What drove me to become a computer systems engineer... but then ended up as a cop

I grew up a nerdy introvert with not many friends.

That’s probably a statement that many others who went into the world of computing relate to. I didn’t have what I would describe as a sad childhood. In fact, I had good memories of growing up. But my parents placed a big emphasis on making sure my sister and I studied, plus where we lived was a bit out of town and there weren’t a lot of other kids around.

I was obsessed with technology. I’m of the generation that got to see the original Star Wars movies in the cinema before they had all the special features added. I was mesmerized by TV shows like Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (although I’ve recently re-watched it and it hasn’t aged well, except for Twiki of course). Then there were other movies like War Games and Short Circuit.

I saw this as a way for me to do something that utilized my brain and captured my imagination. I pestered my parents for a computer, and eventually, I got a Dick Smith VZ-200. For those of you not from Australia, Dick Smith was an electronics retailer in the same vein as Radioshack. The VZ-200 was, even in the mid-1980s, not really state-of-the-art; it had rubber keys, I had to plug it into my TV for a monitor, you got a cassette drive, and had a whopping 8kB of RAM.

Nonetheless, I loved having a computer. I borrowed a book from the school library on programming in BASIC and taught myself. It was the beginning of my path to learn about and engage with technology beyond merely watching movies or playing games. I started to learn about electronics and likewise bought electronics kits, including robotics.

My subject choices throughout my schooling focused on science and mathematics and I never had any doubt about the fact that I wanted to become an engineer. Well, except that I had also really wanted to become a police officer but my parents were not big fans of the police (better read this story for some of that background What I learned while writing my Dads eulogy ) and my Mom quite clearly told me that I wasn’t going to waste my life becoming a cop.

So, I ended up graduating dux of my school (the pinnacle of my academic achievements there). I started my engineering degree straight out of school. I didn’t come from a particularly well-off family, so there was not going to be a gap year. I also started working at the casino around the same time to pay my own way. In that choice, I grew my confidence and yes, I actually started dating for the first time. I also learned that there were other ways I could make a positive contribution to society.

Because of my side job and again, yes, allowing myself to get distracted by women, I failed my first year of university. I failed my first year of university badly. I passed two out of seven subjects and my parents were livid. I went back the next year and passed, I didn’t deliver the best grades for the rest of my degree but eventually, I managed to earn my Bachelor of Engineering in computer systems. The next step would be to find employment.

I set about bombarding prospective employers with my CV, who in turn bombarded me with rejection letters. A friend of mine that was a police officer suggested I apply for the police force. I did, as a joke. I went to the physical assessment thinking for sure I’d fail, then got a call back for an interview. I walked out of the interview and one of the panel members followed me to tell me that I’d be getting an offer to start at the academy in May that year.

That first week at the academy they worked you hard. I was grouped with 19 other people I had never met in my life. I was run to the point of throwing up. I was bombarded with rules and regulations. That Friday night, we were all sitting around drinking beers and my colleagues were complaining about how sore they were, as well as wondering if they’d made a giant mistake.

I sat back and felt something I hadn’t felt much before. I felt as though I was where I belonged.

I had a good ten-year career in policing, then moved on to government positions, including regulating spam and cybercrime. My background in engineering put me in good stead and allowed me to act as an interpreter between our hard-core techos and those less inclined towards technology including lawyers and judges.

Recently I spoke with a colleague that ended up working in engineering directly after university. I expressed that I regretted not using my engineering degree more and going down that path. Surprisingly, he told me that he envied me because I’d done so many other interesting jobs beyond just engineering. It reminded me that sometimes as humans we always crave what the other person has. This perspective has made me appreciate the combination of skills I have gained in my career.