What's your job about?

Leidos is working to solve the world’s toughest challenges in government, intelligence, defence, aviation, border protection and health markets. As a software engineer, I help develop and maintain software for one of our customers. My team works on three separate projects, two of which are in sustainment and the other being in development. Due to the range of projects, we have a vast tech stack including React, Typescript, Rust, Java, Kotlin and more.

A common theme to our projects is that they all improve our customer’s workflow, helping them achieve their tasks in a more productive and organised manner. The projects I work on are either to replace outdated systems or manual processes.

A typical day for me includes looking at our scrum/work board to find a ticket/task to work on. This could include accomplishing the ticket/task myself or reviewing someone else’s work. The tickets range in size and can involve developing new features, patching bugs, addressing tech debt, working on research investigations or addressing user feedback.

My team also has different kinds of meetings throughout the week. This includes refinement, where we refine the tickets/tasks we have in the backlog to flesh out what exactly the task incorporates and any ideas on how to achieve it. As well as sprint review, where we demonstrate to our customer all the work we have achieved in the last two weeks.

What's your background?

I grew up in the western suburbs of Victoria where I still live today. I struggled a bit trying to figure out what I wanted to pursue as a career. As a teenager, my interests were in film and psychology. I initially went to university to study psychology but decided to stop to pursue something more creative. After self-studying creative writing for a while, I realised that I wanted to keep my creativity side for myself instead of monetising it. So, I ended up a bit lost. That was until my cousin told me all about her life as a software engineer. She let me borrow her HTML/CSS book, which I read and enjoyed very much! I had heard of coding before but seemed too low-level for me. But after reading this book, my perspective changed. Not only was it easier than I thought, but also very creative!

I ended up applying to Deakin University again and completing a Bachelor of Information Technology. Near the end of my degree, there was encouragement from staff to apply for graduate programs. I found out about Leidos’ graduate program and applied after reading about the important work they do for our society.

I was fortunate enough to be offered a role and started in 2024 as a graduate software engineer. I am currently at the end of my second year at Leidos and I am very happy!

Could someone with a different background do your job?

I believe so. When it comes to coding, people often think of a specific type of person. However, there is really no limit to what you can create with code. I often compare programming languages to a paint brush or a tool. It really depends on the individual to decide what they want to create with it. And one of Leidos’ values is innovation. In order to achieve this, and seek out the best solutions and ideas, you need a diverse group of people who come from a range of different backgrounds with life experiences. 

So, I would say not only could you do my job if you had a different background, but your uniqueness would be very valuable!

What's the coolest thing about your job?

I love the constant opportunities to learn. With each new ticket comes new experiences that improve my skills, making me feel like I am constantly improving and becoming a better developer. I never feel bored or stagnant at work, there is always a new challenge around the corner to keep my brain stimulated. I’ve gotten to learn a lot about myself and how software is created and maintained.

What are the limitations of your job?

Unlike other graduate programs, there aren’t any rotations. Leidos will find a team/project for you to be on. Sometimes this can take a bit of time depending on current state and logistics of the team/projects. I was lucky and got on a team straight away, but some of my fellow grads/interns had to wait a bit. Leidos does try their very best to put you on a project that matches your skills and interests though. 

It can also be a bit overwhelming starting as there is a lot to learn, but eventually you will get the hang of things.

Three pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

1. Remember to be kind to yourself and celebrate the small wins. The only person you should compare yourself to is your past self!
2. Try to get out the house more and be a part of more communities.
3. Learn about testing, Docker, Helm and Kubernetes!