November 22, 2013, by Jemma Utley

How Joe’s career aspirations went from Steve Irwin to software developer!

By, Joe Nash, BSc Computer Science, penultimate year

When I was little, I wanted to be Steve Irwin

I was absolutely obsessed with Steve Irwin as a child, and still carry a little bit of that today! If you walk around Jubilee Campus with me it is a great way to learn the names of waterfowl and random facts about carp. As I became a pasty white computer fanatic, and spent less time outside, that idea faded.

At 16, I wanted to be an animator

Flash games and animations were an awesome distraction during secondary school, and surprisingly easy to make. It was a creative and fun process and a great way of getting higher marks in school presentations. Flash animation is what led me to computer science, through ActionScript!

What is my ultimate career goal?

Who knows! I love programming and could easily see myself working in software development, however I also enjoy academia and teaching so perhaps I should invest in a tweed jacket with elbow patches.

In ten years I would like to be a software developer

My skill set and degree will most likely lead me to this profession. Programming is challenging and surprisingly creative, providing you land the right job, which makes it a satisfying career choice.

How am I going to get there?

Hackathons! Hackathons are extended programming sessions, usually held by industry names or other programmers, with challenges to meet. Imagine an interview, with many employers instead of one, take away the pressure, and add lots of free food and drink, now extend that to 24 hours. They’re not only massively fun and a great way to learn new skills, they’re also the best way I know of getting a job. Industry sponsors at hackathons aren’t your standard recruiter sifting through loads of CVs; they’re software developers themselves who are interested in what you produce and how you produced it. They’re the reason we started HackSoc; check out hacksocnotts.co.uk if you want to find out more about hackathons or programming.

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