Get to Know Your Canberra Branch Executive Committee - Grant Hopcroft
25th Aug 2020
Highlights
- This week we have the spotlight on Grant Hopcroft, BEC Member, ACS Canberra Branch
- Grant provides insights on what interests him about the tech industry, how he keeps his skills up-to-date and how ACS Membership has benefitted him.
1. What do you enjoy most about working in the tech industry?
To be in an industry that touches every part of business across every sector is a fantastic experience, it provides an opportunity to help people and share knowledge to solve problems. This makes the tech industry a vibrant, multi-faceted, challenging and fulfilling avenue to pursue.
2. What is the key piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
Don’t believe anyone when they say “it’s not possible” – everything is possible.
When you fall, get back up, when you fail, try again. Victories are often hard won, but effort is always rewarding, learn from the challenges and celebrate the successes.
3. Tech changes fast. How do you keep your tech skills up-to-date?
Be present, listen to others, share. You never stop learning, whether it’s formal training, on-the-job, or just reading and interpreting data, these experiences are the basis for all learning and development.
Today’s problems are tomorrows innovations, so be curious, explore, and find out as much as you can about something until you see a way forward. Approach new challenges with wonder and think “If I didn’t know that before, then what do I know now, what have I learned? – then implement it and learn how to improve it along the way, this demonstrates understanding, aptitude and capability.
4. What is your greatest challenge as a leader/ business owner?
My greatest challenge has always been working with those who lack vision. You know, people at the top who think they know everything and already have all the answers, this stifles progress and innovation. Those who say “we’ve always done it this way, so don’t change it” – they just can’t learn and can’t be shown there is a better way. The challenge when working with people like this is to make it their idea, and convince them the outcome is worth the investment, so study soft skills and learn how to influence people who are being roadblocks to success.
5. How has ACS membership supported your career journey in tech?
Most people do one job in a company and only see a small part of the whole, the ACS understands that ICT professionals work across boundaries and can see everything in an organization. ACS membership helps steer this responsibility for industry professionals, with a sound set of principles and a code of ethics, that ensures members use their ICT knowledge and power in a measured and productive way.
'Get to Know Your ACS Canberra BEC' series aims to shed the spotlight on your Canberra BEC members and get their insights on key topics related to your ACS membership and the IT sector. This week we continue our ‘Get to Know Your ACS Canberra BEC’ series, with Grant Hopcroft, providing insights into keeping your skills updated and how to make the most of your ACS Membership.