Adelaide University Internship Experience - Olivia Thi Kim Oanh Nguyen
Welcome Olivia!
Olivia Thi Kim Oanh Nguyen joined our SAcommunity Data Analytics Team for her University of Adelaide SET (Sciences, Engineering and Technology) Internship for her Masters of Data Science Trimester 1, 2024: 27 February 2024 - 31 May 2024.
She is completing a 280 hour internship onsite with SAcommunity at the Connecting Up Office, Infoxchange for 3 days (22.5 hours) a week for ~14 weeks around her classes.
Total Hours 161 Joined 27 February 2024 Last Check-in 8 May 2024
Personal Biography
Olivia is in her second year of a Master of Data Science at the University of Adelaide 2023-2024. She has a Bachelor of Business and Law from HCMC University of Law 2014, and previously worked as a corporate legal assistant. Here she focussed on commercial contracts and company dispute resolution, whilst running a small business, the Wanfu Trading Service Company, in Vietnam. Aware of the importance of data-driven decision-making for business, Olivia made her career change and moved to Australia, building her knowledge of statistics and machine learning through the curriculum, in big data analysis and machine learning courses.
Currently, she is working on her graduate research project involving predicting the outcomes of tennis matches using the R language, a programming language for statistical computing and data visualization. This project allows her to enhance her skills in building and enhancing predictive models, combining different predictors to create new useful predictions, and in applying statistical modelling techniques. Her goal for this project is to achieve an 80% accuracy rate in predicting the winners of matches, not only in tennis but also with sports in general.
At Connecting Up, Olivia aims to network with professionals in her field and gain insights from their experiences. She seeks a deep understanding of organisational databases and the practical application of data for decision-making in the real world. Her plan is to gain proficiency in data analytics tools such as Excel, Power BI, and Google Analytics, alongside effective data collection, cleaning, and management skills. Additionally, she aims to learn to create impactful dashboards for clear data communication.
Olivia's future plan is to become a data analyst where she can utilise her background in Business, incorporating both her analytical thinking skills and problem solving skills to make effective decisions that benefit the organisation.
Intern Olivia's three-year comparison reports
Community Services in Councils Project
Olivia has selected Wattle Range for her Power BI council reports, a database of approximately 120 community services operating in the area for the financial years 2020-2021, 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. Her reports can be found >>here. There are a number of steps involved once community service information data presentations are created, a summary of data trends prepared, work is attributed and published to the website, and then will be introduced by Olivia to council stakeholders by phone and email to be used as a tool to understand community needs in their area.
Intern Olivia explained her Wattle Range council projects to intern Kristen
Intern Olivia asked volunteer Kane for advice and comments on her three-year comparison reports
Volunteers and interns are encouraged to attend monthly SAcommunity Team meetings, Connecting Up staff meetings, as well as quarterly all-staff Infoxchange Town Hall meetings to understand more about the organisation as a whole.
Organisation-wide news, events and projects are communicated through the staff channels, with weekly CEO Updates from David Spriggs, informal 'Lunch and Learn' educational sessions, and network meetings create connections with staff and other volunteers. Interns are also given opportunities to attend stakeholder and partner events.
Relevant meetings attended include:
Intern Olivia shared the skills she learned during her council projects with new interns
Infoxchange (IX) All Staff Town Hall Meeting
27 February 2024
27 February 2024
Updates from the Infoxchange CEO, Operations, Finance, People & Culture, Lightning Talks from IX Teams, and IXcel Awards
This meeting gave me an overview of how the organisation operates effectively. The CEO provided insights into the company's overall performance, strategic direction, and any significant milestones achieved. The Operations, Finance, and People & Culture teams shared updates about project timelines, efficiencies, any changes, improvements, and targets for the upcoming period. Lightning Talks from IX Teams were also introduced to feature short presentations from various teams within Infoxchange, showcasing recent projects, achievements, and innovative ideas.
Interns and volunteers joined one of the Lunch and Learn sessions
Infoxchange (IX) Lunch & Learn Sessions
Effective Meeting & Communication Skills
5 March 2024
5 March 2024
Kate Hickman Chief People Officer Infoxchange & Jo Davies Chief Operating Officer Infoxchange, in their talk, emphasized the importance of using various communication channels effectively to achieve the best response and outcome. These channels include email, phone calls, Teams instant messaging, face-to-face meetings, and informal walk-up conversations. Preparation for effective meetings is essential for ensuring productive outcomes and meaningful participation. It involves thoroughly reviewing relevant materials and information beforehand, familiarizing with the meeting's objectives and agenda, and considering any questions to be raised during the discussion. Written communication emphasizes the importance of being simple and easy to understand, ensuring that the intended purpose and desired actions are clearly articulated. After this talk, these are my key takeaways:
- I must prepare a concise version of my presentation in case of unexpected situations where I may not have enough time to finish as planned. This version should include all main points to ensure understanding.
- When crafting email subjects, I must ensure that they clearly outline the purpose of the email, include specific tasks with due dates if applicable, and contain only essential information for the recipient.
- When receiving emails, it's necessary to delegate tasks when appropriate, promptly address emails upon receipt by either responding immediately or scheduling a follow-up if necessary, and refrain from sending emails over the weekend to respect recipients' personal time.
- I will try to reach the person before cc'ing their manager or cc'ing their other peer in case they are away.
Infoxchange (IX) Community & Cultural Events & Activities
Intern Mostafa brought cupcakes for everyone to celebrate EID
International Women's Day Afternoon Tea and Talk
13 March 2024
13 March 2024
Jo Davies Chief Operating Officer Infoxchange & David Spriggs CEO Infoxchange
The event inspired me with the journeys of successful women in Infoxchange, especially Jo Davies and her story of becoming the COO. Despite different backgrounds or circumstances, success is achievable with determination, motivation, and timely decisions.
World Autism Month
5 April 2024
Amaze, alongside its Autism Connect resource library and national autism helpline, offers valuable resources covering various topics related to autism. Jim Mullan, the CEO of Amaze, discussed the organization's evolution and its collaborative efforts to drive change for autistic individuals. Key topics addressed include autism and employment, diagnosis, NDIS implications, the Disability Royal Commission, national strategy development, and the concept of neurodiversity. These initiatives aim to enhance support, understanding, and acceptance for autistic individuals and promote meaningful change in society. Thanks to the insights shared during the talk, I am more equipped to access resources and seek guidance from organizations like Amaze, which offer valuable support networks and information. I now know how to support not only people around me but also myself as we navigate the process of receiving a diagnosis of autism and adjusting to the challenges and opportunities it presents.
Pankaj Chhalotre, Head of Connecting Up, said a few words and gave gifts to interns who have completed their internships
Infoxchange (IX) Stakeholder Events
Data Catalyst Network (DCN): Brings together people from across sectors, to break cycles of disadvantage through the innovative use of data.
Participants of the Data Catalyst Network will advance their data maturity while sharing and improving data insights through unique cross-sector partnerships to disrupt disadvantage. As a collective, the network will harness data and knowledge from the not-for-profit community sector, academia, government and business to better use and manage data to improve the lives of people across Australia.
Interns and volunteers joined one of the Data Catalyst Network webinars
DCN: Augmented Intelligence: Combining Organisation Data with Large Language Models
29 February 2024
29 February 2024
Associate Professor Amir Aryani, Head of the Social Data Analytics Lab at Swinburne University.
I learned from Amir Aryani about the use of large language models (LLMs) for organizational data. First, he highlighted the emergence of LLMs and their integration into organizational data workflows. Second, he introduced the concept of Augmented Retrieval Intelligence (RAG), linking organizational data with AI. Lastly, he provided updates on the latest developments in AI, including Meta's investment in LLM technology and OpenAI's new model, Sora, capable of producing realistic videos from text descriptions. During the Q&A session, Amir Aryani emphasized that while data engineers play a crucial role in building pipelines, they may not necessarily possess the expertise in AI technologies. Organizations should focus on developing a clear strategy before integrating AI, ensuring that data is clean and connected, which is a prerequisite for AI technology implementation. Amir clarified that there's no direct trade-off between pre-trained models and RAG. While fine-tuning models require substantial data and technical resources, pre-trained models can be embedded into RAG, making them inclusive options for various applications. Amir also addressed concerns about the maintenance of RAG models, emphasizing the need for regular updates due to changes in underlying components such as databases and LLMs to avoid software failures and ensure the continued effectiveness of RAG models.
DCN: Indigenous Data Sovereignty
20 March 2024
The webinar was delivered by Jim O’Shea Gumbaynggirr man from New South Wales and Chief Operating Officer at VACCHO, Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Inc. In this webinar, he outlined principles and frameworks for Indigenous data sovereignty, emphasizing the importance of Indigenous communities having control over the collection, ownership, management, and use of their data. The CARE principles focus on Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility, and Ethics, emphasizing minimizing harm, maximizing benefit, ensuring justice, and considering future use. The FAIR principles stress that data should be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable, promoting data usability and accessibility. In Australia, principles include controlling the data ecosystem, contextual and disaggregated data collection, and ensuring relevance and sustainability. Additionally, practical tips were shared from his discussion with Infoxchange’s staff for preparing data requests to the government. After this webinar, I acknowledge more about how to protect Indigenous data sovereignty and ensure that Indigenous communities have control over their data. I now understand the importance of principles such as CARE and FAIR in guiding data management practices. Additionally, I have gained practical insights into preparing data requests to the government, which is crucial for Indigenous communities seeking to access government data.
20 March 2024
The webinar was delivered by Jim O’Shea Gumbaynggirr man from New South Wales and Chief Operating Officer at VACCHO, Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Inc. In this webinar, he outlined principles and frameworks for Indigenous data sovereignty, emphasizing the importance of Indigenous communities having control over the collection, ownership, management, and use of their data. The CARE principles focus on Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility, and Ethics, emphasizing minimizing harm, maximizing benefit, ensuring justice, and considering future use. The FAIR principles stress that data should be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable, promoting data usability and accessibility. In Australia, principles include controlling the data ecosystem, contextual and disaggregated data collection, and ensuring relevance and sustainability. Additionally, practical tips were shared from his discussion with Infoxchange’s staff for preparing data requests to the government. After this webinar, I acknowledge more about how to protect Indigenous data sovereignty and ensure that Indigenous communities have control over their data. I now understand the importance of principles such as CARE and FAIR in guiding data management practices. Additionally, I have gained practical insights into preparing data requests to the government, which is crucial for Indigenous communities seeking to access government data.
Intern group
Mentor Meeting 10 May 2024
Connecting Up Volunteers and Interns are provided with the opportunity to select staff members from across the wider Infoxchange organisation for an informational mentor meeting. Here they have the opportunity to ask more about staff members job roles and employment journey, and learn about their career and professional development, to gain insights and guidance that can be applied towards their own success.
Volunteers and interns both prepare 5 questions for their mentors and then are encouraged to record 5 aspects they felt were helpful for them to share on their portfolio for both themselves and other volunteers, and Olivia shared her experience in meeting David, IT Project Manager, Infoxchange.
Interns Kristen and Olivia with their mentor David Zhao, IT Project Manager, Infoxchange
David was incredibly friendly and genuine with us. The way he answered our questions reflected the qualities of a good senior and a supportive brother, showing his genuine desire to help us navigate the industry. The first question, which Kristen asked about what we need to prepare for getting a job, and I added whether we need to master all skills before landing a job, he emphasized that what companies look for in a candidate is a good attitude and a willingness to study more. He encouraged me to pursue job opportunities and learn the necessary skills along the way, even if I am not an expert in them initially. He never regretted not studying IT initially; his background in civil engineering has given him a broader perspective on work and decision-making.
Regarding the second question about skills for advancement, David's career progression from associate consultant to junior consultant, and then to senior consultant in just three years, left me with the most impression. He highlighted the importance of planning for the skills, tasks, and objectives required for a higher position, and then acquiring the necessary skills to fulfill these requirements. He emphasized the importance of being proactive in seeking out new projects and demonstrating the ability to handle tasks and overcome challenges. He mentioned that he moved to a new company to expose himself to a variety of skills, areas, and tasks, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and self-improvement.
For the third question about project experience and lessons learned, when I believe I learn better from mistakes. He emphasized the importance of not repeatedly asking the same questions, checking all information and necessary resources before seeking assistance, and setting boundaries for workload to avoid overwhelming oneself. He stressed the need to understand my limitations and avoid taking on tasks that exceed my capacity.
When asked about collaboration and networking, David advised that while fostering personal friendships with colleagues is beneficial, it should not be forced. He ensured colleagues are individuals who can provide job references and introductions to desired tasks or positions.
Finally, when asked for career path advice, David emphasized the importance of staying updated with the job market trends. He advised regularly assessing the job market to identify positions in demand and aligning my career path accordingly.
Digital Training & Development
Volunteers and interns have access to the Connecting Up Digital Learning Platform providing live webinars and recorded webinars, workshops and webcons presented by subject-matter experts to understand more about a range of technology topics for the not-for-profit sector.
Relevant training sessions were selected, attended, summarised and assessed by Olivia to look at how these sessions can enhance her internship experience have included:
Intern Olivia watched one of the recorded webinars
Volunteers and interns have the opportunity to learn from useful recorded seminars. One such seminar is the Data Readiness, which is delivered by Sam Headberry, who has 12 years of professional experience working in some of Australia's largest housing and homelessness organizations in Australia. Sam is passionate about data and using information technology to boost outcomes in the non-profit sector. During his seminar, he emphasized that organizations must prioritize robust data management strategies that enable effective decision-making through data. This involves understanding the organization's information architecture, data flows, and context - utilizing structured formats, identifying relationships between datasets, and recognizing why data is collected. It requires addressing challenges around disparate data storage systems and types by reducing sources, integrating data, and leveraging visualizations. He also discussed that organizations should centralize data sources, limiting the number of systems, and carefully select appropriate systems with stakeholder input to meet their needs. Olivia has shared her key takeaways from the seminar below. My key takeaways were:
- When good data goes in, we have great insights out, reminding me to know the reasons and the goals I want to collect this information.
- Data is meaningful only when in context. When collecting and analyzing data, I must know the relationships of these datasets and how they connect to my problem statement and the organization's background and available resources.
- Centralizing the data sources helps eliminate redundancies, improves data quality, and allows for more integrated analysis by bringing disparate data together into a unified system or platform.
A Practical Introduction to Power BI
Another recording seminar that Olivia watched was the A Practical Introduction to Power BI webinar delivered by Marcus Harvey, who leads Infoxchange's IT consulting and services teams in Australia and New Zealand. He and his team are enthusiastic about assisting organizations in leveraging technology to operate more efficiently, aiming for tangible results for their clients and the communities they serve. During his seminar, he discussed that effective data management and analysis require integrating disparate data sources into a unified view, understanding dataset context and relationships, and enabling collaborative sharing of insights within the organization. A data-driven approach helps identify trends, improvement areas, and resource optimization based on client demographics, outcomes, and funder targets. However, he also showed that this necessitates addressing data quality issues, securing organizational commitment with dedicated resources, and taking a strategic approach guided by specific questions or hypotheses. Olivia has shared her key takeaways from the seminar below. My key takeaways were:
- Power BI enables integrating data from multiple sources for comprehensive analysis and insights with a uniform view of all filters. With Power BI, I can refresh and connect different data sources. I can also make my own queries and share insights within the organization through collaborative sites and track outcomes activity.
- It's crucial to understand the context, meaning, and relationships within datasets to derive valuable insights. I need to be careful with errors in data when it gives results that cannot be trusted. In this case, it is better to fix the solution at the source when the information is entered in the first place.
- Instead of spending a lot of time wandering, it is best to start with a specific hypothesis or question and build a report or dashboard to answer these questions using charts, graphs, and filters.
