Software Developer Graduate to Young Professional in Melbourne: Shaun's Journey
Shaun & Nicola (Projectworks Retreat 2022)
Today we wanted to introduce you to a very special person on the Projectworks team, Shaun Burnell.
Shaun was Projectworks first hired software developer, joining Projectworks as a graduate in 2019.
Our content manager Nicola sat down with him to ask about his experience at Projectworks as a young developer.
So to start, could you tell me a little bit about how you started at Projectworks?
Yeah, sure. So I started at Projectworks in July 2019. I found out about the job from my lecturer at Victoria University and thought it looked like a cool opportunity.
How many were in the team when you started?
Depends on what you count as a hire, Matt (CEO), JC (CTO), Doug (COO), Zabe (Customer Success Manager) and Kath (Head of Product) were the only ones hired before me. So I guess that makes me number 6!
Why did you decide to work for Projectworks, compared to other options in the market?
I was at university when I started working at Projectworks on a part-time contract. So when I started it was useful to be able to work one day a week while I studied. And then when it came to going full-time, I already really liked the job so I stayed on.
A lot of my friends went to work for big companies, but I liked how at Projectworks I could easily see how my work made an impact and all the potential the product had. So I stayed on and haven’t looked back!
2019 Shaun, working part-time at Projectworks while completing his Masters Degree.
2023 Shaun, navigating the streets of Melbourne with coffee in hand, you can practically see him glowing!
How has Projectworks helped your career growth?
Being able to be one-on-one with JC helped me learn so much. I completely learned C#, Javascript and JQuery from working here. Plus I learned so much more about Azure, DevOps and just working in the industry in general.
Have you had any mentors at Projectworks? If yes, who and what’s one thing they taught you?
Julian Clarke (JC), Founder and Chief Technical Officer at Projectworks.
JC could definitely be called my mentor, he's taught me so much (see my answers to the last questions) and also has a crazy work ethic. His work ethic taught me how to work hard.
So you started in the Wellington office and now you’ve moved to Melbourne. Why did you decide to move?
I lived in Wellington all my life, and it was feeling small. So I moved to Melbourne for more; more things to do, and more people, all with a more affordable cost of living and better weather. Plus I wanted to try living in another country (if you count Australia as another country)!
What has being able to work remotely meant for your life?
Knowing I can keep the job I love made the moving process so much easier. Working remotely also meant I could live anywhere in Melbourne without having to worry about being close to a workplace. So, I chose to live in a trendy neighbourhood in a cool apartment which has positively impacted my quality of life.
Shaun’s morning coffee run! One of Melbourne’s premier coffee shops is across the road from his apartment - lucky!
View from Shaun’s apartment. How could you have a bad day after waking up to that?
What is your favourite part about being a yo-pro in Melbourne?
There's so much going on all the time, concerts, events and so many restaurants, cafes and bars. The only limit is on your time. All the music artists come to Australia but not always NZ. And Australia has Apple Stores!
Note: Shaun LOVES Apple products and has a long-running beef with our CEO Matt who is firmly in the Microsoft camp. What can I say, It’s a rivalry as old as time.
Nicola: Thank you so much for your time, Shaun! The office is looking forward to having you back in December for Christmas. I know you can’t wait to see the Christmas party we put on for you!
Shaun: Haha yes, I'm looking forward to it! See you later.
It was a pleasure discussing Shaun's career and his relocation to Melbourne. He's been a valuable member of Projectworks for years, and we're delighted he opted to continue working with the team remotely.
