Natalie Hardwicke
Leaving university with a creative communication degree and
a psychology degree, I contemplated what stream to apply for at the ATO. My
educational background was covered in the degree types for the different streams
on offer. For some reason, business design seemed the most inviting.
I came into the program a little apprehensive after meeting
new and outgoing design graduates. Design-related degrees seemed to be all
around me including graphic and industrial design, multimedia and even fashion
design. I remember my initial reaction being ‘maybe I have applied for the
wrong stream, I didn’t study design!’
I had never really considered myself a ‘designer’ per se, but
realised design in the ATO was all about thinking a certain way. This thinking
focuses on analysing the needs of business while keeping users at the
forefront of any decision-making. Although I didn’t study something with the
word ‘design’ in it, there was one thing all the design graduates had in common
in the degrees we studied: our educational backgrounds focused on being able to
meet the needs of the user with what was feasible, available and realistic.
What I discovered throughout my rotations is that there are
varied design roles in the ATO. My rotations have allowed me to experience
design in different business areas and across three of the sub-plans. I think
the rotations work really well as they can help you uncover where your
strengths lie and what type of design work you would like to pursue for a
future career pathway in the ATO. I felt
that my skill set aligned with user-centred design and business analysis.
What surprised me about the graduate year is that I have
been able to utilise the skills obtained from both my time at university and from
my previous work experience. The role has given me an opportunity to
demonstrate my skills in other areas of design that are not related to rotation
work. This has included working on the graduate project and presenting
psychology based sessions in the design facilitation community of practice.
The best advice I can give about the graduate program is to
make the most out of every opportunity that is given to you. You will only get
out of the program what you put in. As graduates, we are lucky that we get to
meet so many people across the ATO and across multiple business lines. I have
met some amazing people in my graduate year; there is a great supportive
network and working with other graduates is a welcomed bonus.
If you’re thinking about applying for the design stream
don’t be disconcerted by the word ‘design’. I majored in psychology and poetry
and work as a ‘designer’ in the Tax Office! As strange as this sounds the
skills I learnt from my studies greatly align to business design practices in
the ATO.
Aaron Shaw
After attaining my bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design
from the University of Canberra, my heart was
initially set on trying to fish out job opportunities in the highly competitive
design industry. Intrigued by the ATO graduate program, I thought I’d give it a
shot and submit an application – just imagine my surprise when almost a year
later I was walking in as a design graduate!
My experience of working in the various design areas and
disciplines within the ATO is that there is always something new and exciting
to do. I have been involved in many projects at various points during their
life cycle, during which I attended meetings, participated in workshops,
assisted stakeholders and colleagues to produce timely, high-quality
deliverables, and received quality training and mentoring whenever I needed it.
Furthermore, I was provided with countless opportunities to
engage in work activities from the various design disciplines in the ATO. Such
activities have included producing flowcharts as part of information design,
engaging in usability evaluations as a user-centred designer, facilitating
workshops as a design facilitator and performing detailed business analysis as
a solution designer.
Graduates receive the best the ATO has to offer with regard
to training and career development opportunities; as part of the twelve month
development program, I was given the exciting opportunity to rotate to a new
area every four months. During each rotation, not only was I met with an
enthusiastic induction and support experience by way of my team leaders and
colleagues, I also received strong ongoing support from my graduate manager
throughout the development program.
The ATO’s design capability is constantly expanding to allow
improvement to the organisation’s ability to embrace the needs of both the
government and the community – as such, there is a continuous need for new
designers with fresh ideas.
To any potential design graduates out there, I highly
recommend you consider the ATO’s graduate program and if you have the chance,
apply for it – I am sure that if you are successful in attaining a position,
you will not regret it!