Personal Information

Name: James Matthew Bird
Student Number: s3785646
E-mail: s3785646@student.rmit.edu.au
Nationality: New Zealander
Education: Completion of VCE, First Year University Student
Languages Spoken: Fluent in English, Very small Japanese speaking ability.
My hobbies are playing basketball and playing video games. My favourite game is league of legends, I have been playing It for 3 years now.
I have two cats named Levi and Asher and they are 1 year old.

Interest to IT

  • What is your interest in IT? When did your interest in IT start? Was there a particular event or person that sparked your interest? Outline your IT experience (if any).

    I’ve been around my computers for as long as I can remember, since the age of 2 I have had a personal computer at home (2003) and as a baby I would watch my dad do his work at home sometimes. I watched and caught on quickly how a computer worked and was easily able to use a computer to its full potential by 5 years old. I was given my own account on our computer and used it to play games online through websites like Miniclip, nothing fancy or graphics intensive, just basic racing games and puzzle games. When I was 7, I started playing FPS games non-stop as this was when we got a brand new computer that was capable of running graphic intensive games. So, my love for computers (and FPS games mainly) stemmed from my Dad who has worked in the IT field for about 30 years now, and my passion has stayed because of video games such as Sudden Attack, Maplestory, and Counter Strike from the beginning to League of legends now. My main interest now is still playing video games and talking with my friends online.

  • Why did you choose to come to RMIT?

    Close to the end of year 12 I had no idea what course or which university I wanted to study at, I hadn’t given it much thought because nothing stood out in my head. My Dad always said I needed to get a degree so I am qualified to get a good job which is why I knew that going to university was basically a must. I went to the careers lady at my school and said I wasn’t too sure what I wanted to pursue, and she asked me what I like, I said that video games and basketball were my main interests. Obviously pursuing basketball professionally was impossible as I was nowhere near being a star prospect for Australia so that dream was crushed quickly. So, the careers lady said I looked at studying computers or video games, so I chose Information Technology because it would give an insight of the aspects of IT so I could narrow down on my favourite field in IT. The lady said that she recommended Monash, RMIT and Deakin. Deakin atar requirements were low so I used it as a backup plan in case I get a low atar, which thankfully I didn’t. The way I chose between RMIT and Monash was facilities and travel. RMIT was based in the city and Monash was based in Caulfield I believe, although Caulfield was closer by about 15 minutes, I chose RMIT because the facilities looked much newer and the city vibe drew me in. I put RMIT as my first preference and Monash as my second. I was given RMIT in the first round and accepted it and haven’t looked back.

  • What do you expect to learn during your studies?

    I don’t know too much about IT because I have just started my course but by the end, I expect to have a deeper knowledge of what goes on inside a computer, hardware and software wise. From what I’ve experienced so far, programming has been quite difficult as I have been trying to learn Java language from scratch and the assignment gives me a headache sometimes because my code doesn’t work. Computer systems has been quite challenging math wise, but once I can understand the concept then it isn’t too hard to obtain an answer. User centred design has been eye opening to the design process in everything we use everyday and the importance of little aspects in the design process that can make a product successful. Lastly, intro to Information Technology has been the most relatable and has looked at my future possibilities of jobs and how to work towards it. Over these next 2 ½ years I hope to extend my knowledge of IT and come to more of an understanding of what job I want to pursue when my degree is finished.

Ideal Job

https://www.seek.com.au/job/38686608?searchrequesttoken=1eda6a8c-79d0-4dd4-acb5-8c0e67372124&type=standout

  • A description (in your own words) of the position, and particularly what makes this position appealing to you:

    A cloud architect is someone who specialises in analysing a business’ cloud computing strategy through aspects such as design, strategies, management and monitor the cloud system. A cloud architect also manages application architecture and deployment in cloud environments. What makes becoming a Cloud Architect appealing to me is that cloud storage is very popular at the moment as big businesses are employing cloud computing and not using physical means of storing data but more virtual. Since cloud computing is popular at the moment, there are many jobs available. This means the market is competitive and if you are the best you are going to get a lot of money for what you do. Although making a lot of money sounds good, the main reasons why I want to become a cloud architect is the high demand for workers due to the popularity of cloud computing, also last year in my IT school subject we looked at cloud computing briefly and I was quite interested. I’m using this assignment to help me research into my field of interest and see if it’s truly right for me.

  • A description (in your own words) of the skills, qualifications and experience required for the position.

    A High School diploma would be required alongside a Computer Science Bachelor or equivalent (Information Technology Bachelor), with the option of a Masters degree but I personally believe this should be done alongside working in the cloud industry (by receiving a Bachelor's degree). I would need a form of certification to become an architect, the most popular/in demand certification right now is the AWS Certification by successfully passing their exam. This certification would validate technical skills giving you the opportunity to expand your career options. Another aspect would be able to know how multiple operating systems work (Linux, Mac, Windows), also the ability to understand how a networking database functions and makeup, with a knowledge in its security, storage and management. You would also need to know all the networking technological terms (LAN/WAN, TCP/IP, FTP, DHCP, NAT, etc.) with knowledge on how routing tables, switches, routers and firewalls work. A cloud architect must also have knowledge in cloud architecture designing, configuration and deployment of cloud infrastructure, maintenance and management of a cloud, RDBMS functioning, troubleshooting, virtual machines, etc.

  • A description (in your own words) of the skills, qualifications and experience you currently have.

    I currently have a High School Diploma and I am working towards completing my Bachelor in Information Technology at RMIT. I currently have no experience in the IT industry but have been working in retail for the past 2 years, I also worked in a Butchers shop for nearly a year. Although I have no IT working experience, I have experience in a working environment and understand the responsibility with having a boss. In years 9-12 in school I did IT subjects, last year I did Informatics which specialised in RDBMS and web development. From being apart of multiple sports teams throughout my life I have a lot of experience in a team environment but also as a leader. I am skilled in using Windows computers as I have used them since I was 4 years old.I’ve also built my own personal computer with all the parts. Overall, I have a lot of basic knowledge of how computers work but not much knowledge and experience with any advanced aspects of IT.

  • A plan describing how you will obtain the skills, qualifications and experience required for the position, building on those you have now.

    For the next 2 ½ years I plan to finish my Bachelor’s in Information Technology so I am able to qualify for an entry level IT job. I’m going to Major in cloud computing so that I expand my knowledge of cloud computing and can specialise in it later in life. I am going to see if I can do a short project management course or as an elective so I have experience in managing projects. After completing my Bachelor’s I definitely see completing a Masters degree as an option but whether I study and work at the same time or study first depends on my future situations. After completing my masters and with a couple years experience, I think I will be well on my way to becoming a Cloud Architect.

Personal Profile

Test Results:

Myers-Briggs Test: ISFP - Introvert, Sensing, Feeling, Perceiving

Learning Style Test: 40% Tactile, 30% Visual, 30% Auditory

Big Five Personality Test: Extroversion - 63%, Emotional Stability - 74%, Agreeableness - 25%, Conscientiousness - 15%, Intellect/Imagination - 4% (Percentage is amount of people you have scored higher than.)

What do the results of this test mean to you?

The results do represent my personality to a degree, the Myers-Briggs test is the most relatable as each category describes me well, I am introverted as I am very shy at first. I’m always willing to do something new through exploration but always at my own judgement. The learning style test was quite accurate too, I am a tactile learner as I learn much quicker through experience rather visual or auditory, although i believe my auditory should be 20% and my visual as 40% because i struggle with my hearing at times even when concentrating as best I can. The big five personality test was quite inaccurate, because I’m not extroverted (only when I’m comfortable with those around me), I am emotionally stable which was accurate, I agree quite easily so 25% was quite low I thought. Conscientiousness at 15% was very low because I’ve always wanted things to be perfect so I usually overdo things to meet my own standard, but also Intellect/Imagination at 4% was very low because I always think of new ideas.

How do you think these results may influence your behaviour in a team?

I feel as though in a team situation I will usually be one to dictate or make decisions as I want to make sure everything is under control and right in my eyes which can sometimes lead to disagreements but it’s always hard to give up ideas that you feel are right. In a team I will always do everything with maximum effort so I don’t let others down, but am forgiving of others when they make mistakes even if it lets the team down. The results don’t necessarily influence my behaviour in a team setting because I’ve always made sure that I try my best in a team and that's all you can ask for. Although, being a leader would be decided through my confidence in what the team is focused to accomplish.

How should you take this into account when forming a team?

When looking for others to be on the same team as me I always look for people that are strong at certain things but weak in others as other team members help them with their weaknesses. When you have people with the same strengths it can be hard to come to middle ground as their ideas can clash which can corrupt a team causing it to perform badly. Through my experience in being in multiple sports team this concept is always important. Every team member has a job and combined this causes the group to function, some team members get harder jobs than others but as long as everyone does their job properly, the team functions the best it can.