Studying IT as a gateway to a STEM career

When Bamboo Wang arrived from China, she was excited to study Information Technology (IT) as she knew it would open doors to a world of work opportunities.

“IT is a wide-ranging subject which can be connected with literature, art, health, economy, or any topic,” says Bamboo. “It’s suitable for people like me who have broad interests and like to explore new things and various possibilities.” 

It turns out that Bamboo was right to follow this path.

In less than two years, she has achieved outstanding results in this new field. Currently, she works as a project officer in the Faculty of Science and Technology at CDU. 

Living in Darwin

On arrival from China, Bamboo quickly fell in love with Darwin. She now thoroughly embraces the lifestyle.

“Darwin has both the sun and the sea and is a peaceful town with friendly residents,” says Bamboo “The pace of life is slow, and people know how to enjoy it.” 

Bamboo notes that, compared to the bustling and noisy cities, Darwin is like a breath of fresh air.

“I feel that a small city like Darwin is more suitable for living,” she says. “I’m not into any nightlife, and I don’t have much interest in shopping and consumption.” 

Getting work ready

Bamboo is grateful for the opportunities she has had at CDU, particularly those that have helped prepare her for working life. 

“In the last semester, I participated in two programs held by CDU Career Centre, the AWEsome program and the Mentor program, and I feel that I’ve gained a lot,” says Bamboo.

“The former is to teach us some Australian workplace knowledge and job interview skills before we undertake an internship on campus. The latter is to help us establish a relationship with industry professionals and find industry mentors.” 

Current projects

During her time at CDU, Bamboo has been involved with projects where she’s been able to showcase her skills and educate others.

“Some students from local schools and colleges visited CDU under the Inspire NT project and we showed them augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) projects,” says Bamboo.

“I worked as an assistant for the VR/AR workshop, introducing all the projects to students and helping them use the equipment.”

Bamboo also assisted with VR/AR workshops at Casuarina Library, Celebrating Women in STEM. 

IT code fair

At the CDU IT Code Fair this year, Bamboo was the winner of the NT Digital Excellence Award, which is presented every two years by the NT Government.

Her work for Code Fair focused on Indigenous Knowledge and developing a Living Archiving System. This system allows content owners to protect Indigenous rights and content, while also being able to apply access and usage standards that fit within Indigenous community cultures, sensitivities and norms.  

The award certificate was presented by Ngaree Ah Kit, Minister of International Education of the Northern Territory. 

Inspired by Bamboo’s success? Contact us today to discuss your career plans and discover how we can help.