stay equipped with resolutions to confront any potential risks. It is impossible without keeping ourselves up-to-date with the recent high-tech inventions and trends.

As well as my formal education, I have also completed the Professional Year Program to gain industry insights. To cope with the technology dynamics, I research the recent tools (both open source and proprietary) and learn about their usage and purpose. I read as much as possible about the recent trends and news in the industry, especially news provided by ACS. I keep myself inspired by watching videos and presentations of the famous tech personalities such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Jordan Nguyen and more.

4. Who is your tech mentor or a leader that inspires you and why?

I believe many ICT personalities have successfully created miraculous technological platforms and innovations, which has changed everyone’s life and connected the entire world.

I am extremely amazed by their thought process which led to wonders. But Dr Jordan Nguyen is the one whom I perceive as an ideal Tech leader. He is CEO and founder of Psykinetic. His innovations reflect his sense of responsibility towards humanity. He met with an accident while diving in a swimming pool and experienced helplessness of physically challenged people. It was then that he found, not many aids were available for quadriplegics. As a result, he engineered a wheelchair for disabled and special needs people which they could control and drive using their mind power.

He is a futurist who emphasises constructive use of technology to impact the world in a positive manner. His public lectures and keynote speeches project his dedication to improving lives, especially the ones with physical disabilities. Watching his videos makes me realise how much is he in love with humanity and how technology can turn the impossible to I M POSSIBLE. He is a great inspiration for not only ICT workforces, but for society as well.

5. How has ACS membership supported your career journey in tech?

An ACS membership has buoyed me in many ways during my formal education and Professional Year, and continues to keep me updated. Broadly, being an ACS member, I receive discounted tickets to attend ACS events, whereby I received opportunities to listen to various tech dignitaries and experience the real essence of the professional ICT environment. The ACS event also contributed to my Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours. I receive recent news from the ACS newsletter and the opportunity to form and strengthen networks in the industry. It has helped me build an understanding of professionalism in the ICT field. I also got the opportunity to attend the 2019 Reimagination Thought Leaders' Summit whereby I listened to Dr Jordan Nguyen for the first time and I realised the extent of possibilities in tech world.

Being an ACS member, I not only meet many IT professionals but also other attendees who are aspiring IT professionals like me and receive a lot of inspiration and guidance from their experiences and journeys.

Also, as part of Professional Year program I learned about the SFIA framework in my Professional Environments online course through which I have the ability to assess my skills and level of responsibility that I possess using its attributes. I received detailed feedback on submitting my assignments from my online Tutor Pia, which helped me to understand my shortcomings and receive guidance to make improvements.

Last but not the least, my efforts and contribution received recognition and appreciation from my online tutor Pia and I am privileged to write this ACS Professional Year Outstanding Student Profile. It has boosted my confidence and I am looking forward to being a part of the tech industry, explore my creativity and make a difference.

"5 Minutes With..." is a series of articles showcasing exceptional ACS Members and their amazing, innovative, and game changing stories. Representing over 45,000 tech professionals across Australia, our Members work across industry, government, research, and education organisations and each edition highlights the role they are playing in making Australia a world leader in technology talent, fostering innovation, and creating new forms of value.