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How would you describe the path you have taken to get you to where you are today?

I am lucky to have had the opportunity to work in the same industry as my field of study in Australia. An industry which happens to be one of the fastest-growing industries today (Information Technology).

Do you have a personal philosophy that you bring to your work?

Work your hardest first, and the rewards will come later. Never take your job for granted. If you can do it so can others. Always try to make a great impact in the company you work for, that way you differentiate yourself from others. I also like to benchmark myself against others, and try to compete in a positive way to become number 1 amongst my peer group.

What has been your greatest career highlight(s)?

I must say that my greatest achievement would be when I see my team members become succesful, when they gain recognition, receive well-deserved promotion, win big strategic deals or even being approached by competitors. To me this is testimony that I have developed my team members to become succesful. That is what differentiates a leader from just a manager.

What has been your greatest career challenge? How did you navigate this challenge?

Starting new is always a challenge. When you are new person in a new company, you need to get to the break even point as soon as possible, which is the point at which you feel you add value to that company as much as the company adds value to you. You are still learning and ramping up, yet you are expected to keep the business running and growing at the same time. The way I navigate this period is to be resourceful and ask as many questions of people in the company.

Do you have any sage advice for those starting out in their careers?

From personal experience, it is critical that we set the first 30 day, 60 day and 90 day goals. As I mentioned, the sooner you get to the break event point the better. You need to remember that there are many people out there who can do your job too, so always try to create a difference in your organization. Another important thing to do is to pick a mentor. Some companies have good onboarding plan for new hires with a mentoring system. If not, then you need to be proactive and ask your manager to appoint a good mentor for you.

Where to from here?

I am yet to be number 1 in my peer group, so my goal for myself and my team is to be number 1 in our peer group. The road to become number 1 is the most exciting path. Once you become number 1, it is much easier to ask - what's next because more options and opportunities open up right in front of you.

What is your lasting impression of La Trobe?

La Trobe is a multiculturual, multinational place. My experience studying and interacting with people from different nationalities has become very valuable to me in my workplace, because I work for a multinational company and the industry I work in is also universal. I can deal with people with different cultures and nationalities with ease.

Never take your job for granted, if you can do it so can others. Always try to make a great impact in the company you work for, that way you differentiate yourself from others.