different marketing companies and global
investment banks. In my mind this approach was
simple, and really about finding where the ‘bright
lights’ were and trying to get into a
well-recognised graduate program. I quickly
discovered that this approach was not
necessarily the most efficient approach for me to
take because I was competing against packs of
other graduates for very few positions and,
subsequently, I was not putting enough time into
my job applicati ons because I was just applying
for one job after the other and not improving
my application in the process. So I needed to
change tactics, I thought, how can I be more
efficient in the process of getting my job
application seen by more employers without
having to work so hard and inefficiently? So I did
some research and discovered Pro-Grad, which
is a recruitment agency for university graduates
seeking graduate or similar type roles in the tech
industry. From the outset I could see that there
was a lot of benefit for me to be with Pro-Grad
because I had a whole team of people who
mentored me to be interview ready, but most
importantly, they were reaching out to big
companies and promoting me as one of their
candidates to interview. It really helps cut down
the leg work that you have to do as an
individual, and basically your success is their
success, so they will work their butts off to find
you a job.
Within three days, I started to get calls from
my contact person at Pro-Grad asking me if I
was interested in attending job interviews to
which my young, energetic and inexperienced
response was ‘absolutely!’ So off I went and
ventured out to my first job interview with an
American telecommunications company called
Avaya. Wow did I make an absolute mess of
this job interview! I was totally inexperienced, I
walked into the interview sweating and shaking.
I distinctly remember, like it was yesterday, that I
could not even coherently complete a sentence
during this interview due to anxiety and feeling
like the ‘weight of the world’ was on my
shoulders. However, my big lesson from this
interview was that I was putting too much
pressure on myself and thinking that if I didn’t
do well in this interview then I would have no
chance. This experience really got me
thinking about what I did wrong and what I
could do better and I realised I just needed
to relax and not feel so much pressure. From
here, I set out with a ‘who cares’ attitude when
I approached my following interviews, and this
worked an absolute charm. My thoughts were
clearer, I was able to answer all the questions
succinctly and I was even able to have a laugh
with the interviewers. At this point it dawned on
me that I was really getting a good grasp of the
interview process and that I could really do well
and wait until I found my dream job. So I did a
few more interviews and was successfully
offered a few roles, but they weren’t what I
wanted. Then after three weeks of being with
Pro-Grad my contact called me and asked if I
would be interested in a job interview with
Microsoft. I jumped at the opportunity!
With the three weeks’ worth of ongoing
interviews under my belt, I was very confident
and ready to take on Microsoft. My thought
process was to go in and have a friendly
discussion with the interviewers and then take
over the interview by becoming the interviewer
and asking them questions about why
Microsoft was such a good place to work. Two
hours after the interview I got the call to say that
I was being offered the job. I was so excited
and accepted on the spot; I remember it like it
just was yesterday. I can recall where I was and
what I was doing when I received the call.
Dina and Liam at
their Wedding in
Lafu Village, New
Ireland Province,
Papua New Guinea
Manager, I was able to travel to the US on a few
occasions for work and I was also
fortunate enough to travel to China and Japan
for training and collaboration with Microsoft staff
from across the Asia Pacific region. During my
second year at Microsoft I received the Global
Microsoft Circle of Excellence Gold Club award,
which recognises the top ten per cent of
performers in Microsoft worldwide.
I finished up at Microsoft in 2011 and moved
onto Trend Micro, an IT Anti-Virus company, as
an Account Manager and stayed here for exactly
one year before I co-founded my first
technology start-up business, Subundo.
Subundo was a technology solution that we
were building which was defined by some
people as ‘Google on steroids’. I departed
Subundo in 2014 for strategic purposes and
co-founded Ngakkan Nyaagu with my brother
in-law.
My final thought is based around the idea that ‘if
you can dream it, you can do it’. For me
personally, I have had a lot of different goals
along my journey so far, but my dream has
always stayed the same, and that is to
develop enough success and economic stability
that I can use this to invest in the sustainability
of culture and land for ATSI communities so that
we can continue to pass along the stories that
Ngakkan Nyaagu (NGNY for those who are a bit our ancestors have passed onto us for the last
tongue twisted with the pronunciation) is a one 60,000+ years. The connection between the two,
hundred per cent Aboriginal owned Digital
in my view, is based on understanding where
Agency. At NGNY, we build websites, mobile
culture and economics meet. This is how I see it;
applications, assist with digital and technology
if we as a community establish increased
strategy and do graphic design. We formed
independence through economic participation
Ngakkan Nyaagu because of our interest in
and sustainability, we then improve our position
technology, but most importantly we see
to invest in projects and ideas that support the
technology as an opportunity for all of
sustainability of our culture and our history so
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
that we can pass these onto our kids and also
communities to become more engaged and
share with the rest of the world.
involved in technology to create economic
Liam (right)
pictured alongside
his uncle, Stephen
Ridgeway
During my four years at Microsoft as an Account
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opportunity and pathways for the growth of
self-determination. A major part of our vision at
Ngakkan Nyaagu is to contribute towards
growing an Indigenous Digital Economy where
we are assisting and providing more
opportunities for ATSI people to influence and
create new technologies. We want to achieve
these dreams and goals through education and
through more exposure to the technology
industry by demonstrating to all our ATSI people
that they too can partici pate and create
innovative technology.
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