Laura Jones

When Laura Jones was in high school she wanted to study Law. But she enjoyed studying IT (VET) for the HSC and began to consider IT as an option. After investigating IT courses Laura's interest was sparked by the dynamic nature of the IT industry. "It sounded like an exciting industry!"

When Laura found out about the Bachelor of Information Technology Co-op Scholarship (BIT) course at UTS she was impressed by the two industry placements with sponsor organisations, the high employment rates for graduates and the broad range of subjects and experiences on offer.

"The course has been great so far! In first year I studied subjects such as networking, databases, programming and information systems to get a broad understanding of the basics. Then with my industry placement and elective subjects I have been able to develop my interests and decide on a career path - which for me is business analysis."

After only one semester Laura undertook her first industry placement with EDS, a large IT outsourcing company. Laura was given her own project to work on - a portal website to be used by EDS employees and their clients to share information about projects with a centralised location for contact details and system alerts.

Life at Uni is not all about study and Laura is very active in the UTS:IT community. She has: helped organise and run the IT orientation camp; worked as a promotional representative for UTS; been part of the Young Achievement Australia (YAA) business skills program as Managing Director of the team Ying'n'Yang; and has been an active club member for BIG - one of two social clubs for IT students.

"Uni is not just about turning up to class. Being involved with other aspects of university life has given me a wealth of opportunities to develop my skills in public speaking, team work, time management and planning. I have also made some great friends and have had a lot of fun!"

Laura definitely breaks the typical IT nerd stereotype.
"I have been involved in racing BMX for over six years now. Working in IT is no longer about sitting at a computer programming in the dark. The industry needs good communicators, team players and people who can apply dynamic IT solutions to business problems in the real world. That is what the BIT course at UTS is all about."

Laura is passionate about encouraging more girls in to IT.
"Through my BIT course I have been offered many networking opportunities with other women in the IT industry and through Females in IT and Telecommunications (FITT). I would like to work as a business analyst when I finish my course and continue to help promote IT as a great career for girls."