You've done the hard part.
You explored two roles, tried real activities, and built the beginning of an evidence folder. That puts you ahead of most people who say they're "thinking about getting into IT."
This page is yours to keep — whether you apply today or come back in three months. The resume and interview content below is useful right now, regardless of what you decide next.
10 things you can fix on your resume this week
These apply to any resume — not just IT roles. Most people have at least 4 or 5 of these issues without realising it.
"Seeking a challenging role where I can grow..." tells the employer nothing useful. Replace it with a 2-sentence professional summary that names your background, your target role, and your strongest relevant skill.
Situation, Task, Action, Result. Every bullet point in your work history should follow this structure. "Managed social media" becomes "Grew Instagram following from 200 to 1,400 in 6 months by posting daily content and responding to comments."
If you delivered pizzas, you managed logistics. If you worked a register, you handled high-volume customer transactions under time pressure. The activity is the same — the framing changes whether a recruiter recognises transferable skills.
Many employers use automated screening tools. If the ad says "requirements gathering" and your resume says "collecting information from stakeholders" — the tool may not match them. Use the exact language from the ad where it's accurate.
Tools you've used (Excel, Jira, Azure DevOps, even Word), methodologies you know (Agile, Scrum), and soft skills with evidence ("stakeholder communication — coordinated between 3 departments in previous role"). Be specific, not generic.
Under a "Professional Development" or "Self-directed Learning" section: "Completed GAP2IT Starter Pack — wrote acceptance criteria for a booking system, conducted defect analysis on a live application." That's real output. It counts.
Recruiters spend 6–10 seconds on a first scan. If you're early in your IT career, one tight page is more powerful than two loose ones. Cut the oldest or least relevant roles entirely.
Everyone knows. It takes up a line that could show another achievement. Have references ready — you just don't need to announce it.
"Organisation" not "organization." "Analyse" not "analyze." Small things signal whether you've adapted to the local professional context — recruiters notice.
Not to check spelling — to check whether it sounds like a real human wrote it. If they stumble, rewrite that sentence. If they sound robotic, rewrite the whole section. Your resume should sound like you at your most professional.
Interview foundations — before you need them
An interview is not a test. It's a conversation between two parties deciding whether they're a good fit for each other. That reframe changes everything — including how nervous you feel walking in.
"An interview is like a date. You go to a few to find the right one. If they don't want you for who you are — you don't need them."
— Max
The most important question: "Tell me about yourself"
This is not an invitation to recite your life story. It's your 60-second pitch. Structure it in three parts:
See an example
"I spent six years in accounting, where I ended up being the person everyone came to when they needed a process documented or a system explained. I realised I was doing BA work without the title. I've spent the last three months building that formally — writing acceptance criteria, learning Agile fundamentals, and completing practical labs. This role caught my eye because your team works in the health sector, which is where I want to apply these skills."
Behavioural questions — the STAR method
Most Australian interviews include questions starting with "Tell me about a time when..." or "Give me an example of..." These are behavioural questions and they all have the same answer structure.
Prepare 5–6 STAR stories from your background before any interview. You can adapt the same story to answer many different questions.
Common BA interview questions
These come up regularly. Having a clear, honest answer for each one is more important than memorising scripts.
- What do you think a BA does day to day?
- How would you handle a stakeholder who keeps changing requirements?
- What's the difference between a requirement and a user story?
- Describe a time you had to communicate something complex simply
- Have you worked in an Agile environment?
- What tools have you used for documentation or tracking?
Common QA interview questions
Same principle — honesty and clarity over rehearsed answers. Interviewers can tell the difference.
- What is the difference between functional and regression testing?
- How do you prioritise which defects to report first?
- Describe your approach when you find a defect the developer says isn't a bug
- What does a good defect report look like?
- Have you done any automation testing?
- How do you test something when there are no requirements?
Trying to sound more experienced than you are. It almost always backfires — experienced interviewers ask follow-up questions that expose the gaps immediately, and the trust is gone.
What works instead:
"I haven't done that professionally yet, but I've approached it this way in the Starter Pack / in a previous role / in a side project — and here's what I learned." Honesty with evidence of effort is far more compelling than a polished answer that falls apart under a follow-up.
"How do I make myself sound better than I am?"
Don't. It's like conning your way into a boxing match with someone twice your size. You might get in — but then what? Get a role you can't do and you'll be miserable and fired within months. Get a role that matches where you actually are and you'll grow into it properly. That's the only version that works long term.
— Max
What comes next — your options
No pressure. These are your three paths from here.
Takes 5 minutes. We review within 24–48 hours and send a friendly onboarding email with your A0 links. No essay questions — we're looking for fit, motivation, and basic availability.
- 6–8 weeks, fully async-friendly
- Real project work and portfolio outputs
- Feedback within 48 business hours
- Live sessions optional — replays available
Come back when you are. The Starter Pack stays here. Your notes stay yours. There's no expiry date on curiosity.
- Re-do the micro-labs with more detail
- Read the full program roadmap below
- Ask a question — we reply to every one
- Download the free resources and sit with them
The Pathway Guide shows you every stage from A0 to A6 — what you'll do each week, what you'll produce, and what "ready to apply for jobs" actually looks like.
- A0 through A6 explained in plain English
- Time commitment per stage
- Portfolio outputs at each milestone
- What happens after the program
What happens after you apply
Within 24–48 hours. We're looking for genuine interest and realistic availability — not a perfect background.
Everything you need to start — orientation materials, your first task, and how to ask questions.
Fully async-friendly. Work at your own pace within the weekly rhythm. Feedback within 48 business hours.
Job ad analysis, requirements, techniques, modelling, data and UAT, simulation sprint, career sprint. Each stage builds on the last.
Real outputs. Real feedback. A clear answer when they ask "tell me about yourself."
Take these with you — no strings attached
Whether you apply or not, these are yours to keep.