ATMC Profiles

Book lover discovers new passion through ATMC

Not many people would think a background in literature would be an advantage when pursuing a career in information technology, but former ATMC student and self-confessed bookaholic, Sonia Sabir, is proof a love reading can be a great asset when making a big career change.

Formally from Pakistan, Sonia embarked on a career in IT when she first moved to Australia.

“My background was in literature. When I moved to Australia I noticed that most people were interested in technology, more than in Pakistan,” Sonia says.

“In order to develop a career in Australia, I thought that IT was the best option. I love learning more about the technical field.

“I really like the IT field because everything is changing. There are always new technologies being invented every day,” she says.

Sonia’s interest in IT grew while studying a Masters of Information Systems with Federation University through ATMC.

“It was a totally different field from my background, so when I first started it was a bit challenging, as I knew nothing about IT. Now I can proudly say that I have very strong knowledge,” Sonia says.

“I got really good and encouraging feedback from my lecturers, especially Shreyash Patel, Yuwei Jia (Ada), Gaurav Joshi, Shitish Bruta, He li and Suprika Shrivastava. These teachers not only helped me to gain good knowledge of the field but also motivated me to work hard to achieve my goals.

“I have also recently completed an ATMC internship program with JERA International. Through this program, I have familiarised myself with the Australian workplace culture, values and demands.” she says.

An avid book lover, Sonia says her background in literature has helped her to understand creative concepts when designing websites.

“Literature is a very different field to IT but my background has helped me a lot in many theoretical and technical assignments such as front-end development techniques, which require a lot of imagination. So it can be creative in that sense.”

After completing her Professional Year with ATMC, Sonia plans to find an IT position in Australia. Her hope for the future is to combine her love of literature with her newfound passion for IT.

Sonia says her study and career achievements would not have been possible without the support of her husband, parents and supportive staff at ATMC.

“All the teachers are really friendly and the best part is that ATMC feels like home, you don’t feel like you are in college or somewhere else. The teachers are very concerned about your future and degree. I found the experience really interesting; it’s like a dream come true.”