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Experience | Resumes | Qualifications | Work History | Brendan Edwards

Download Resumes and see the Qualifications gained over time

Resumes | Download | Summary and Details Versions (ATS Compliant)

Download a detailed version, or summary versions (for HR), of ATS compliant resumes and work histories.

View Brendan Edwards's profile on LinkedIn

Qualifications | Download | Samples of Certificates

Certifications

Work History | Overview

A broad range of skills over multiple domains and an ability to quickly ascertain pain points in processes; strategically optimise web presence; unbiased evaluation of product and service selection; and development and implementation of pragmatic solutions making each business, application and outcome better than I found it.

Understated Excellence | 2006 ~ Now...

Understated Excellence™ was formed as the Telstra Research Labratories (TRL, The Labs) was closing and I was undertaking studies to consolidate 10 years of experience within The Labs.  A Master of Arts (Virtual Communications) from RMIT inspired specialisingpecialise in Strategic Communications; focussing on an interest in Search Engine Optimisation and aspects of Branding; while still utilising and developing technical skills.  Understated Excellence™ was founded as a vehicle to give back to the Australian community.

Embedding myself within a company I was able to empathise with the culture to find the best solutions for each business and community group.  Looking from the outside in and using keen analytic skills I sourced, developed, modified and generated pragmatic solutions, some specifically tailored given the experience, budgets, constraints and other business development concerns of staff and businesses.

Working with larger businesses and institutions allowed further technical and analytical skills to be utilised for: process improvement; project and application management; digital transformations; documentation and manuals; product and service evaluations; and stakeholder management.

Using experience in reliability of information and data I have applied usability and data wrangling techniques to improve customer data for search and retrieval, filtering and analysis.

Some of these were implemented and achieved include:

  • Analysis (business, data, systems and competitors).
  • Development (specifications, applications, websites, content, processes).
  • Configuration and Management (servers, analytics, projects).
  • Information Architecture, Usability and Accessibility.
  • Designed strategies, implemented and improved onsite and organic search results.
  • Stakeholder Management: Liaised between idea generators and developers to manage projects and expectations.
  • Retained and regained sovereignty over sites, data and domains.
  • Documented and improved processes (by discovery and automation).
  • Evaluated technologies and services and recommended solutions or improvements.

Telstra Research Laboratories (TRL – The Labs) | 1987 - 2006

TRL was a unique place to work and had a significant role to play in Australian and global telecommunications.  TRL specialised in theoretical and applied research; the evaluation of products and services; and vendor verification and compliance. TRL was a touch point for all areas of telecommunications focussing on Australia and Australians and provided both tactical and strategic advice across most areas of telecommunications related to Telstra.  These included: Optic Fibres, Electronic Interference, Overvoltage protections and Lightening Simulation, Alternative Energy (Photovoltaics and new Battery Technologies); Accelerated Life cycle Testing; Mobile Antenna evaluations and Novel Measurement Techniques, Mobile Phone Services; Traffic Analysis, Reference Measurements, Biometrics and Speech Recognition, Artificial Intelligence, Natural Language Search and Retrieval, Usability and Accessibility; amongst many other disciplines.

The Telstra Research Laboratories closed after 80 years and was a pivotal part of Telecom Australia and the Post Master’s General (PMG) research activities.

I began as a Trainee Technical Officer in 1987 as one of three inductees, from 14 interviewees and around 140 applications.  Over the years role names changed and as developed further skills transferred to an IT stream; finally leaving The Labs as a Senior Research Technologist.  I was able to develop many transferrable skills becoming highly analytical and diversified as I managed to spend time in many different departments, learning many different technical skills.

It easy to be proud of the time, training and experiences I gained within The Labs; and that of the contributions my colleagues (many being long-time friends) made on the Australian and Global stage.

Some highlights of Brendan's work in the Telstra Research Laboratories

Some background and history of the Telstra Research Laboratories

See some of the companies that have emerged from TRL and it's people:

Qualifications | More Details

2022 | Graduate Certificate of Applied Data Science | Charles Sturt University

2021 | Agile Data and Information Management | Charles Sturt University (IT Masters short course)

  • 2021 - Certificate. Agile Data and Information Management

    • 2018 | Marketing Analytics and Insights | RMIT University

    • 2018 - Certificate. Marketing Analytics and Insights

        • A transitional course to:

      • Provide further insight to the use and application of Big Data.
      • To compliment learnings of the Big Data project I was working on at Telstra in 2018,
      • To give access and familiarity to applications used in industry: Tableau and Adobe Analytics

    Related documents

    • Final Project Submission (YouTube)It is hard to fit everything into 5 - 10 minutes and provide details on everything...
    • Final Project Slide Pack (PDF), using dummy data generated in Excel using a random number generator modifying the data with every interaction
    • Dummy Data: Occupancy (PDF) and
    • Dummy Data: Potential Affiliates (PDF).
    • Reflections: Final Project (PDF)

      I was submitting the final presentation in a remote area in NSW using a Telstra 4G portable hotspot device. The file took almost 6 hours to upload and was a bit nerve racking as it was the second attempt. Recording the presentation was also an interesting exercise. After reviewing several Open Source and paid applications, I discovered Windows 10 has a native screen recorder used by gamers to rec cord, review and share their gaming interactions. Windows Game Bar is used for recording game play, but in this instance was used to record my presentation (screen interactions and audio commentary)

    2006 | Master of Arts (Virtual Communications) | RMIT University

    Related documents

    1998 | Diploma of Engineering | Barton TAFE | (Computer Systems and Electronics)

    • 1998 - Diploma of Engineering
    • 1998 - Associate Diploma of Engineering (Computer Systems)

      • The Major Project was to use Motorola 6809 chip and assembly language to program a custom built machine. A standard project was a domestic garden watering system. My project was initially rejected as it was not complex enough. Apparently, the project required a keypad for data entry and timers. However, a presenter on a popular gardening TV show of the day suggested that watering during the day wasted water due to evaporation and the best time to water when the sun was set and the soil was dry. My project used light and moisture sensors with set levels to automatically water the plants based on watering needs at an appropriate time (when there was no Sun). An appropriate outputs switched open a water valve. There was only about 30 lines of code. My project was also handed over and re-used multiple times by multiple students later on. It was eventually returned and is now stored away. Arduino and Raspberry Pi modules should enable something similar now using high level coding.

      I did see a watering system based on similar principles about 20 years later, but it appears that days, dates and times have made a comeback since then...

    • 1990 - Associate Diploma of Engineering (Electronics)
    • 1991 - Certificate of Technology (Electronics)
    • 1985 - Basic Electronics Certificate
    • Queen Scout Award
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