Computer Science (Games Programming) BSc(Hons): After you graduate

"I had been working in accountancy for 10 years and felt I had quite limited prospects, so, at the age of 28, I decided I wanted to change my career and increase the opportunities available to me. As I had an interest in computing, studying for a computer science degree seemed the obvious choice.

"I chose to go to Kingston because I had a friend at the University who was full of praise for the place. I then attended an open day and was really impressed by the computer science staff and students I met. 

"Since then, I haven't looked back and my career has gone in great strides. It started with my work placement. This was with a local firm called Sequent Computer Systems, where I worked on benchmarking large database systems. 

"It was a really good placement and they kept me on a retainer. So, once I graduated, I went back to work for them, continuing in the role I had developed. 

"A couple of months later it was announced the company was being taken over by IBM. This was a great opportunity and I have stayed here, working for IBM, ever since. Now I specialise in web application servers and work for global services delivering a range of services to IBM customers. 

"My degree has given me the base knowledge and key skills I still use everyday in my job.  Networking and databases are two examples of this, along with programming in Java. 

"I have always really liked the creative side of programming, but the thing I enjoy most about my job is working with customers and meeting different people. I find it immensely satisfying to be able to use my knowledge to help their businesses.

"Studying computer science at Kingston has changed my life. I think the key thing about choosing a degree course is to be passionate about the subject you are studying.  If you are passionate about what you are doing, then you are going to succeed."

"I wanted to study computer science because I had been interested in computers since my O-level days. I chose the course at Kingston because it offered a sandwich year. This meant I could earn some money and gain relevant experience. Also, I had a friend who was studying there and I liked the place.

"I found the course enjoyable. It covered a comprehensive range of subjects. I liked going to lectures and then doing projects that helped us put theory into practice. The other good thing about University was the social life. I made some lifelong friends.

"After graduating, I joined a company called Speedware. It was a Canadian business so there were lots of trips to Montreal. I stayed there for just under nine years, specialising in database programming tools.

"I liked the work and the people I worked with, but in 1997 the London development team was disbanded, so I started my own consultancy company. As someone who has been interested in computers for many years, I was able to tackle most tasks involved in a project, from information gathering through to delivery and distribution.

"Much of my work is made up of small assignments: I get a description of my client's problem and come back with an application. I have done work for Mazda cars, for example, developing a browser-based dealership system. In the dot-com boom, I did a project for a subscription-based news service called WMRC. I developed tools that allowed the journalists to directly enter their stories. I also helped WMRC install and configure servers and desktops. I then recruited a team of programmers and mentored them.

"The freedom of running a small company is important to me. It allows me to choose the kind of work I do. My degree course laid the foundations on which my career is built. It's provided me with the ability to keep up with new technologies as they emerge. My work involves databases, software design and development, and communications. All these are subjects that were covered during the course.

"Many different career paths are possible in IT. Some of my friends have left the industry altogether, some have moved into management and others cut their teeth writing code. But all of them got where they are today because they did a computer science degree."