CSIRO Reviews

I hope there is a future for me at CSIRO because I love it here!

CSIRO lets it be known that they want to hire people from all walks of life, but the candidate needs to have the ability to do the job or be in a position to learn. They also pay you, so you can move for the job if that's something you would consider.

The culture at CSIRO is amazing and like nothing, I've experienced before. Everyone is approachable and helpful to any questions asked, and very accepting. Our student team works very well together, and we support each other very well. The students socialise regularly outside of work (there was a get together every Friday afternoon).

Pride merch (lanyards and shirts) are sold in the company store and worn openly by staff. Acknowledgements to the country are made at the start of each major meeting. There is little room for intolerance here

I am leading my own short-term project investigating agricultural fungi and potential evolutionary trade-offs that we could exploit in our crop management practices. I conduct background research, design and refine my experimental procedure, run multiple experiments concurrently in the laboratories and out in the greenhouses, record my results and will write the final scientific report of my outcomes. Every day is something different, but all working towards this significant goal.

My supervisors work within the same office area as me and are very accessible in person and via digital means. They are great mentors and are very willing to give my work attention and guidance. They're excited for me to learn and allow me to find my way through solving the problem at hand. They're open to ideas and provide their own suggestions without overpowering the conversation or project. They teach me about their work, the current state of research and why they do what they do. I'm learning from them in a way that is translatable to future projects and problems I will encounter.

The offices are clean and tidy, and the desks are comfortable to work at. The dress code is variable between people in the office, but I am comfortable wearing a T-shirt to work.

For the vacation program, I looked at the projects offered at CSIRO and applied for a couple that interested me. I was contacted after the closure date and CSIRO organised an online interview for me to attend. The interview was enjoyable and the people interviewing reiterated that they didn't want it to be too formal. It was really a chance to get to know me and for me to get to know the supervisors and more about the project I applied for. A couple of weeks later I received a call to say I was successful. The process was very smooth and the application was easy to complete.

For my position as an undergraduate, the pay I am receiving is very fair and valid for my work.

Learning comes mainly from talking to other staff members and working on your project. I've learnt a few different programming frameworks so far.

CSIRO is very flexible with work hours. They want their staff to have a good work/life balance. I must complete a certain number of hours each day, however, it's up to me what time I start and finish work for the day and when I take my breaks. I also can choose to work from home or go into the office.

CSIRO as a government organisation has a strong emphasis on the public good, with many works aimed at reducing climate impact and improving people's lives. Much of my work has been on trying to improve energy efficiency/reduce environmental impact, particularly in the mining and metal refining industries