a week with #WorkExperienceLara

Created on 2017-09-22 05:57

Published on 2017-09-22 06:15

This week, I had a Year 10 work experience student join me in telstralabs. I asked her to write a little recap, which I share (unedited) below …

Work Experience at Telstra

My 5-day work experience journey at Telstra commenced with an introductory tour lead by Frank Arrigo. As I was guided around the Exhibition St building, any preconceived notions I had of a ‘typical workspace’ were immediately forgotten as I ventured through the open and picturesque environment of Telstra’s headquarters. Upon my arrival, I received an access card that granted me warranted entry into the office and of course, the amazing kitchen for the next 5 days. During my tour, I was shown the labs where prototypes are created and spaces where Virtual Reality devices are experimented with. From this, I managed to gain an insight into the complex processes of producing and testing new elements of technology. I was soon informed of the week’s agenda that consisted of me attending a couple of meetings and travelling to the Telstra Vantage event held at the Melbourne Convention Centre. Prior to this, I had the perfect opportunity to get a lot my Work Experience related schoolwork out of the way so that I could make the most of the occasions that were to come.

The next day began with a large meeting where Stephen Elop, Group Executive of the Technology Innovation and & Strategy group at Telstra, and representatives from several companies gave presentations. Upcoming IoT and Artificial Intelligence devices were shared and it was a great session to learn about the devices of our future. I also had the chance to meet CEO of Telecom Technologies and the first female private space explorer, Anousheh Ansari, who was to later be a guest speaker at the Vantage event. We then advanced to make our way down to Telstra Vantage where we made ourselves at home at the Telstra Foundation stand. From here, I had the opportunity to familiarise myself with Scratch programs and the use of Sphero robots. The Spheros were really enjoyable to fluently drive around and I controlled them through the use of a mobile app. The app also allowed us to program the balls to move around in different ways and I knew this was certainly worth trying. Managing to program the to Sphero balls to go over ramps, I enhanced my robotics and navigation skills. Aside from assisting at the stand, I also had the chance to wander around Telstra Vantage, where I discovered new technologies and engaged in some Virtual Reality experiences. It was a chance for me to take in the atmosphere that I was to work in over the course of the next few days.

As the event proceeded, the crowd had also developed. More and more people were becoming absorbed in the Telstra Foundation activities and furthering their knowledge of what the foundation was all about. Things really began to pick up when school groups started to arrive and the kids became captured in use of Spheros themselves. I had the entertaining job of passing on my knowledge and Sphero skills to all the kids and it was unquestionable that they were excited to be involved in using the latest robotic toys. The Telstra Foundation stand had also allowed for people to interact with an artificially intelligent robot that has the ability to respond to commands and answer questions. With the help of TV crews, Telstra Foundation gained media exposure and it was great to watch how this unfolded on national television. As the day began to finish up, there was time to attend a Keynote presentation held by Anousheh. She spoke about her interspace travel experiences and showed us how it is important for people to dream big in order to make the most out of life.

Overall, the work experience placement delivered to me by Telstra provided me with a valuable chance to experience work in the technology industry. Through a collaborative environment, I was able to give back to the community by interacting with young technology users and giving them the opportunity learn programming skills. I highly recommend that upcoming work experience seekers look for placements in the field of technology as it is a rapidly growing part of the future. I would like to extend my thanks to Team Telstra for giving me such an enriching experience and the possibility to meet plenty of people who have given me guidance to working in the future.