Updating Results

NEC Australia

4.3
  • 1,000 - 50,000 employees

Mohamad Mohamad

Working at NEC has definitely helped boost my confidence in my ability to solve issues, trust in my skills and hard work.

What's your background? What was it that drew you to initially apply for the NEC IT Graduate Program? 

Being a first generation Australian, I grew up seeing my dad working non-stop while my mum would spend all her time and energy looking after my family. Witnessing my parents struggles, I knew I had to pursue a career that would not only reflect my hard work but that of my parents.  I felt the need to make them proud and let them know that their efforts weren’t going to waste.

I decided to work hard in school.  I decided to try IT/Computer Science at the recommendation of a friend. I chose to stick with IT as I found it diverse and interesting. I saw the career potential.

Living in the City of Wollongong, IT jobs are limited. Most jobs require travel at least 1hr away. However, NEC opened a new office in Wollongong which gave me the opportunity to invest in my IT skills.  NEC being known globally for innovation, along with a good reputation, I knew I had to get this job. To this day I’m grateful to work with NEC.

What does a typical day look for you, and what are you currently working on?  

When working at the office, I first look forward to being with my colleagues and have a small catch up. We then begin debriefing around tickets we are working on and share opinions on issues being raised. I then start contacting customers so I can start troubleshooting their IT issues.  There are always new issues which bring along more challenges which makes things more interesting. Once it hits lunch time, we will go play ping pong or just get lunch. After lunch, I continue making outbound calls to customers. It’s a chilled environment.  No day is ever the same.

What have you enjoyed most about your experience in the Graduate Program?  

From a young age I have always enjoyed assisting people, helping them with their issues. It makes me feel better as a person. When troubleshooting for customers, I do my best to provide the best customer service. When I do solve an issue, I feel happy and enjoy seeing the customer satisfaction. It makes me feel I have made a difference in the world.  Also, I enjoy working with my team at NEC. They are open, easy to get along with and share their knowledge and experience willingly.

Additionally, I enjoyed visiting the NEC main office in Melbourne, seeing first-hand the innovation being worked on and networking with the other graduates from around Australia.

What are the limitations of your job? 

As with every job there are going to be limitations.  At the moment, my current position is predominantly in direct customer service over the telephone.  However, this is invaluable in helping me to build my knowledge of the business, communication and negotiations skills. Issues can often take time and lots of mental energy but be immensely rewarding in increasing knowledge and skills. 

What have you gained from working at NEC from a career perspective?  

Working at NEC has definitely helped boost my confidence in my ability to solve issues, trust in my skills and hard work.

Working with my team has also expanded my knowledge in IT services and IT troubleshooting. Additionally, I am developing professional soft skills that are crucial in all jobs such as presentation, teamwork and leadership skills.

During the grad program I have benefited by participating in workshops that help reflect, build and enhance my skills.   

What kind of characteristics or skills do you believe a Graduate needs to be successful in the program?  

  • Motivated and driven to learn. 
  • Ability to keep an open mind and personality. 
  • A willingness to try new things and accept that mistakes are opportunities to learn and grow
  • A willingness and desire to work cooperatively with others.
  • The skills and mental resilience to cope with pressure. 

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

  • Be mindful of your mental health. Mental health is just as important as your physical health. It can affect your functionality and overall, your whole life. If you ever feel like things are getting too much, it’s okay to pause and reflect on a situation so that you can move forward.  
  • Try building some career skills before graduating. They will definitely come in handy. It doesn’t have to be related you your current circumstances. Other skills like customer service, communication, dealing with difficult situations etc, can be invaluable.  
  • Don’t forget to enjoy life. When I was studying, I used to think “work hard now, enjoy life later”. You never know what can happen.  If you’re not studying or doing part time work, then take the time to catch up with friends or other activities that you enjoy. Trust me, it will help you achieve more and prevent exhausting yourself.