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nbn

4.2
  • #15 in Technology
  • 1,000 - 50,000 employees

Matthew Barclay

What’s the takeaway from my story? That not everything is simple and sometimes the path that we end up taking isn’t the one we had in mind, but the one that is presented to us.

Tell us about your current role

Did you know that Wi-Fi is an Australian invention? It would only make sense then that we should be at the forefront of this wonderous technology. Well that sounds nice, but fact and fiction don’t always line up, which is why in 2009 the Rudd Government created nbn co limited and tasked them with uplifting the technological infrastructure of the nation. Not only for the main cities and urban centres, but for rural towns and isolated farms, the nbn™ network was designed to help connect Australia and that’s what nbn is doing.

But enough about nbn, let’s now talk about my team inside nbn. Currently I am working in the Chief Data Office D&A, Strategy and Technology team as a Business Analyst (BA). As a BA I have two functions, one function is to examine incoming business requests my team receives and talk with the requestee as to what requirements they need for the project and breakdown the work into its different tasks. The second function I serve is an administrative one where I help mange the different projects we are working on and ensure all work is captured and prioritised accordingly. In addition, I also work on projects or initiatives that are aimed at enhancing the team’s functionality or operational effectiveness. Some examples include: improving search capability of our report repository, reviewing any processes we have and making improvements, helping to develop internal reporting tools for our team and more.

How did you find your way to nbn?

I grew up in a very entrepreneurial family and from an early age I have been a part of my parent’s pursuits, ranging from: renovations, multiple online businesses, a café, toyshop and the list goes on. While this was all happening, I was lucky enough to be accepted into a scholarship course at Swinburne called the Bachelor of Information Technology, where I was able to expand upon what I knew about business and combine it with the learnings that I gained from my course. During that time, I was also able to work at two companies for five months each as an intern.  

And I bet you’re thinking after I graduated, I then interviewed at nbn for a graduate role and that’s that? Well no, this isn’t a Hollywood story. I spent close to 8 months job hunting and ended up working for Fujitsu Australia as a level 2 IT support specialist. During this role my dad encouraged me to apply for the nbn™ graduate program, I knew it was a good place to work as dad used to work there and I knew it would be a good career move as well. Once more I dived into the interviews and assessments and to my astonishment, I was offered a role in the 2020 nbn™ Business graduate program, which I accepted.

What’s the takeaway from my story? That not everything is simple and sometimes the path that we end up taking isn’t the one we had in mind, but the one that is presented to us.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Absolutely, just because I have a degree in IT doesn’t mean someone else with a different background can’t be a Business Analyst. What you learn in your degree is more of a foundation that you will use to build up your knowledge and understanding as you gain more experience in whatever role you may find yourself in. As a business analyst one of the main skills you need is the ability to find the root of the problem, as not everyone who requests work from my team, knows what they really need.

What do you enjoy most about working at nbn?

I’ve worked in some places where graduate was kind of a label that didn’t really mean too much, but at nbn when people hear the word graduate, they are quite happy and open to your involvement. People are happy to get you involved in work that is important and valuable which can lead to tasks where you’re making a difference. For example, I’ve led the way in re-structuring and designing our team’s content collaboration site as part of our re-branding efforts into a new business unit and presented the changes to our entire CDO group not just my team. Which is an opportunity I didn’t think I would get in my first placement.

What has been challenging?

I came from a very busy and constantly demanding job prior to nbn, so my biggest issue was adapting to a more quality over quantity type workplace. The work I am doing now requires more responsibility and thinking and shifting back into that focus was my challenge. But for new graduates I think that the changing environment of nbn might be their biggest challenge as sometimes I get assigned work that a week or so later is no longer the focus and we need to move over to other more important work.

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

Apart from buying as much bitcoin as I could, or buying stocks, I would say to myself:

  • Don’t let problems get worse: If you have an issue that is severely impacting you, don’t let it balloon out of control, address it.
  • Don’t let the success of others discourage you: know that everyone takes their own path when making their way in life and that no one is the same.
  • Never stop learning: Someone once told me the only constant is change and if we stop learning then we will not be as able to adapt as the times change.