What's your job about?

My job is about designing and implementing software solutions that solve problems faced by our customers. The focus area of my work is the training program for new pilots coming through the Airforce. I am currently tasked with building out an application that will help enhance the experience of future pilots as they go through the Airforce training program. 

My days vary quite heavily on the task at hand, but often it involves collaborating with stakeholders to gather requirements, creating diagrams to represent systems, develop elements of the software and completing peer reviews for work done by my coworkers. One of the greatest things about the variety of work is it creates an environment where I am learning, evolving, and improving every day.

What's your background?

I grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, a city in the western part of Canada. I lived a few hours away from the mountains and always tried to spend as much time as I could there. From these experiences, I acquired a strong love of the outdoors and seek out every opportunity I can to be among nature. 

Following high school, I enrolled in a Biochemistry degree but quickly found it not to be as well suited to my desires as I hoped. I ended up leaving university to work, travel and see what life was like outside of what I knew. I was fortunate to be able to spend time in both New Zealand and in the USA, spending about 6 months living in Texas.

At this stage, I was ready to look for something new when I came across an opportunity to live and study in Australia. I wasn’t entirely certain of what I wanted to do at the time, but I knew I wanted it to be something that was impactful and allowed me to solve problems. Even though I had never been to Adelaide before, I took a leap of faith and was accepted into the University of Adelaide. I enrolled into a Bachelor of Computer Science and was fortunate enough to accept a role with Lockheed Martin Australia after graduating, where I have been for the last year.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

While there is a definite need to have a degree in an engineering related field, the pathway otherwise can be quite varied. I didn’t follow a traditional pathway, nor did many of those around me. 

Having a curious mind and a desire to learn is ultimately what matters. I think from there, you can reach most places. Plus, people at Lockheed Martin are always willing to help, especially if the desire to grow is there. 

What's the coolest thing about your job?

To me, the coolest part of my job is getting to solve problems, and the latitude that is allowed for how to solve them. I have the opportunity to be creative in the types of solutions I create as long as I can justify my decision-making process.

What are the limitations of your job?

I think one of the limitations would be that your experience can depend a bit on the program you are on. The language, framework and tools you use will depend on what the program has chosen, so you may not be working with your ideal tech stack even when other people in the company are. 

The workload also seems to ebb and flow a bit, so sometimes it can be incredibly busy and other times, the work is harder to come by. But taking ownership of your own experience can alleviate these.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

1. Seek out responsibility and always try to take on new opportunities, even if you’re unsure of how to do them at the time. 
2. Don’t be afraid of not knowing something or of making a mistake, it’s just another opportunity to learn something new. 
3. Find fun in the experience of learning, don’t just focus on the outcome. It makes facing challenges so much easier.