Where did you grow up?
I was born and raised in Malaysia before I migrated to New Zealand when I was nine, where I’ve been living ever since.
How did you get your current job position? For how long have you had it?
I got my current position straight out of university by applying for the role online on Theta’s website. I have been in my role for three years, going into my fourth.
How did you choose your specialization?
I have always had an interest in development. What I liked about development is that it’s about solving problems in an optimal way. I leaned into consultancy because to optimally solve problems, you must first be able to diagnose the problem, and consultancy allows me to be customer-facing, as well as have a hand in the resolution of the problem.
What was your interview process like? What questions were you asked?
There were three stages to the interview process. The first was a phone call between the hiring manager where I was asked questions pertaining to my CV, namely around my graduation status. I was then offered to do a technical test, which I received feedback on before my final interview, where I was asked general questions such as my attitude towards work and my university experience. I then received an offer for the job a week later.
What does your employer do?
Theta is a New Zealand owned and operated IT consultancy that provides services to customers of any industry to develop, implement and maintain their business solutions.
What are your areas of responsibility?
My responsibility is maintaining and developing products that our customers will enjoy using. That involves communicating with customers to gather requirements, listening to feedback, developing in collaboration, communicating changes, and releasing changes.
As a technical consultant, developing sound code is as important as maintaining customer satisfaction. You can expect to gain a lot of experience dealing with customers and communicating effectively, as well as honing in on your technical skills.
Can you describe a typical workday?
On a typical day, I will spend time developing new features or problem-solving to meet the requirements of our customers. This process can be collaborative, so I may discuss ideas and problems with other consultants to arrive at the best solution.
Every day brings a new set of problems, so you never find that you work on the same thing for very long.
What are the career prospects with your job? Where could you or others in your position go from here?
As a technical consultant, you could choose to grow into your competencies and move up the ranks of consultant, or you could form your own consultancy to work on your technological passions.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
I believe anyone with enough interest could do my job. I know many members within the organization who transitioned into my role, having specialized in an entirely unrelated industry prior.
What would your career be if you weren’t doing what you’re doing now?
I’d still be doing something creative where I could build something from the ground up, perhaps architecture or engineering.
What do you love the most about your job? Which kind of task do you enjoy the most?
What I like the most is seeing a cumulation of efforts amounting to a product or feature. There is no greater joy than seeing something you’ve built being utilized.
I like the code reviewing process the most. I enjoy receiving feedback on code that I’ve developed, as it’s a great way to learn from others on the team and an opportunity for self-improvement.
What’s the biggest limitation of your job? Do you bear a lot of responsibility? Do you have to work on weekends? Are stress levels high?
There aren’t very many limitations of the job. You are expected to meet the targets that have been assigned to you. However, you determine your own workload in a way, as managers are very understanding, and they know that things can take time. Managers will make allowances so long as you communicate why you are unable to get to something or if something is holding up your deliverables.
If you happen to take on too much, that can be stressful, but stresses aren’t typically a result of other members of the organization. I have also never been mandated to work weekends.
Which three pieces of advice would you give to a current university student? They don’t necessarily have to be related to your role or even be career-focused.