Our Pick of the Top Graduate Opportunities in Australian Tech

As a growth industry, tech stands almost alone. Thanks to the instinctive human urge to progress it’s a field that is forever developing and expanding, but it’s perhaps doing so now more than ever. The dawn of the digital age has seen the tech industry go into overdrive, and the acceleration has thus far been exponential. Everywhere you look, amazing companies are doing amazing things. If we were putting it very mildly we’d describe it as an exciting time.

This is all welcome news for graduates in the space. The opportunity to work with some of the most groundbreaking, disruptive and employee-focused companies in the world is an enticing prospect, and one that has seen the amount of tech grads skyrocket in recent years in order to feed the industry’s insatiable appetite for young talent.

But what exactly are the opportunities available to today’s graduates? What sort of companies populate the Australian tech landscape? What sort of roles do these companies offer newcomers to the field? And how does a graduate go about securing their ideal position in such a competitive industry?

These are the exact questions that this article seeks to answer. We sat down with some of the biggest and most exciting names in Australian tech to learn precisely what they look for in a new hire, the positions they look to new tech graduates to fill, and the opportunities for career progression that they provide these graduates.

Are you ready to enter the world of Aussie tech? Terrific. Let’s take a look at what you’re in for.

The Types of Roles Available to New Grads

A new graduate’s entry into the tech space generally takes one of two routes – sales for the more business-minded or tech for the more technology-minded. Both disciplines are vital to the success of the industry as a whole, and opportunities abound for each.

Most will offer up a wide array of grad opportunities in both the sales and tech spaces, although supply of these opportunities will forever be dictated by demand. Professional services company Deloitte, for example, offers a huge range of grad openings depending on which areas of the organisation require a talent top-up. Programs are offered in the tech fields of cyber security, DevOps, digital forensics, platform engineering and front-end development, as well as in the sales fields of marketing analytics, product development and project management.

In short, the types of roles available to new grads in the Australian tech scene are as many and varied as anywhere in the world.

What to Look for in a Great Tech Company

So with this embarrassment of grad program riches available, what should you, as a tech industry hopeful, be looking for in terms of an employer? What makes a great company?

A few things to look for in a great tech employer include:

• A flexible work schedule
• A relaxed and fun office atmosphere
• A company culture that you can identify with
• Reward for effort
• An understanding that there is life outside of work
• Career progression opportunities

The last tick box is an important one. Where can a tech company take you in the long run? Career progression should be at the forefront of every ambitious tech grad’s mind.

For a start, a tech company’s grad program should go somewhere. “At the end of your tenure as a graduate employee at Optus, you will very likely be offered a permanent position in your chosen work stream,” says Jaclyn Campbell of the telecommunication giant’s talent acquisition arm. “Our grad alumni make up a significant percentage of our leadership team.”

The scope of career opportunities will inevitably be reflected in the scope of the organisation itself, making multi-nationals like Dropbox an alluring prospect. “Dropbox is an ambitious and fast growing tech company. We are an exciting and dynamic place to be, and offer huge opportunities for graduates to grow with us” declares Dean Swan, the company’s Sales Director. “Dropbox is truly global. We have offices across APAC, Europe, and the US and can offer graduates access to global roles and opportunities.”

The structure of the company also plays a huge part when talking career development. Tim Brewer, Freelancer.com’s Manager of People and Talent, describes their almost startup-like configuration – “Our flat management structure means people often move up quite quickly through the organisation, and taking on more responsibilities quicker.”