a week with #WorkExperienceLara

Originally published: 22 September 2017
Platform: LinkedIn Pulse
Employer at time: Telstra Labs
Word count: ~763
View original on LinkedIn Pulse

This week, I had a Year 10 work experience student join me in #telstralabs. I asked her to write a little recap, which I share (unedited) below…

Work Experience at Telstra

by Lara (Year 10 student)

My 5-day work experience journey at Telstra commenced with an introductory tour lead by Frank Arrigo. As I was guided around the Exhibition St building, any preconceived notions I had of a ‘typical workspace’ were immediately forgotten as I ventured through the open and picturesque environment of Telstra’s headquarters. Upon my arrival, I received an access card that granted me warranted entry into the office — and of course, the amazing kitchen — for the next 5 days. During my tour, I was shown the labs where prototypes are created and spaces where Virtual Reality devices are experimented with. From this, I managed to gain an insight into the complex processes of producing and testing new elements of technology.

The next day began with a large meeting where Stephen Elop, Group Executive of the Technology Innovation & Strategy group at Telstra, and representatives from several companies gave presentations. Upcoming IoT and Artificial Intelligence devices were shared and it was a great session to learn about the devices of our future. I also had the chance to meet the CEO of Telecom Technologies and the first female private space explorer, Anousheh Ansari, who was to later be a guest speaker at the Vantage event.

We then made our way down to Telstra Vantage at the Melbourne Convention Centre, where we made ourselves at home at the Telstra Foundation stand. From here, I had the opportunity to familiarise myself with Scratch programs and the use of Sphero robots. The Spheros were really enjoyable to drive around and I controlled them through the use of a mobile app. The app also allowed us to program the balls to move around in different ways — managing to program the Sphero balls to go over ramps, I enhanced my robotics and navigation skills.

As the event proceeded, more and more people were becoming absorbed in the Telstra Foundation activities. Things really began to pick up when school groups started to arrive and the kids became captured in the use of Spheros themselves. I had the entertaining job of passing on my knowledge and Sphero skills to all the kids. The Telstra Foundation stand had also allowed for people to interact with an artificially intelligent robot that has the ability to respond to commands and answer questions. With the help of TV crews, Telstra Foundation gained media exposure and it was great to watch how this unfolded on national television.

As the day began to finish up, there was time to attend a keynote presentation by Anousheh. She spoke about her interspace travel experiences and showed us how it is important for people to dream big in order to make the most out of life.

Overall, the work experience placement delivered to me by Telstra provided me with a valuable chance to experience work in the technology industry. Through a collaborative environment, I was able to give back to the community by interacting with young technology users and giving them the opportunity to learn programming skills. I highly recommend that upcoming work experience seekers look for placements in the field of technology as it is a rapidly growing part of the future. I would like to extend my thanks to Team Telstra for giving me such an enriching experience and the possibility to meet plenty of people who have given me guidance about working in the future.

This article was rescued from LinkedIn Pulse as part of the Frank Arrigo Digital Archive project (August 2026). LinkedIn Pulse articles are not easily discoverable after several years; this copy preserves the original text for the record.