Gabriel taps into a future-proof IT career

One of the things Gabriel Gervasoni loves most about computers is how they can be used to improve people’s lives.

Working in app development, Gabriel lives with low vision and uses assistive technology to perform daily tasks.

“I have a text-to-speech program to help with coding,” he explains.

“I will type out what I want, press a key and it will read out loud. Then I can go back and see, oh I need a space there or I’m missing a bracket here.”

After finishing a Diploma of Information Technology and completing a traineeship with IBM in Ballarat, Gabriel landed a full-time gig in their app development department.  

Recently he’s been enjoying the creative parts of the job, as well as the community of people who welcomed him into the role.

“Out of every industry, I think IT is the most accommodating to those who have different abilities because computers can be catered towards the individual,” he says.

Choosing a local traineeship was a win for Gabriel because he was able to complete his course then get a job all at the same place, right in his hometown of Ballarat. Getting this hands-on experience has set him up for success early in his career.

“It’s important to have practical skills, especially in our industry,” he said.

“You need to learn to do a bit of code first and see it works. If it doesn’t, then you work backwards to try and figure out what went wrong and think through the problem.”

Entering the industry as a graduate, Gabriel is now confident that there will be more work opportunities on the horizon.

“Almost every industry needs IT experts, whether they’re in health, education, business or something else,” he says. “So if you study any kind of IT course, you open doors to lots of different jobs.”

Looking forward, he hopes to one day develop his own app that improves how people living with disabilities can navigate the world. Now, though, Gabriel is happy to keep working on building up his skill set in his first full-time role.  

“It’s never boring, there’s always something new to do or something new to learn,” he says.

To anyone looking to enter the growing field, Gabriel points out that TAFE courses and traineeships are a great way to go.