This week we have another guest blog, this time from our work experience student Pauline (our second work experience student after Jayden).  Pauline has been coming in over the past few weeks every Thursday and we’ve introduced her to a new part of our business each time…

My name is Pauline, and I am 17 years old, in my last year of high school at Kent Street Senior High School.  One of my subjects is Workplace Learning, where we get work experience on Thursdays with businesses.  I’ve already done three days of work experience with a child care centre in South Perth but I also wanted to get some more experience in an Information Technology business.  A friend of my Mum knows Gaia Resources and arranged for me to get some time with them.

On my first day, I was nervous and shy!  Andrew took me to Mel to start on my work experience.  She taught me about GIS, including latitude, longitude and a range of other things.  We started mapping in QGIS with Botany Bay first and then around Western Australia and even Korea.  I made my own map (with colours!) that was very bright.  This first day was very interesting, with the highlight being that I made my own map, and how to use GIS, although I have had some problems getting QGIS installed on my Mac at home!

Piers took me to Owain from Geoimage and we started by writing down steps as to how to search for satellite imagery using different browser tools.  Once I found the images, I then made a map using some other tools.  I got to look at satellite imagery from all over the world which was very interesting – like the one below.

This image is from the Himalayas – Imagery Courtesy of Geoimage Pty Ltd Copyright Airbus Defence & Space 2014

Ben took me for my third day and introduced me to programming through Khan Academy (https://www.khanacademy.org/).  I did some basic programming using the Intro to JS: Drawing & Animation lesson (https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/cs/programming).  I worked through around half of this lesson before we switched to web development, and created the demonstration page below.

This was my test page – which really hurt everyone’s eyes!

Once Ben and I had finished the page, then Serge tried to destroy it, but failed!  This was a good test of my page and introduced me to how testing works.

My second last day at Gaia Resources I was working with AJ.  He stared by explaining the network, panels, switch, firewalls, servers, routers and explained some network security to me as well (such as how hackers can’t get into the systems).  Then we collected equipment and tools to start making my own network cables.  AJ gave me the hardest job of my time here – I created my own network cables, and then wired up a patch panel and connected it to the network.  When I finished, I called AJ in to test my work, and we connected everything, and my work passed all the tests.  AJ said I was one of the few people who got it right first time!

My last day at Gaia Resources was with Piers (the boss).  We spent the morning talking about career and TAFE courses for next year and then we wrote this blog.

The things that I have experienced in Gaia Resources were some of my happiest and most interesting days at work.  Thank you for all your help and support and for teaching me new things.

Pauline

It has been great to have Pauline in here over the past few weeks, and we wish you all the best in your studies (and travels!) in the future.

Piers

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