Computer Science

Michael
BSc (Hons) Computer Science (1994)

After graduation I started off as a programmer at GEC Marconi Avionics, which at that time was seen as one of the better jobs to go for. However whilst working for them I began to feel that they could not offer me the long-term career I anticipated, so after a year there I moved to be a programmer in the financial services industry for Fidelity Investments based in Tonbridge in Kent (nearly doubling my salary).

While there I worked my way up through Programmer, Analyst Programmer, Senior Analyst Programmer, Project Leader and then Project Manager roles in relatively quick succession. I found that I enjoyed the project management role because I saw myself more people than technology focused.

After 7 years there I moved to American Express Financial Services Europe as a Senior Project Manager on contract, and took a permanent role there a few months later as Director of Project Management. This was an extremely high-pressure role and I was in essence managing a programme of work that they were betting the future of that part of the company on. After two years of considerable effort at a high personal cost I left to set up my own contracting business.

I have now worked as a contract Project and Programme Manager for the last 3 years for clients in the financial services industry in London and the South East. I have found this great and financial rewarding, although I know this is not for everyone - having to look for a new role every 6-12 months can be a worrying prospect for some, and you have to be able to sell yourself well to prospective clients. The biggest benefits for me are avoiding the career-focused office politics and not getting bogged down anywhere. I enjoy the stream of new challenges as well.

My degree was particularly useful due to the end-to-end coverage of the topic - right from building a single-board computer through to programming in 4th generation languages and principles of human cognition. It also had a very practical content, for example teaching the C++ computer language that is used in business rather than purely academic ones. It gave me a wide technical grounding that still gives me an edge today - even in a programme management role, a broad technical understanding can be very useful at times.

My course was a thick sandwich course, with the third year spent working for ICL in Stevenage as a trainee programmer. This definitely made me more marketable when I left university, as well as giving me real-world experience to draw on in my final year.

My future plans for my career include continuing with my contracting business and taking on more senior roles as I gain further experience.