Meet Vishal Repaka, who’s gone from student to tech professional, thanks to BiG Day In
Image: Supplied by Vishal Repaka.
All around Australia, BiG Day In events are helping Year 9 to 12 students discover exciting tech careers. Vishal Repaka followed his dreams from BiG Day In all the way to a career at Adobe!
“When I was in year 12, my school took me to the BiG Day In event, as part of my software design class,” Vishal remembers. “I was in this weird space where I thought a tech career might be it for me, but I wasn’t quite sure.” It’s a common feeling for high school students, and BiG Day In is the perfect time to ponder the possibilities.
One of the highlights for Vishal was the opportunity to smash stereotypes. “It’s not just a whole bunch of coders, it’s much more than that,” says Vishal. Every BiG Day In features interactive talks, hands-on sessions and networking opportunities with major companies like Microsoft, Westpac, Adobe and Defence Force Recruiting.
Choose your track
“The BiG Day In put me on the track that I’m on today,” says Vishal. “There was a company on stage, WiseTech Global.” The WiseTech representative shared a story of how they got their first work experience at a similar careers event. This story inspired Vishal to take action immediately.
“I remember thinking, if he can do it, why can’t I? One of my friends who’d come with me nudged me to go talk to them. So, I did. They ended up doing an interview with me, and I ended up doing a work experience placement there while I was still in high school!”
This experience led to Vishal’s next opportunity. While working at WiseTech, Vishal met a bunch of students from UTS Sydney who were working as interns. They encouraged him to apply for a UTS scholarship.
“I got to learn about this really great program called the Bachelor of IT Co-op Scholarship at UTS where you do a three-year fast-tracked IT degree. It’s a scholarship program, but a big part is that while you’re studying, you actually do two full-time, 6-month placements at a software company or IT company.” Vishal landed a placement at Adobe and finished his degree, launching into a career spanning software engineering and solutions consulting.
Today, Vishal has come full circle, working as a data architect at Adobe. Vishal says, “Adobe’s Tim Kitchen was a presenter when I was at BiG Day In in Year 12. I remember his presentation and thinking, ‘wow, this is really cool’. Now I’m working at Adobe, and funnily enough, walking into Tim Kitchen in the kitchen!”
Now that he’s working with the pros, Vishal hasn’t lost sight of the reason he chose this path. “The reason I wanted to work in technology in the first place is that technology is the greatest medium for creating positive social impact,” says Vishal. So if you’re looking for a career with impact, head to a BiG Day In near you!
Vishal’s top tips for your BiG Day In visit
“Be super open to just absorbing everything. Don’t be judgmental about what you’re going to hear or how relevant it is to you,” says Vishal.
“Go take some risks and take a shot because, hey, I took a shot. It worked out really well for me! So, why not anyone else?”
Vishal’s pathway to a tech career
- Attended BiG Day In
- Bachelor of IT, Co-op Scholarship Program, UTS Sydney
- Associate Software Developer, WiseTech Global
- Software Engineer
- Engineering Consultant
- Solutions Consultant, iBM iX
- Head of Solutions Engineering, AdFixus
- Data Architect, Adobe
Upcoming BiG Day In events across Australia
- Wednesday 7 May 2025 – Newcastle
- Thursday 15 May 2025 – Darwin
- Thursday 22 May 2025 – Melbourne
- Wednesday 28 May 2025 – Parramatta
- Tuesday 3 June 2025 – Brisbane
- Tuesday 10 June 2025 – Perth
- Wednesday 11 June 2025 – Kwinana
- Thursday 19 June 2025 – Adelaide
- Tuesday 5 August 2025 – Sunshine Coast
- Thursday 14 August 2025 – Gold Coast
- Wednesday 27 August 2025 – Canberra
Head to the BiG Day In 2025 website to book your tickets
