Joshua Stewart - Software Engineer

Bio: Went to Bunbury Catholic College and Busselton Senior High. Spent three months working in Sydney with my previous job in ICT.

What do you do?
I am a software engineer working at Immersive Technologies in Perth. I develop simulation software to help train people to operate mining machines, in a virtual 3D environment. My specialty is in programming 3D graphics software, but I work with all aspects of the product including dynamic modelling, user interfaces, databases and fixing bugs. I have just started to manage a small team of developers.

What do you love about your work?
I get to create useful technology which is used and appreciated by users all over the globe. I get to work in a casual environment with a large team that is very talented and I am continuously learning from them.

What is the money like?
I have been working in the industry for just on five years now and I earn a reasonable salary (more than $70,000). I also get benefits such as share options in the company, and half yearly bonuses based on my performance. However for comparison some friends of mine who graduated the same time that I did, decided to get into business system software and are now earning over $100,000.

How did you get to where you are today?
I completed a Computer Science degree at ECU and worked for three years as a software engineer for a defence contractor working on submarine combat systems. I decided to go back to university part time and complete a postgraduate diploma in Games Technology at Murdoch, which my employer supported me with. That is what helped me secure my current job where I am now working with mining simulators.

What made you decide to work in ICT?
I am interested in technology, computers, games and the internet, and thought that it might be an industry that could offer me a job that I would enjoy. It was important to me to find a job that I enjoyed because I felt that if you are going to be working 40 hrs a week for 40+ years, then you might as well enjoy it.

Is the ICT industry what you expected?
Yes. The work is rewarding, the environment is casual and friendly, I continue to learn new things and the pay is reasonable.

What do you find interesting about working in ICT?
The product I work on is the world leader in its field. Most of the employees here are young (or young at heart). My company encourages us to come up with new ways of doing things and empowers us to make changes. It also offers us time each week to work on our own projects.

Where do you see your job in ICT taking you?
I see myself moving towards a team leadership role where I will be responsible for leading people and managing projects, while still having time to develop software and continue my learning. I think someday I would also like to move into the games industry.

What advice would you give someone considering a career in ICT?
Talk to people in the industry you're interested in and get an idea what it is really like - keep your options open.
If you enjoy problem solving, building things, mathematics or physics then you can certainly find interesting, challenging and fulfilling work in simulation or game software development.

Why would you encourage others to get into the ICT industry?
I think you should find a way to get paid for what you enjoy doing, whatever that is and I believe tertiary education is an important facilitator in this discovery process.