QUT Alumni, 7 October, 2022
Nicholas Sterkenburg’s experience solving customer problems across different industries has helped him excel as a senior consultant specialising in customer strategy and experience design at Deloitte Digital, whilst flourishing as a freelance photographer in his personal business.
The QUT alumnus who finished his degree in electrical engineering says he has found the sweet spot in combining his skills across human-computer interfaces, software, working with people, and photography. The result for Nicholas is that he enjoys the freedom of working on something new and exciting and gets to solve creative challenges with amazing people in both capacities.
Nicholas shared some insights with us about how he navigated the journey of getting to be at the intersection of people and technology.
Where did your interests in Electrical Engineering and photography come from?
During high school, I always enjoyed solving mathematical problems, so the choice to pursue Electrical Engineering felt like an easy one. However, upon starting my degree, I realised that I really enjoyed the software side of things, especially human-computer interfaces. Eventually, I picked up a minor in Interactive and Visual Design, which brought more creativity to my studies. During those uni years, I picked up photography as a creative outlet and it quickly turned into a lucrative side-hustle.
How did you end up with the current roles you have today?
I knew I didn’t want to work in a traditional electrical engineering field when I graduated. Luckily, I discovered Deloitte Digital and began my career specialising in management consulting. I always remained faithful to my passion of photography, however, and since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to work part-time with Deloitte whilst working as a freelance photographer!
You mentioned your interest in technology and working with people. What is the one digital skill that you cannot be without?
Without a doubt, Human-Centred Design. Considering the end-user, customer or citizen right from the very beginning is crucialto designing solutions that truly meet their needs. The great thing about this skill is that it can be applied in any project, business or personal situation.
What do you enjoy most about your jobs? 
On the Deloitte side, it’s all about the amazing people, the interesting problems that I get to work on and the fact that I’ve had the opportunity to complete projects that span retail, transport, energy and resources, public service and financial services industries. It is similar on the photography side; you never quite know who you will have the opportunity to work with or what creative challenges you’ll need to solve.
What do you find most challenging about your jobs?
The constant change that goes hand in hand with consulting and client work can be challenging. It can feel like you’re starting from scratch on each project, so pacing yourself and developing good habits is very important.
Name a career highlight.
I’ll squeeze in two! With Deloitte, I had the opportunity to do some truly meaningful work that impacts the lives of many Australians through projects like the new myGov site. In my photography business, it was the opportunity to work as a team photographer for the Brisbane Heat T20 cricket team across several seasons.
What advice would you share with current students?
Be open to pursuing pathways that you may not have previously considered. Don’t wait until retirement or you’ve hit that “super important arbitrary milestone” to start living the life that you’ve dreamed of. You need to make the magic happen yourself.
What advice would you share with other alumni?
Don’t forget about the people that you studied with! While we don’t speak often, the friendships and connections that I made at QUT are some of the most meaningful to me, and it has been so valuable to reconnect since graduating.