Online study helped Ben get a job at Microsoft
Have a passion for information technology? Meet Ben, a young Aussie who now walks the hallways of a tech giant.
Why wait for the right time, if you’re ready to make your move now? This mentality accelerated Ben’s career, got him employed by Microsoft, and positioned him years ahead of his peers.
As Ben went through high school, he felt that he wasn’t being challenged. So he made the decision to skip straight to a university education, enrolling in RMIT’s Bachelor of Information Technology, online though Open Universities Australia. For the past 5 years since graduation, things have been moving fast.
At 22 years old, Ben now holds a full-time position at Microsoft, and is based in Washington near the Microsoft headquarters. While his friends are only just starting uni, Ben has already undergone an internship, which landed him a permanent position, and is now a front-end developer for Microsoft’s SharePoint team.
SharePoint is platform on the web for document management and collaboration, which many organisations around the world use as an intranet. It’s a market leader in the space. “Working on a product like this allows me to have impact on millions and millions of people’s lives across the globe,” says Ben.
Ben is gaining a world of knowledge through his role, but what he learned through his degree still comes in handy every day. His specific knowledge in software engineering is essential, but the soft skills he learned, such as structuring information and team management, have proven just as valuable.
When the time comes, Ben plans to move back home to Australia to have a family—but for now, he’s got the perfect setup to rocket towards success.
“As for career ambitions, I think right here at Microsoft is where I’m achieving them."
Follow your aspirations on your terms
Through Open Universities Australia, you can:
- Find the right course – Choose from hundreds of degrees and thousands of subjects, all delivered by top Australian universities.
- Earn the same degree as an on-campus student – When you enrol through us, you study online with your chosen uni (and graduate with them too).
- Study, regardless of your history – If you don’t have a strong academic background, we can help you access subjects without entry requirements.
- Gain credit towards your degree – With the right work or study experience, you can finish faster.
- Feel supported from start to finish – Get help from a student advisor right through to graduation.
Explore related courses
Please note: Since this article was published, RMIT's Bachelor of Information Technology is no longer available to study online through Open Universities Australia. However, we recommend browsing these similar courses.
Diploma in Information Technology – University of New England
Bachelor of Information Technology– University of South Australia
Bachelor of Computer Science – Griffith University
Browse  thousands of courses from leading Australian universities.
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