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Jessica Milschus

from Taking a gap year to Strategic Change Manager
When technology changes, I make sure people change with it.
Industry
Technology and Digital
Company
Queensland Government Customer and Digital Group
Job Level
Mid
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Ask me about

  • How working in IT does not always mean having to have technical skills
  • How my skills are transferrable
  • Working in a constantly changing environment

About me

  • International Experience
  • Regional Background

I grew up in Central Queensland and had no idea what I would do after school.  Never in a million years did I think I would end up working in a Government Information Technology (IT) department!

Our department offers some really innovative services for government, in areas of connectivity, security and computer processing just to name a few.

Being part of an industry that plays such a huge part in our everyday life lets me feel like I am part of the IT revolution going on all over the world. The skills I am gaining here are also very transferable, giving me endless growth opportunities if I feel like I want a change.  

I hope I can give you an insight into this industry, which is not always purely technical.

About my role

  • Confident
  • Creative
  • Flexible
  • Personable
  • Understanding

As systems or technologies evolve, they need upgrades or replacements - “out with the old, in with the new”.

Businesses invest a lot of money in these upgrades and need them to be successful. Usually, people have been using the old system for many years, and they are familiar with that system and do not want to change. This role facilitates taking each person on the change journey.

The three key goals of a Strategic Change Manager is to:
1. Make sure staff know why the business is implementing this new system
2. What they need to learn or do to be able to use it
3. Finally, support them when they are using the new system even if it is difficult at first, to keep going and work through the problems

Understanding technology and systems really helps in achieving these goals.

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Education

  • Bachelor of Business (Management & Accounting)
  • Bachelor of Accounting (Human Resource Management)
  • PROSCI – Change Management Certification

Hobbies

  • Cooking
  • Dancing
  • Renovating
  • Travel

15 year old me!!

“It’s ok not to know what you want to do after school. Take every opportunity and eventually you will arrive where you were meant to be. ”

My career journey

Curious to know how I got here? Here’s a snapshot of my career pathway.
  1. Took a gap year, then worked for 5 years
  2. Decided to start Uni at age 24
  3. Landed an IT graduate role with Qld Gov
  4. Decided Organisational Change was my jam
  5. 2022 levelled-up from Change Analyst to Change Manager

My typical day

My employer

The Queensland Government Customer and Digital Group (QGCDG) leads and drives​​ a more digitally enabled and responsive government, while facilitating simple and effective access to services for all Queenslanders. We provide digital, strategic and service delivery leadership and capability to enable more responsive services across the Queensland Government.​