I’m a bit confused about what direction I should take with my career and would really appreciate some advice.
I worked as a frontend developer for about a year. After that, I moved back to my home country because I was planning to move to Australia. I then moved to Australia and completed my Master’s in IT here. During that time, I wasn’t working in software development.
After finishing my studies, I couldn’t land a software engineering job, so I ended up working in IT Support. I’m currently in helpdesk and I know I don’t want to stay here long-term.
The problem is that I’ve been away from coding for quite a while and honestly feel like I’ve forgotten a lot. If I go back to software engineering, it feels like I’ll have to start from scratch again.
So I’m not sure what makes more sense at this point. Should I spend the next few months getting back into coding and try for software engineering jobs, or would it be better to move towards cloud/infrastructure/sysadmin?
If I go down the cloud/infra route, should I focus on certifications, projects, or something else?
I’m just trying to figure out the best way to build a career from my current position and get out of helpdesk.
Would appreciate any advice, especially from people who have been in a similar situation.

Hi everyone, which of these languages guarantee the best chance of landing a job in Australia?

I'm an Australian citizen in my second year of uni, I really have an interest for C++ but I'm not sure :/

Hello!

I am currently a junior at my company, I came in with no experience and so far have gotten a lot of good experience with our SDLC. I am always thinking of how I can do better, mainly because I love this work...even though majority of it now is just reviewing code (thank claude).

Any senior's and or anyone in a role upward of a senior have any thoughts on career progression as a software engineer. Obviously people will have different opinions on this now, considering how much the industry has changed in...I guess this year. I really want to be the best engineer I could be, and would love to hear what people have to say.

Or if you just need to vent lol you can drop that here too. I guess part of the question I am hinting at is what people's experiences have been like over the years and what they might have taken away _(*-*)_/

Hey guys I’ve just been accepted into the talent pool but not yet matched to a job

Was curious on whether anyone had heard anything and if anyone had questions?

I noticed a lack of posts regarding this topic so figured this could open the discussion.

Let me know if you want a referral. DM me your email, name, and past experience

Hey,

I have 5 years of experience as a software engineer at a SaaS enterprise company, but I was laid off about 5 months ago. Since then, I’ve been interviewing quite a bit, and I often make it through 4-5 rounds, only to get rejected at the final stage.

Honestly, the interview process is starting to take a toll on me mentally. The processes are so lengthy, and after putting in so much time and effort, getting to the final round and not getting the job is becoming really discouraging.

I was laid off as part of changes related to AI, and a lot of my former colleagues are also struggling to find new roles. Some of the senior engineers who were laid off have managed to find jobs, but have had to take a step down in seniority and return to Software Engineer roles.

At this point, I’m not too sure what to do anymore. I’m considering exploring other career pathways outside of software engineering.

One option I’m seriously thinking about is doing a Master of Teaching at UNSW and potentially moving into teaching, possibly in a technology/software related area.

For anyone who has made a similar career change, what other career pathways would you recommend for someone with a Computer Science degree and 5 years of software engineering experience?

And for those who have also struggled to find a role after being made redundant, what are you doing now? Have you changed career paths, gone back to studying, or found another way forward?

Was anybody here able to do a career shift from swe or qa to Ai ? Or maybe something else ?

If so how long did it take and how much did it cost ?

What resources or road map did you follow ?

Hi guys,

I am in a situation very similar to this to this post by someone else. I am currently unemployed (since July) looking for a Junior Sysadmin or at least a Level 2 Helpdesk role but I am getting nothing from the industry. I have no idea what I am missing other than the vague feedback of "you don't have experience with our clientele" or "we need someone with slightly more experience at the moment".

All I have to my name is a Bachelor of Comp Sci and no certs (which probably looks bad on paper), with 5 years of working in Level 1-2 helpdesk jobs and I don't know how or where to upskill in that regard.

I have an Ubuntu Server at home that I have been managing for 5 years, a NAS and have general networking (IPs, DNS, VPN) and sysadmin knowledge (Dockers) and practice.

I put my GitHub in my resume with dotfiles and a Homelab portfolio. On top of all that I've put in all the different services I've been exposed to in my 5 years of Helpdesk experience. Not sure if putting my GitHub is a bad thing or not.

My questions are:

• What certs should I get? CompTIA Linux+? RHSCA? Both? Are they a waste of time and money?
• Should I learn languages such as Python and BASH?
• What projects should I be doing?
• Do I also need a LinkedIn?
• Is specialising into Linux a waste of time? Should I also get MS and AWS certs?
• Should I forget about getting a junior sysadmin/Linux role and get back to Helpdesk roles?

If it helps (or is to my detriment) I am an Australian citizen.

Thanks in advance!

TL;DR: Stuck unemployed with a Comp Sci degree, 5 years exp in Helpdesk, with a homelab and have no idea where to go or how to upskill to help me land a junior sysadmin or Linux role.

Looking to know if anyone interviewed for this position or something similar, likewise would appreciate any help/advice.

Hi everyone, as a first year computer science student Is C++ an employable language to learn?

I am planning to move to perth for masters in Information technology at university of western australia. Then I'll apply for pr after I get job in cybersecurity. How's the market there? Is it a good place to invest my future in? Apart from this I'll be taking loan to cover my tution and expenses.

my\\_qualifications: b. tech from tier 3 with 1 year experience

Is anybody familiar with the hiring process for this role? Do they have an OA? Do they ask any coding questions at all, or just stick to cybersecurity related questions? Any help would be much appreciated. I'm considering applying next year, when I'm in my final year.

I did my data science and AI intern AC on 30th sept. Just curious to know if someone who applied for that stream has heard back yet?

Hey everyone! Long-time lurker, first-time poster. Hoping to get some perspective from people who’ve taken a similar path.

Background:
Current Role: Licensed Architect with 10 YOE (currently working on the client/owner side). Strong focus on computational design and visual scripting.

Current Situation: Earn ~$130k (low tax region). Due to the local construction downturn, career progression here is effectively frozen for the next few years. I have a family to support, so I’m looking for a higher income ceiling and better stability.

Plan: Considering a Master of Applied Computer Science (MAS-CS) degree.

I’d love input on a few specific questions:

1. ConTech / PropTech vs. Broader Tech: If I leverage my AEC background, is the ConTech/PropTech job market as niche/limited as it seems? What other roles or sectors (e.g., Big Tech, spatial computing, dev tool infrastructure) would value an AEC + CS background?
2. US Remote Work from Abroad: I have US work authorization (no visa required), but my spouse’s job requires us to live outside the US. How viable is landing a fully remote US-based tech role while living internationally (considering tax/compliance hurdles for employers)?
3. Architects who pivoted: If you transitioned from AEC/computational design to software engineering or tech product management, was a CS Master’s worth it for you?

Would especially love to connect with any former architects who have completed the program. Thanks in advance!

Hi, I graduated from a computer science degree and would prefer more technical work such as software dev.
I have looked around the internet and saw that you can't really get this experience from banks. I saw that they try push you into an analyst role.

The role I applied for in Westpac was Technology Engineering which doesn't have a rotation, you just stick with one stream. I am not sure if they changed the hiring process, but in the past when I've applied I never had gotten a code assessment until this time. This makes me wonder if the role is more technical.

For CBA, I saw that they are more tech focused in general as a company compared to Westpac.

Which one would be a better opportunity including benefits and offers as well?

I am currently an SDE 2 at Amazon and recently got an offer from Uber AV Labs for Software Engineer II. I am curious to know how is the culture in AV labs? Would love to understand how does day-to-day looks like for someone working there.

Made it to the interview stage. Not entirely sure what to expect other than the generic interview questions (such as why do you want to work here or what my hobbies are). The email did not specify if it was technical but I'm still bracing for a leetcode medium style question. Does anyone have experience interviewing for Fusion5?

Hey all, just after some advice 🙏

25, married, no kids.

I'm currently a permanent Mid-level software engineer at a large private sector company on $110k base and have been there for almost 2.5 years. Promotion to senior still looks unlikely anytime soon and the company is actively going through restructuring/layoffs.

I've been approached for a 12-month temporary Senior role at a NSW Government agency paying roughly $150k base. They've said there's potential to extend or move into a permanent role if one opens and/or be placed in a talent pool for future roles.

Main concern is obviously giving up a permanent role for a 12 month position,

Would you take the senior title/pay jump and accept the temporary risk in my position?

Thanks!

Hey guys, I have an in-person final interview at McMaster-Carr for the Technology, Development, & Design position , I was wondering if anyone had any insight about this? Is it very technical? Are my chances good of getting the job? This is one of my first final interviews so i'm pretty nervous but excited!

Hi everyone,

My name is (BK) Batkhuyag, a Master of Research student at the Higher Education Leadership Institute (HELI) in Melbourne.

With permission from the moderators, I am inviting early-career IT graduates in Australia to participate in my research study: AI-Driven Recruitment and Skill Expectations for Early-Career IT Graduates

Artificial intelligence is changing how IT graduates are recruited and assessed, and this study aims to understand graduates’ experiences in their own words.

You may be eligible if you:

• completed an IT-related university qualification within roughly the last 2-3 years
• are an Australian resident who has searched, or is currently searching, for entry-level IT roles
• are 18 years of age or older.

What participation involves:

• one confidential interview of approximately 45–50 minutes
• conducted online or in person, at a time that suits you
• an opportunity to share your experience of job searching, AI recruitment and skill expectations.

Participation is completely voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time. Your name will not be used in any report or publication, and information collected through the study will be kept confidential and stored securely.

As this research forms part of my Master of Research thesis, there is no monetary compensation for participation, but I would sincerely appreciate your time and contribution to the research.

Interested in participating or finding out more? Feel free to direct message me with any questions.

Researcher:
Batkhuyag Dorjsuren
Master of Research Candidate
Higher Education Leadership Institute (HELI)
Email: [202560093@student.heli.edu.au](mailto:202560093@student.heli.edu.au)
This study has been approved by the HELI Human Research Ethics Committee
Approval No. 106