From Education to Employment – Simone’s Story

August 19 2021, by Simone Bray | Category: Cloud Services

The unknown shouldn’t stimulate fear it should suggest opportunity. 

Finishing university is scary; fact. During our school years we have the comfort blanket of knowing we are only teenagers, with our whole lives ahead of us, then loom the HSC, the tipping point that adulthood is on its way. Then for those of us who opt for an extra three or four years of study we bask in the guarantee that we perceive the extra academic step offers us. That’s when the reality really hits, there is no guarantee anymore, no fixed step. And so the fear of the unknown kicks in. It’s time for ‘graduate employment‘.

In what is already an uncertain time for many graduates, restrictions here in NSW are not making things any easier. Having joined Macquarie Cloud Services 6 months ago, I thought I’d share with you my journey in the hope it can alleviate some of your nerves and fears in taking the step from education to employment.

Many students will have interviewed for their part-time jobs but perhaps not in a corporate environment so let’s start from there:

My Interview.

Hiring the right people is important for many companies, but so is choosing the right company to start your career with, those organisation with multiple interviews give you the chance to get to know them as well as for them to get to know you. After application, my first two way engagement with Macquarie Cloud Services journey started with three interviews, firstly with one of the internal talent specialists who made me feel at ease and was preparing me to succeed.

I received a call to organise a face-to-face interview with the Team Leaders and I remember turning up half an hour early due to nerves. Never harms to be early – nothing like delayed public transport piling on the pressure! After the initial introduction, I felt comfortable chatting about the technical knowledge I had learnt so far and even exploring personal topics and passions. We covered what my day to day would look like and there was an opportunity for me to ask the questions I had. On my way out we said a quick hi to the people who would soon become my co-workers. Seeing the big screens at the front of the office amazed me to imagine how incredible it would be if I could work here.

The final interview was with the stand-in group executive which was surprising he would take time out of his busy day to interview a graduate, and this made me feel valued. After our enlightening chat, he jumped the gun and told me I was hired. I was so excited but made sure to keep my cool. Safe to say once I was out of the building I called my family to tell them the good news!

My Onboarding.

My first week was more than what I could have imagined. Firstly, I took a tour of the expansive data centre wide-eyed, where photos do not capture how extensive it is, nor the inner workings. I took a desk where I would begin to work and learn with the support of fellow graduates who would soon become friends. Whilst I learnt on the job it was also nice to get to know my colleagues in a more social setting with Nintendo Switch Nights and board games night. These were great events to spend time away from the work environment with my friends/colleagues as well as meet other people in the company I have spoken to but never met in person. It was a great way to grow those interpersonal relationships.

Adding to my credentials.

Finishing university marked the end of a lot of things for me but certainly not learning.

Looking back at these past few months, working here has expanded my knowledge to more than what university could provide. It has shown me more than what I even knew existed. There’s always room to learn and grow and that’s what I do here every day. This two-year opportunity also offers the chance to complete certifications every six months to build my resume, starting out with Cisco Certified Network Associate Certification. A great introduction to become familiar with all things networking. I don’t doubt working and studying will be a new challenge for me but one I’m ready to start, not to mention I’m not alone with friends at work doing the same as well as those who are ahead of me on the program always offering a helping hand.

My future.

Working here for the past 6 months has opened opportunities for me. Inside the business, there are many paths to explore and specialise in. It’s very exciting to imagine where I could go from here with all the training and certifications under my belt. It feels like a step in the right direction to work at something I am so passionate about.

Taking the step into graduate working life has certainly been a steep learning curve but one that has shown you needn’t be afraid of the unknown but rather open to the possibilities it could offer.

Find out more about our graduate program here.


Simone Bray

About the author.

Simone is a recent graduate from Western Sydney University with a Bachelor of Information and Communications Technology. She is now part of the team at Macquarie Cloud Services as a Network Engineer in the Hosting Management Center. Prior to this opportunity, Simone was working in retail where her passion for exceptional customer service sparked while interacting with customers.

See all articles by this author

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