You don't need experience to have a career in robotic process automation (RPA), according to Head of Intelligent Automation Army, Lieutenant Vaoafi Hart.
The Royal Australian Naval officer believes that with determination, curiosity and the right support, personnel can transition into the tech industry.
Lieutenant Hart didn't start in tech. She joined the Army's Directorate of Business Intelligence (DBI) at the end of 2021 as a reservist.
"It's amazing to see how far I have come, from not knowing much about emerging technology to leading automation projects," she said.
"I faced a lot of self-doubt due to my age, lack of technical background, and being on maternity leave at the time of transitioning to the new career, so I was unsure about the next career move."
'I've always loved solving problems, and now I get to do it with cutting-edge technology.'
Lieutenant Hart is now responsible for overseeing and implementing automation for Army.
"Seeing the tangible and intangible benefits of our work and knowing that we're paving the way for others to enter the tech field has been incredibly rewarding," she said.
Automation can work faster than humans. Lieutenant Hart said automation allowed personnel to be reallocated to more critical and engaging work.
"This enhances the workplace by improving productivity and allowing personnel to focus on being innovative, thereby fostering a more dynamic and innovative work environment," she said.
'Seeing the tangible and intangible benefits of our work and knowing that we're paving the way for others to enter the tech field has been incredibly rewarding.'
Private Andrew Greenwood spent four years as an infantryman before realising he wanted to work in a tech field, but doubted he could without university studies.
He overcame this by immersing himself in the tech environment and trained in RPA.
"I had a friend who was working in DBI as an RPA developer and I saw the opportunity to learn the skills," Private Greenwood said.
His dedication caught the attention of his superiors, leading to a secondment at the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
"The ATO is a bit more advanced in their development or implementation of RPA," Private Greenwood said.
"There's some challenges, which Defence may face as they move from proof of concept to enterprise RPA solution."
The secondment offered the chance to collaborate with the ATO team to develop and test a process.
"It was rewarding for me to hand that over and capture some key learnings, and pass that on to the next Defence personnel starting a secondment, to set them up for success," he said.
Private Greenwood said there were similarities between Defence and ATO and looked forward to their continued relationship.
'Technology has advanced my career, but also improved my work-life balance.'
Drawn by a passion for technology, Sergeant Jonathan Moores also re-enlisted in 2018 to focus on RPA.
"I've always loved solving problems, and now I get to do it with cutting-edge technology," he said.
"Our goal is to integrate advanced tech solutions seamlessly into everyday Defence operations."
Previously serving 10 years as an Air Force intelligence analyst and having no prior experience in technology, Sergeant Moores said he quickly adapted.
"I completed training in RPA and continued self-study to enhance my tech skills," he said.
"It's about continually learning and solving problems through the technology."
Sergeant Moores aims to explore more areas within DBI beyond RPA, including AI solutions.
The role offered flexibility and remote-work options, providing stability for his family.
"Technology has advanced my career, but also improved my work-life balance," he said.
