ICMS IT Students Visit Atlassian Headquarters for Industry Insight

ICMS Information Technology students stepped inside one of Australia’s biggest tech companies recently for a tour and panel discussion at Atlassian Headquarters in Sydney.  

The excursion in June gave postgraduate and undergraduate students a close look at how a global software company hires, works, and builds its teams. 

Atlassian was founded in Sydney in 2002. Today it serves more than 300,000 customers worldwide and operates offices across multiple countries, making it one of Australia’s best-known tech companies. 

The day opened with an introduction from Zuli Posada, Talent Acquisition Lead at Atlassian.  

She walked students through the company’s history, its products, and its workplace culture.  

Zuli also explained Atlassian’s internship program and how it feeds into the company’s graduate pathway.  

It was a familiar face for some: Posada recently joined ICMS as a guest speaker for a masterclass on high-performance leadership, where she shared advice on growth mindset, psychological safety, and building a career with intention. 

Hearing from current employees

Students then heard from a panel of four Atlassian employees: Issac Liu, Christopher Fathallah, Felix Montanari, and Nikhil Ahuja.  

The group works across security, software development, machine learning, and data science.  

Each of them completed an Atlassian internship before joining the company full time through its graduate program. 

The panelists spoke about the recruitment process, from technical assessments and coding interviews to values-based interviews that focus on how candidates handle real situations.  

They also described what onboarding felt like as a new graduate and how supportive their teams were in the early weeks. 

A recurring theme was the level of competition.  

The panel noted that some teams receive well over 1,000 applications for a single area, so standing out matters.  

Their advice was practical: build projects that clearly show your skills, prepare properly for technical tests, and develop your abilities with intention rather than chasing one specific employer. 

Practical advice for breaking into IT

Students walked away with concrete guidance on how to build a strong application and a strong career.  

The panel encouraged curiosity, consistent practice, and hands-on project work backed by an active GitHub portfolio.  

They also pointed students toward clubs and professional communities as a way to grow networks and gain experience. 

The discussion touched on using AI responsibly.  

Panelists stressed the importance of staying clear about what is AI-generated, keeping accountability, and continuing to think critically rather than handing over control under the illusion of understanding. 

A success for student readiness

Professor Cesar Sanin, ICMS Associate Dean (Information Technology), said the visit reflected the kind of real-world engagement that prepares students for industry. 

“The visit was a clear success and a valuable step in strengthening students’ readiness for industry pathways,” Professor Sanin said. 

ICMS offers both a Bachelor of Information Technology and a Master of Information Technology, with each degree available in specialisations including Cyber Security and Big Data and Analytics at undergraduate and postgraduate level.  

The programs are designed to build the technical skills and industry readiness that employers like Atlassian are looking for. 

For ICMS IT students, the day offered a view into a high-profile workplace, they received direct advice from people who recently sat where they sit now, and they left with a clearer view of what it takes to build a career in technology. 

Disclaimer: This visit was an educational tour and industry discussion only. ICMS does not have a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placement, internship agreement, or formal internship partnership with Atlassian. The day did not offer placements or guaranteed employment opportunities through ICMS. Any internship or graduate programs referenced are run solely by Atlassian and are independent of ICMS.