“I feel empowered to tackle any problem”: Angela Cibiras on growth, support and building a career at Microsoft
Today, Angela Cibiras works as a Data and AI Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft Australia. Building solutions for clients in the government sector, the young technologist says she’s excited by the opportunities she encounters every day.
But growing up in Canberra, Angela never planned to work in tech. While she always had a talent for maths and science, her real passion was working with her hands to create art pieces.
Instead, Angela’s journey to Microsoft was a combination of experimentation and discovery. Without a specific career in mind, she simply followed what she enjoyed and tried what excited her. By chasing her passions and uncovering new ones, Angela has built a career she loves.
“Computers were never really on my radar”
Angela decided to pursue engineering when she saw it on a list of degrees on offer at Australian National University. It was the idea of problem solving and career opportunities that attracted her to the course, where she majored in mechanical and material engineering.
“I didn’t have a dream job,” she says. “But I always loved pulling things apart and creating things. So, when I was reading all the different options and came across engineering, I fell in love with the idea.”
Despite completing a few software engineering courses during her undergraduate studies, IT was never Angela’s passion. “Computers weren’t really on my radar,” she says.
It was only during her Masters of Business Analytics, when theory became reality, that it suddenly clicked. “I think it was seeing the real output at the end, which isn’t always clear when you’re going through basic theory,” she explains. “Sitting down and writing the code to build the AI models – it brought it all together.”
The mix of technical and business applications had Angela hooked. When she graduated, the only decision left was where to unleash her newfound passion.
“I could see that Microsoft had values they lived by”
Angela was first introduced to Microsoft when a recruiter visited her university. As an ambassador for Microsoft’s Aspire graduate program, the recruiter was looking for high-performing graduates who wanted to grow with the company.
While the recruiter’s presentation was impressive, what struck Angela was Microsoft’s focus on doing social good, particularly in tackling climate change.
“I could see that Microsoft had values they lived by,” she says. “And knowing that I’d be working with people who are creating the solutions so many organisations are using – it was really exciting.”
Initially, Angela was concerned that her lack of experience would disqualify her, but the recruiters made it clear that the Aspire program was for people looking to learn, not people who had already learned. In 2019, on hearing her application had been accepted, Angela was ready to start her next adventure.
First Aspire, then achieve
Unlike most graduate programs, Aspire was global. As a budding Data and AI Cloud Solution Architect, Angela was travelling the world, forming connections with other members of the Aspire program and learning from the industry’s best.
One of her favourite memories is of attending an Aspire event in Las Vegas where her team built customised bikes for underprivileged kids. “It was a phenomenal reminder of how we can impact others every day with what we do,” she says.
While Microsoft’s Aspire program was global, Angela never felt lost in the crowd. Her new colleagues in Canberra regularly stopped by to see how she was settling in, invited her for coffee and asked her to get involved in new projects. And Angela’s international colleagues never let distance get in the way of checking in and getting to know her.
“It’s a close-knit community and very welcoming,” she says. “I was empowered to build relationships with my colleagues across the company from day one.”
Best of all, her new colleagues always had time to explain things or help her work through problems. Angela’s time as an Aspire graduate flew by. By the time she completed the two-year program, she had established a place for herself at Microsoft.
Learning every day
Two years on, Angela has now settled into life at Microsoft, and the fast-paced environment means she is constantly exposed to new problems and challenged to ideate new solutions. Right now, for instance, Angela is honing her skills in data platforms to complement her strong AI and analytics background.
“We’re very much expected to know when to stop and ask questions to boost our knowledge,” she says. “I feel empowered to tackle any problem because I know the expertise and support is behind me.”
Alongside peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, Angela also takes advantage of Microsoft Australia’s Learning Days – the one day a month when employees are encouraged to clear their calendars and upskill themselves in any area of interest. This could mean listening to a podcast, completing an online training course or simply reading a book.
“We’re encouraged to learn it all, not know it all,” she explains. “Our projects cover such a wide range of domains that it’s impossible to be an expert on all of them. That’s why we ask questions and keep learning.”
Next, the world
Looking to the future, Angela sees endless possibilities.
“There are many avenues I could take at Microsoft,” she says. “When you’re starting out in your career, this company lets you experience a wide variety of technologies and potential career paths to help you decide on your next step.”
One thing Angela does know is that she wants to keep using technology, specifically AI, to make the world a better place.
So, does the budding technologist have any advice for others coming up in the world of tech?
“It’s a fast-paced environment that’s constantly changing,” she says. “Take time to revel in your victories. Each little success builds you into a great success, and you’ll continue to be better than you were yesterday.”
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