Adelaide University Internships - Grace Hong Hong
Welcome Grace!
Grace Hong Hong joined our SAcommunity Data Analytics Team as an intern as part of her Adelaide University studies, starting with the team on the 26 July 2023 - 30 October 2023 at the Connecting Up office for one and a half days ~ 11.5 hours a week for ~ 14 weeks, completing a total of 150 hours. Grace has also elected to return as a volunteer after her exams and we will be glad to have her return.
Total Hours 154 Joined 26 July 2023 Final check-in 15 November 2023 (retired)
Grace Hong Hong joined our SAcommunity Data Analytics Team as an intern as part of her Adelaide University studies, starting with the team on the 26 July 2023 - 30 October 2023 at the Connecting Up office for one and a half days ~ 11.5 hours a week for ~ 14 weeks, completing a total of 150 hours. Grace has also elected to return as a volunteer after her exams and we will be glad to have her return.
Total Hours 154 Joined 26 July 2023 Final check-in 15 November 2023 (retired)
Personal Biography
Grace Hong is a second-year Bachelor of Computer Science student with a primary focus on data science. Her passion for data stems from her belief that most things can be represented through data. Besides her academic pursuits, Grace enjoys hiking, and finds that even tracking the activity data during these adventures, fills her with a sense of pride and accomplishment and shows the benefit of data in everyday life.
Grace chose to undertake her internship at Infoxchange, as she seeks to gain relevant work experience and comprehensive insights into the workings of data analytics. During her SAcommunity Data Analytics Internship at Connecting Up, she aims to utilize her professional data science skills and learn to utilize Power BI, to benefit communities and people across different councils through data-driven solutions.
Looking ahead, Grace aims to pursue data science and computer science upon graduation. She plans to enter a consulting company due to the exposure they offer to a range of cases across various industries. Allowing her to apply her expertise, problem solving abilities, and analytical skills in multiple scenarios. Once she reaches the age of 45, she has a unique aspiration: To establish an elegant oriental brunch restaurant, fulfilling her creativity, whilst providing a delightful experience for others. Grace aims to infuse her expertise in data science into the restaurant's operations, blending her two passions, data-driven insights, and exquisite cuisine.
Image: Stathis Avramis, Data Analytics Team Lead, assisting Grace Hong Hong with her City of Prospect Data report
Community Services in Councils Project
Grace has selected the City of Prospect for her council reports, a database of approximately 130 community services operating in the local area for 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. Grace's financial year reports followed Stathis's previous years' reports and as completed can be found >>here with Grace creating an additional report to look at the insights generated from the data and Community service activity for all four financial years.
On publication on the SAcommunity website, Grace introduced the reports by phone and email to council partners. In this case to the Volunteer and Community Programs Coordinator at the City of Prospect, who has a strong relationship with SAcommunity. This allows the report to be used as another tool to look at community information trends on services operating in the local council area.
In particular the reports can be used to assist with determining areas that may require funding and services, and to identify new community partnership opportunities. The open source data can even contribute towards research into the relationship between local community services and various other socio-economic, health and educational outcomes combined with ABS data and statistics and indexes such as SEIFA.
Image: Stathis Avramis, Data Analytics Team Lead, assisting Grace Hong Hong with her City of Prospect Data report
Community Services in Councils Project
Grace has selected the City of Prospect for her council reports, a database of approximately 130 community services operating in the local area for 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. Grace's financial year reports followed Stathis's previous years' reports and as completed can be found >>here with Grace creating an additional report to look at the insights generated from the data and Community service activity for all four financial years.
On publication on the SAcommunity website, Grace introduced the reports by phone and email to council partners. In this case to the Volunteer and Community Programs Coordinator at the City of Prospect, who has a strong relationship with SAcommunity. This allows the report to be used as another tool to look at community information trends on services operating in the local council area.
In particular the reports can be used to assist with determining areas that may require funding and services, and to identify new community partnership opportunities. The open source data can even contribute towards research into the relationship between local community services and various other socio-economic, health and educational outcomes combined with ABS data and statistics and indexes such as SEIFA.
Image: Connecting Up Staff Meeting 8 August 2023
Left to Right: James Newport Senior Web Developer, Samantha Whillas, Customer Experience Officer, Sarah Rayner-Fry, Customer Support Coordinator, Frank Xiufeng Shi, Volunteer Data Analytics Team, Grace Hong Hong, Intern Data Analytics Team, Rob Kalka, Business Development Manager, Eric Jenkins, Account Manager, Stathis Avramis, Volunteer Data Analytics Team Lead, Chloe Le, Marketing Coordinator, Pankaj Chhalotre, Head of Connecting Up.
Image: Telephone Techniques - Intern Grace Hong Hong, Volunteers Pujan Maharjan, Rex Porter (Information Management Team), David Webb (Customer Service Team), Thea Shiye Jin, Alice Jinye Zeng and Michael Pak Hei Chan
Telephone Techniques
Telephone techniques are led by Volunteer David Webb with one-to-one practical assistance with longer term volunteers including Rex Porter. These are taught to all students, as good telephone techniques or telephone etiquette is important for all SAcommunity Team members, including Data Analytics Team members, to assist them in updating their datasets or presenting their data reports to council stakeholders. We provide the SAcommunity telephone script as a guide to assist volunteers and interns to demonstrate professionalism and appropriate conduct on the phone, build interpersonal relationships, and create positive impressions.
Image: Telephone Techniques Practice Session: Intern Grace Hong Hong, Volunteers Rex Porter and Pujan Maharjan
Left to Right: James Newport Senior Web Developer, Samantha Whillas, Customer Experience Officer, Sarah Rayner-Fry, Customer Support Coordinator, Frank Xiufeng Shi, Volunteer Data Analytics Team, Grace Hong Hong, Intern Data Analytics Team, Rob Kalka, Business Development Manager, Eric Jenkins, Account Manager, Stathis Avramis, Volunteer Data Analytics Team Lead, Chloe Le, Marketing Coordinator, Pankaj Chhalotre, Head of Connecting Up.
Work Experience - Organisation Connections & Networks
Volunteers and Interns are welcomed to attend (either online or onsite) the monthly Connecting Up staff meetings to learn more about the Adelaide division of the Infoxchange organisation. These meetings demonstrate staff objectives, goals, and responsibilities and how each Connecting Up Team members across roles align with the organisation's mission, and Grace has attended these meetings (as per photo above).
Grace along with all our Volunteers and Interns has also attended monthly SAcommunity Team meetings, to find out more about the directions of the SAcommunity Teams: Data Analytics, Media & Communication, Visual Design, Information Management, Customer Service, Grants and Partnerships along with attending the weekly Agile stand up meetings to check on the activities for that week.
Grace also has the opportunity to attend Connecting Up Lunch & Learn meetings to learn more about the current programs and divisional activities of the organisation, as well as to read the weekly e-news summary from CEO David Spriggs on internal and external events impacting the organisation.
Image: Grace Hong Hong and Pankaj Chhalotre, Head of Connecting Up
"I had an opportunity to chat with the Head of Connecting Up, Pankaj Chhalotre at the coffee machine and learnt a lot even in this short while. It was great to be able to ask him about his own experiences as an international student and his university internship (which was at Connecting Up). He also provided advice on career progression, job hunting, and answered my questions on Business Analysis, in particular, how it is used to analyse the data gathered and documented to solve problems, and enhance communication among staff and shareholders."
Image: ADIA website with inset ADII interactive data dashboard, The National Picture
Thomas, J., McCosker, A., Parkinson, S., Hegarty, K., Featherstone, D., Kennedy, J., Holcombe-James, I., Ormond-Parker, L., & Ganley, L. (2023). Measuring Australia’s Digital Divide: Australian Digital Inclusion Index: 2023. Melbourne: ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, RMIT University, Swinburne University of Technology, and Telstra.
Volunteers and Interns are also provided with opportunities to attend larger organisation meetings and key partnership events including Digital Capability in Australia: Unpacking digital preparedness for access to work, learning and life held on the 20 September 2023.
The event was hosted by The Australian Digital Inclusion Alliance (ADIA), a shared initiative with over 500 business, government, academic and community organisations working together to accelerate action on digital inclusion and The Future Skills Organisation (FSO) is a Jobs and Skills Council funded by the Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. Moderated by Infoxchange CEO and ADIA Chair, David Spriggs, this was an in-depth discussion on the challenges and opportunities of digital capability in Australia, and to hear more about the ADIA/FSO approach to addressing this issue with discussion and Q&A.
Grace attended this meeting along with fellow interns Natasha Kwan and Kane Hengchuan Zhao to understand more about some of the issues that are important to the broader organisation and the partnerships we support and work with. Former interns and volunteers had attended the initial launch of the Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII) earlier in the year which measures the extent of digital inclusion in Australia, a tool that will help inform and promote public policy and program responses to enhance digital inclusion in Australia.
Grace along with all our Volunteers and Interns has also attended monthly SAcommunity Team meetings, to find out more about the directions of the SAcommunity Teams: Data Analytics, Media & Communication, Visual Design, Information Management, Customer Service, Grants and Partnerships along with attending the weekly Agile stand up meetings to check on the activities for that week.
Grace also has the opportunity to attend Connecting Up Lunch & Learn meetings to learn more about the current programs and divisional activities of the organisation, as well as to read the weekly e-news summary from CEO David Spriggs on internal and external events impacting the organisation.
Image: Grace Hong Hong and Pankaj Chhalotre, Head of Connecting Up"I had an opportunity to chat with the Head of Connecting Up, Pankaj Chhalotre at the coffee machine and learnt a lot even in this short while. It was great to be able to ask him about his own experiences as an international student and his university internship (which was at Connecting Up). He also provided advice on career progression, job hunting, and answered my questions on Business Analysis, in particular, how it is used to analyse the data gathered and documented to solve problems, and enhance communication among staff and shareholders."
Image: ADIA website with inset ADII interactive data dashboard, The National Picture
Thomas, J., McCosker, A., Parkinson, S., Hegarty, K., Featherstone, D., Kennedy, J., Holcombe-James, I., Ormond-Parker, L., & Ganley, L. (2023). Measuring Australia’s Digital Divide: Australian Digital Inclusion Index: 2023. Melbourne: ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, RMIT University, Swinburne University of Technology, and Telstra.
Volunteers and Interns are also provided with opportunities to attend larger organisation meetings and key partnership events including Digital Capability in Australia: Unpacking digital preparedness for access to work, learning and life held on the 20 September 2023.
The event was hosted by The Australian Digital Inclusion Alliance (ADIA), a shared initiative with over 500 business, government, academic and community organisations working together to accelerate action on digital inclusion and The Future Skills Organisation (FSO) is a Jobs and Skills Council funded by the Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. Moderated by Infoxchange CEO and ADIA Chair, David Spriggs, this was an in-depth discussion on the challenges and opportunities of digital capability in Australia, and to hear more about the ADIA/FSO approach to addressing this issue with discussion and Q&A.
Grace attended this meeting along with fellow interns Natasha Kwan and Kane Hengchuan Zhao to understand more about some of the issues that are important to the broader organisation and the partnerships we support and work with. Former interns and volunteers had attended the initial launch of the Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII) earlier in the year which measures the extent of digital inclusion in Australia, a tool that will help inform and promote public policy and program responses to enhance digital inclusion in Australia.
Image: Telephone Techniques - Intern Grace Hong Hong, Volunteers Pujan Maharjan, Rex Porter (Information Management Team), David Webb (Customer Service Team), Thea Shiye Jin, Alice Jinye Zeng and Michael Pak Hei Chan
Telephone Techniques
Telephone techniques are led by Volunteer David Webb with one-to-one practical assistance with longer term volunteers including Rex Porter. These are taught to all students, as good telephone techniques or telephone etiquette is important for all SAcommunity Team members, including Data Analytics Team members, to assist them in updating their datasets or presenting their data reports to council stakeholders. We provide the SAcommunity telephone script as a guide to assist volunteers and interns to demonstrate professionalism and appropriate conduct on the phone, build interpersonal relationships, and create positive impressions.
Image: Telephone Techniques Practice Session: Intern Grace Hong Hong, Volunteers Rex Porter and Pujan Maharjan
Training and Development
Grace has been provided with access to the Connecting Up Digital Learning platform, a training and development online learning platform. She has the opportunity to understand more about data analytics in the not-for-profit sector, through training sessions presented by subject-matter experts in a selection of relevant live webinars and recorded webinars, workshops and webcons.
Relevant weekly webinars, workshops and webcons selected, attended and summarised below by Grace to enhance her internship include:
Relevant weekly webinars, workshops and webcons selected, attended and summarised below by Grace to enhance her internship include:
It's a comprehensive Excel webinar focused on database utilization. Excel serves as a user-friendly gateway to data analysis, and the webinar provided an exploration of database processes, spanning from setup to data refinement. This resource is particularly valuable for individuals venturing into the realm of data analysis, offering practical insights and guidance for people who new to the field.
Week 3: Data readiness
Data Readiness: Data is everywhere, and governments and communities are utilizing many new tools like Power BI to assist. The foundation of data can be divided into understanding data, organizing data, and exploring data. Any form of information moving in and out of an organization can be seen as information architecture. Data mapping helps define intersections and different data flows for the organization, but it is still necessary to streamline certain information sources. Therefore, it becomes easier to identify your needs, and the data can also enhance services for clients.
Week 7: Gain a clear understanding of your organisation's data and impact using Power BI
Week 7: Gain a clear understanding of your organisation's data and impact using Power BI
The webinar on "Gain a clear understanding of your organization's data and impact using Power BI" is a valuable opportunity for non-profit organizations. It emphasizes the importance of effective data management and insights to demonstrate impact and secure funding in today's competitive environment. Power BI is one of the vital tools I use for my report. It's highlighted for generating insights, aiding informed decisions, and providing concrete evidence of council's data, and help me to generate conclusions.
Week 8: Data, reporting, business intelligence and outcomes to enhance services
Week 8: Data, reporting, business intelligence and outcomes to enhance services
The webinar offered valuable insights into the significance of digital technologies for modern non-profit organizations, especially considering the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It emphasized the role of data and cost-effective business intelligence tools in helping organizations measure and understand service activities and outcomes, meet funder KPIs, and ultimately improve the impact of their initiatives. The webinar provided practical examples that use of Power BI for demographic reporting, and generously shared training links for data-related tools like Power BI and Tableau. Overall, it was a highly informative session that highlighted the importance of data-driven decision-making and digital capabilities in enhancing non-profit services.
Week 9: How to organise people and data to build a thriving community
This webinar provided insights into the fundamentals of digital organizing. It covered essential concepts such as data management, storage, and the effective use of a ladder of engagement to drive community action. They also introduce an integrated platform Nation Builder which highlighted as a powerful tool for engaging with communities, emphasizing principles like data ownership, distributed leadership, and people-centric approaches. By the end of the webinar, participants gained a better understanding of digital organizing, learned how to leverage data for community engagement, and discovered strategies for deepening relationships within their communities.
Week 10: Preventing a Data Disaster
This webinar covered an introduction to security disciplines, policies and tools to avoid data disasters within an organisation, ensuring that organisations are compliant and prepared for requirements aroung privacy concerns such as data leakage and data theft.
Week 9: How to organise people and data to build a thriving community
This webinar provided insights into the fundamentals of digital organizing. It covered essential concepts such as data management, storage, and the effective use of a ladder of engagement to drive community action. They also introduce an integrated platform Nation Builder which highlighted as a powerful tool for engaging with communities, emphasizing principles like data ownership, distributed leadership, and people-centric approaches. By the end of the webinar, participants gained a better understanding of digital organizing, learned how to leverage data for community engagement, and discovered strategies for deepening relationships within their communities.
Week 10: Preventing a Data Disaster
This webinar covered an introduction to security disciplines, policies and tools to avoid data disasters within an organisation, ensuring that organisations are compliant and prepared for requirements aroung privacy concerns such as data leakage and data theft.
Pictured: Grace Hong Hong, Intern Jordana Izquierdo, Volunteer Flavia, Media & Communication Team, Frank Xiufeng Shi, Neil Anubhav Dattagupta and Camille Sze Pui Ko
Image: Arushi Satija, Information Security Analyst, Infoxchange Melbourne, visiting Adelaide
Mentor Meeting
Volunteers and interns can access the SAcommunity mentor program, selecting and introducing themselves to a staff member working in an area of relevance to them. This provides a way of developing volunteers' understanding of the broader staff teams in Connecting Up and Infoxchange, exploring career pathways and goals they are interested in, and of building their relationships across the offices and networks.
Mentees must complete a mentor learning module, consider who they would ask to an informational session and why? Invite their mentor with a proposed meeting time and date, prepare 5 career related questions to ask them and finally summarise these 5 key points.
Grace asked Arushi Satija if she had the opportunity to meet with her, having read about her background and expertise as an ICT Analyst. Infoxchange staff profiles can be located by checking both the Infoxchange LinkedIn profile and selecting 'people' and/or by selecting staff member in the global address list in outlook where the overview, organisation structure and LinkedIn connections are linked.
During this mentor meeting, Arushi and Grace discussed various strategies for international students to navigate the Australian job market, highlighting the significance of networking and going beyond expectations to excel. They investigated some of the challenges faced by international students and the importance of stepping out of one's comfort zone to prove their capabilities.
Topic 1: Navigating the Australian Job Market as an International Student
Arushi Satija emphasized the importance of networking and building connections as an international student seeking employment in the Australian job market. She recommended reaching out to people on LinkedIn, engaging in conversations, and showcasing your eagerness to learn from them. She underscored the significance of making connections as a key strategy for international students to navigate the challenging job market.
Arushi also highlighted the need for international students to go above and beyond in their efforts to prove themselves in the job market, and the importance of stepping out of one's comfort zone to demonstrate how they can excel.
Topic 2: The Significance of Certifications in the ICT and Information Security Field
Arushi Satija recommended pursuing certifications, as they hold significant value in the Australian job market. Suggesting that not only can they enhance your qualifications but also provide practical knowledge that may be lacking in university programs. In addition, they can play a significant role in improving job prospects, as many employers seek candidates with certified skills. Her advice is to research those certifications that align with your career goals and to start with basic lower-levels before progressing to higher-level courses. Finally she encouraged individuals to gain confidence in their abilities and trust themselves to progress in their careers.
Topic 3: Building Strong Client Relationships
Arushi stressed the importance of honesty and effective communication when building relationships with clients. She mentions that sometimes it is necessary to be manipulative but in a way that does not offend or harm relationships. Being able to convey information, both positive and negative, with tact and professionalism is crucial. Additionally, she highlights that communication skills, including accent and language proficiency, play a role in client interactions.
Topic 4: Effective Collaboration in Working Groups
Arushi advises individuals in a working group to listen actively and acknowledge the input of all team members. Recognising the importance of patiently listening to others before expressing your own ideas. Her main point is to learn and listen before speaking, emphasizing the value of collaboration and effective communication within a team environment.
Image: SAcommunity Data Analytics Team 2 August 2023: Intern Grace Hong Hong, (Volunteer Flavia, Media & Communication Team), Intern Jordana Izquierdo, Volunteer Stathis Avramis, Data Analytics Team Lead, Volunteers Frank Xiufeng Shi, Camille Sze Pui Ko and Neil Anubhav Dattagupta "As my internship comes to an end today, I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for your guidance and support throughout this enriching experience.
Your mentorship has been invaluable, and I have learned a great deal under your guidance. I truly appreciate the time and effort you dedicated to helping me grow both personally and professionally during my time here.
I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the staff and volunteers at Connecting Up. The warm and supportive environment I experienced here has made this internship an unforgettable and rewarding chapter of my academic and professional development.
I am excited to share that I plan to continue my journey as a volunteer after my final exams.
Wishing you all the best, and see you soon!" ~ Grace Hong Hong
