The morning will consist of three workshops, each facilitated by a different industry professional and topic. Each session will allow participants to keep abreast with their professional development and provide further insight into what steps they can take to help build a successful career within IT.

Continued professional development can deliver a deeper understanding of what it means to be a professional, and ensures that your knowledge stays relevant and up to date within the industry. Don't miss this special event.

Session 1 - The Unconventional Path - How I fell into my career as a Business Analyst in the IT sector
Presented by Aleesha Chambers

Aleesha's early career aspiration was to be an Accountant. In her pursuit to achieve this, she completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at Monash University. After completing her degree, Aleesha took on a full-time role in the Customer Service team at GS1 Australia. Focusing on business process improvement and assisting in project work in the Customer Service team opened her eyes to a whole new world beyond accounting.

Today, she works as a Digital Business Analyst in the enterprise Project Management Office within the IT team at GS1 Australia working on many of the organisation’s top transformational projects. 

In 2016, she started her journey to gain formal IT-based certification, starting with ACS membership. Aleesha is now a registered PRINCE2 Practitioner, holds a certificate in Business Analysis and in January this year proudly achieved professional recognition as an ACS Certificated Technologist.  

In this presentation, Aleesha will share her journey and demonstrate that the conventional path isn’t always the only, or right, option.  She will also provide insights on how you can best navigate the workplace as a young graduate and the value of industry networking.

Session 2 - Transitioning to professional employment in the workplace of the future
Presented by Olivia Doyle

The employment of graduates is fundamentally critical not only to the graduate looking to secure their first full time role, but also for businesses ensuring they maintain a competitive advantage. Universities are also under increasing pressure to raise their talent pool and prepare students to be work ready. As a result, it’s important for students to be open and to prepare themselves for what their future employment may hold.

In this presentation, Swinburne’s Olivia Doyle will focus on:

• Employer expectations for graduates in the age of robots, autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence
• Setting yourself up for career success in the context of new workplace
• Strategies for transitioning from study into the workplace

Olivia will provide practical advice and draw upon her work supporting students into employment.

Session 3 - The Key to Effective Networking: Learning to Listen... Because it's not all about you
Presented by Amy Rashap

You are searching for the job of your dreams. ‘You have to network,’ your family and friends tell you. Some of you may grin with delight at the prospect; doubtless many of you may grimace in despair.
Networking! What does it mean? ‘Stupid question,’ you think, ‘it means I have to put myself out there, promote myself until I’m out of breath and let the world know how great I am.’
Well . . . no, it doesn’t. That’s what this workshop will be about.

When you network, it is up to you to research the various companies who are hiring in your field. It is up to you to demonstrate that it is the combination of you + potential employer = benefit for employer. You do not convince someone that you will add value by simply waving a CV in someone’s face or intoning your ‘elevator pitch’ in their ear. You do this by listening empathetically to create a bond between you and someone else.

People do not make decisions rationally: whether they admit it or not, hirers will develop a ‘gut feeling’ about you, and they will hire you based in part on that gut feeling. The more you can sit back, relax and ask targeted, open-ended questions, the better will be your chances of getting noticed.

In this workshop, I will give you practical tips on how to become a fantastic listener and how to use this skill while networking, whether your arena is a conference meeting room or a corporate office.
Think about it. How many times have you actually asked someone: ‘That’s interesting. Tell me more.’? Probably not a lot. Becoming an active, mindful listener will set you apart from the crowd. And that’s what you want.
 

Professional Year students - Attending the half-day conference will count for all 6 CPD hours required to complete your studies. All three sessions must be attended in order for your enrollment to be processed. 

If your registration name is required to be changed, please contact ACS Victoria at acsvic@acs.org.au