Michelle Extross
QA Engineer, Canva, Brisbane
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Software Engineering
She enjoys problem solving with so many talented people across the board, says Michelle Extross who came to AUT to study a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Software Engineering and now works as a QA engineer at Canva in Brisbane.
“The opportunity to brainstorm, get creative, bounce ideas off each other and experiment rapidly provides so many opportunities to learn, grow and create positive impact. The people in the teams I work with also truly embody our company values, particularly ‘Being a good human’, ‘Pursuing Excellence’ and ‘Making complex things simple’. These align very closely with my own personal values and allow me to thrive in an environment where we can freely ask questions, challenge ourselves and contribute in a meaningful way.”
Michelle – who moved to Queensland in early 2022 and previously worked as a QA engineer at Kiwibank in Auckland – has already had a number of proud achievements since joining Canva.
“I’m proud of how I rallied the developers in one of the teams I worked with to increase our test coverage by 54%. This resulted in a significant rise in our quality metrics, and increased our confidence with future releases. I’m also proud of introducing various dashboards to measure our key quality metrics to better monitor for improvements, and of organising individual QA focused deep dives with several team members, and implementing their feedback to our QA guidelines to improve our processes.
“Another achievement for me was coordinating QA across larger projects that scale across multiple teams, such as initiatives for Canva Create. It’s thrilling to be able to rise to a challenge like that, watch the team come together as one so seamlessly and deliver with such great quality.”
Challenging traditional thinking
Studying software engineering encouraged her to think beyond any preconceived ideas, Michelle says.
“I was initially interested in something that challenged the logical side of my brain. Something that involved maths and physics seemed like a good starting point, as these were my two favourite subjects in high school. I also wanted to explore a creative way to solve problems and widen my scope of thinking. Software engineering was an incredible blend of both.
“I would absolutely recommend the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Software Engineering. I believe perception is reality, and transforming your reality begins with a change within your mind. This programme is challenging, and that’s what makes it exciting. It’s a great environment for learning, and there is a lot of encouragement to pursue an area you’re passionate about within the degree.”
Being able to work on a variety of practical software engineering projects was one of the highlights of Michelle’s studies.
“During my time at AUT, I got a true glimpse of how unlimited the scope of learning is; ranging from full stack development to user experience research projects, from AI computer vision projects to creative game design in virtual reality. I particularly enjoyed the freedom to choose my final-year project, where I was able to work with a company called Method, developing a computer vision solution on unreleased virtual reality hardware.”
Making the most of the opportunities
AUT offers a bright and aspirational university environment, Michelle says.
“AUT encouraged me to pursue exciting prospects within my degree as well as expand my interests outside of my academic vision. The opportunities offered to me were endless, from winning the Linton Giles Memorial Cup, organising AUT’s first Diwali event, being chosen as a finalist for the AUT X-Challenge, becoming the regional winner and national finalist of the MYOB IT Challenge, receiving the AUT Edge Award and completing the CO.STARTERS entrepreneurship course.
“At AUT, there’s a drive to achieve, and that spirit is infectious. There was a lot of vibrant colour and enthusiasm within the student and staff culture, and a great mix of innovative ideas to explore. The culture within the AUT community is very supportive and student oriented. I’m glad I chose AUT – it was a beautiful, memorable experience.”
Her advice for other students is simple: don’t be afraid to try things.
“When you do things that terrify you, incredible things happen. Your mind is more powerful than you perceive. I get that it’s scary to try something new. Try it anyway.”
