Grad Life at Infosys has been Everything I’d hoped for
I moved to Canberra to join Infosys as a graduate, keen to kickstart my career in IT. Given Infosys works with some of the largest businesses across a lot of different industries and partners, I knew I would be given a breadth of experience and exposure to all sorts of things.
Even though the pandemic struck near the tail end of the initial training, which meant the last few weeks of lessons were online, I managed to pass the Pega Certification exam. The training period felt like being back at university, except this time I was getting paid on the job to learn – and that was much more motivating!
I spent the next couple of months brushing up my skills as I waited to get placed on a project. Since July 2020, I've been working on an exciting project with the government, learning something new every day from my more experienced colleagues.
The day-to-day for me at Infosys
I've appreciated the importance of flexibility in a workplace through the last 12-months, especially being able to contribute meaningfully as required from home or visiting the office as needed. I've found that collaborating in person at the office makes it easier to share ideas among teams, and when I need to do more focused work then I prefer working from home.
I am currently in the role of an associate. Every day starts with a quick stand-up meeting (which is virtual at the moment) to catch up on our progress. Other than that, days vary quite a lot depending on what there is to do.
If I have assigned work, I’ll get going on that. If my colleagues need assistance, I hop on a call to help them. If any bugs or issues are found in previously completed work, I’ll go and thoroughly investigate the issue. Or if I have some downtime, I’ll do some self-study on Pega -- it's a continuous learning journey.
My current project is a great learning ground
Right now, I am working on a Government project and it's fulfilling to be able to contribute to re-imagining the citizen experience with digital technology. Like many Australians, I've had positive experiences growing up through Government-funded programs like Youth Allowance and Jobseeker and I find it especially interesting and motivating to work on a project that helps our community. It's nice to know that my work could have a tangible impact on improving the lives of people around me.
At the start of my placement on the project, the tasks I was assigned were fairly minor and I was given a lot of guidance by my senior colleagues. Over time, as my skills and knowledge have improved, I've been able to contribute to more important projects with more complexity. I have also become more independent to work on projects now by myself.
Ongoing development is a crucial part of my life at Infosys
Learning has been the cornerstone of my time at Infosys through a very supportive ecosystem. The thorough training during the graduate program goes a long way from gaining certifications to applying the knowledge on the job.
Also, being placed on my current project has enabled me to get a lot of help from my experienced colleagues. They are happy to help me with any queries and guide me in understanding more advanced concepts that weren’t covered in my certification course.
Infosys places a lot of emphasis on employee development. One of the guiding principles of the company is to ‘make sure your career never stands still’ and they really encourage our growth and progress. One of my goals for each review cycle is to be working towards a new certification. I have already been nominated to take the next level Pega certification exam, and I’m free to attend training for this whenever I have any downtime on my project work.
Take advantage of every opportunity as a graduate
Infosys has an extensive self-learning system in LeX and regularly holds tutor-led online training. There are also vouchers available for exam certifications. I really recommend that graduates make the most of these opportunities to expand their knowledge and skill set and use any downtime on the job to learn new things.
My relocation to Canberra coincided with a very difficult time for us as a nation, with the pandemic and the bushfires, and it was my first time living independently away from my family as well! Adjusting to my first full-time job on top of all that was challenging, but Infosys made the whole experience a lot easier. My colleagues and team are always there to support me, and I have really settled into my new life!
While I really enjoyed the experience in Canberra, I moved back home to Melbourne at the start of this year, so it’s been great to be back with friends and family after a year away from home and continue on my career journey.