Software developers are also
just human
Interview with software developer Sim
Sim came to Australia from North India in 2014 to study and decided to stay in Melbourne. Since 2018 she has been working as a software developer in the Customer Solutions division for imc.
In our job slot serieswe asked her a few random questions on various topics and talked to her about cultural differences, personal role models and indispensable tools.
Job | Junior Software Developer
Works in | Melbourne
At imc since | Mai 2018
Super power | Self-motivation
Favourite food | Indian cuisine
Hello Sim, thank you for your time. Let's start with the favourite question of all parents: What are you doing in your job?
As I explained to my father: Imagine you have a button in your car and when you press it, your car changes colour from black to red. My job is to program the button so that the car can turn blue.
It's the same with our Learning Management System (LMS), the Learning Suite. I am responsible for implementing the wishes of our customers in such a way that the Learning Suite is individually adapted to each customer's needs.
Which tool is indispensable for your daily work?
Intellij is a tool for programming languages like Java.
Was there a particularly funny situation at work that you remembered?
In general, there are sometimes terms that I misunderstand or jokes I don’t get. But I particularly remembered a situation in which I wanted to welcome a colleague from France. I have already learned that in Australia people kiss each other on the cheek as a greeting, which nobody does in India.
However, my colleague came from France, where things seem to be different again, and he wanted to kiss me on both cheeks while I was already sitting down after one side. That was quite funny.
On a scale of one to ten, how well did your studies prepare you for your work today?
Five. There are so many things I didn't learn during my studies and what I had to completely rework here.
What makes working at imc special compared to other companies?
In other companies in Australia, I sometimes felt a bit left alone. Maybe it was because I came from another country. At imc, however, it is perfectly normal for there to be many different nationalities and for the international locations to work closely together.
Everyone is incredibly friendly and helpful and always supported me, especially at the beginning when I was a little lost. Not only the team in Melbourne, but also my colleagues in Germany were always there for me. I appreciate that very much and can therefore work much more liberated.
What's the most important thing you've learned in your job at imc so far?
Of course, I learned a lot about programming, but I also learned very much about project and time management.
Let's come to a few questions about you as a person. How do you like to start the day?
I just like to start off positively and relaxed in the morning and always drink two glasses of water after getting up.
Do you have a professional or personal role model?
Yes, many even. Michelle Obama, for example, is a great woman, but the Indian astronaut Kalpana Chawla or the Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai are also extraordinary personalities.
In general, I admire all women in industry, but also mothers. All women are my role models, from whom you can learn something and who make a difference.
What is your greatest strength?
I can motivate myself very well and am not afraid of hard work or to stay longer, if necessary. When I've put something into my head, I really want to achieve it and I think it's great when the results are right in the end.
To which country would you like to travel?
Not a special country, but my dream is to see the whole of Europe - or at least as many countries as possible on the entire continent.
Your favourite movie?
An Indian film called "Pink". It's about my heart's issue women and equal rights; especially in my home country there is still a lot in trouble here. In some regions in India, for example, it is still frowned upon that women drink alcohol.
The film deals with exactly that and deals with a woman who drinks alcohol and is raped. The man and the lawyers then argue in court that the woman would have behaved inappropriately by drinking. I find such films very important to point out and change grievances.
Last question: E-books, yes or no?
30% yes, 70% no. Professionally I find e-books practical, but privately I like the feeling of having a real book in my hand, just better.
Thank you very much for the exciting interview and all the best for your future career!
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