Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment
School of Information Technology
Student Profile
Veelasha Moonsamy
Industry placement at CSIRO
Whilst studying for a Bachelor of Information Technology (IT Security), Veelasha Moonsamy completed an internship with CSIRO. Based in Clayton,Veelasha spent twelve weeks working in the CMIS (CSIRO Mathematical and Information Sciences) division.
At the start of the internship Veelasha was assigned a project to simulate a train schedule for ‘Hunter Valley Coal Industry'. “In order to carry out the project I built two simulation models, in two different simulation languages and compared the end results. On a typical working day I would read books and online materials to learn the new simulation languages. Then try to build a sample model, debug and run it.”
Veelasha says her supervisor provided valuable daily feedback. “My supervisor would meet up with me some time during the day to discuss how the project was going, explain some programming concepts and what would be the next processes to follow.”
One of the perks of Veelasha's internship was an interstate trip. “At the end of the internship CSIRO flew the entire vacation student group (nine of us) to Sydney to present our final results. The event was called the ‘Big Day In' and provided the opportunity to meet other students from various divisions across CSIRO and attend their presentations,” she says.
Veelasha says she had added confidence giving her presentation, having attended a presentation skills workshop during her internship on how to deliver a presentation to a group of scientific researchers.
Veelasha says she learnt a range of practical new skills during her internship. “I highly recommend an internship to students considering one. It can be a ‘career-changing' experience. I learned new technical skills (programming languages) and discovered the numerous application of mathematics in today's world - which is something we tend to ignore in our daily life. I learned how to work as part of a team and exchange ideas. I improved my presentation skills and improved ways to deal with stress and time management.”
Future plans for Veelasha involve expanding on the skills and knowledge she honed during her internship. “My internship has helped me discover the research world and I also got practical experience working in that environment.”
