University of Brighton alumni. Pop culture enthusiast. Digital Solutions Operational Support Analyst. Currently looking for a shorter job title so I can remember what I do for a living when people ask.
Sometime during my early childhood I receive a Playstation from my parents, my earliest gaming memories include Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, Creatures: Raised in Space, Tomb Raider, and, primarily, Spyro the Dragon. Spent many years certain that these memories were simply fever dreams, later discover they did actually happen. My love for video games begins.
Attend High School in my hometown. Make new memories playing online multiplayer games. LittleBigPlanet makes me consider a future creating my own games, introduces me to basic programming concepts. Introduced to the Adobe Creative Suite through schoolwork and instantly love it. Begin viewing media though a more analytical eye, especially after my mum introduces me to classic movies such as Pulp Fiction and Rear Window. Finish school with 10 GCSEs grade B-C.
Spend 2 weeks at the beginning of Year 11 completing work experience for a financial institution called Cofunds. The IT department couldn't need me less, so they give me some courses to complete in C++, I create a maze game in my first real introduction to programming. I enjoy my first office experience and the IT department seem impressed with my progress, especially as the manager knows nothing about coding himself.
Attend Sixth Form in Colchester, the institution holds 3,000 students and is located in a much larger town than the one I grew up in, so it seems like the perfect chance to branch out. Make friends I intend to keep for the rest of my life, expand my knowledge in all areas, even complete an extra-curricular course in 3D Design to earn some 3D Modelling experience. Leave with 4 A-Levels: Media Studies (B), Sociology (C), Computing (C), Use of Maths (D)
Whilst looking for a job I decide I may as well volunteer in the local Cancer Research UK shop in the meantime. Ask them if they need help, they ask me to start that same day. Gain valuable experience working with the public, given a fair amount of responsibility stocking the shop floor and working the tills.
After a few months I secure a job as a 'Kitchen Assistant' at a nearby pub. My heart breaks when I have to tell the Cancer Research UK team that I'm leaving, but I enjoy my time at the Green Dragon. Gain even more valuable experience working to imminent deadlines under pressure, managing my time completing various tasks, even trusted to make some starters and desserts despite my abysmal cooking ability.
After completing my A-Levels and spending summer travelling around Europe and camping in Cornwall with friends, I attend the University of Brighton where I study Digital Media. Get extremely lucky with housemates and enjoy the course tremendously. Gain substantial knowledge on a broad range of topics with modules such as Principles of Marketing, Website Design and Development, Digital Technologies, and Project Planning and Control. Have the opportunity to use lots of cool software and equipment, live in one of my favourite British cities for three years, and helped me consider lots of career paths I previously hadn't. Leave with amazing memories, friends, and a 2:2 result.
After over a year of washing up my hands aren't happy with me, so I decide I need a new part-time job for in between semesters. Work in the stockroom of a nearby Next Outlet store. A similar experience to working in the kitchen, working as a team to meet tight deadlines and safety standards, but this time washing-up liquid wasn't corroding my skin. Another positive experience, occasionally even allowed to help out on the shop floor.
Whilst still in Brighton, I secure a zero-hour contract job working the many bars at the American Express Community Stadium. We were given no training and thrown into the mix serving the football fans before, after, and during half-time of the matches. Bluff my way through multiple conversations about football with customers. Have to quickly adapt to the job as it's my first experience working as a barman, but it definitely helps keep me out of my student overdraft.
After graduating, I begin working for the company I did work experience with all those years ago, now called Aegon Cofunds. Whilst the financial sector doesn't necessarily interest me, it's an opportunity to gain some additional office experience and potentially progress into an IT position. With help from my manager, I manage to worm my way into more of a Quality Assurance role, completing system testing and learning to use new software such as Jira.
After a spur-of-the-moment conversation with a friend we create Openly Beta, a YouTube channel where we play and review games, discuss the gaming, television, and film industries, and do whatever else we feel like doing. We have remained dedicated to producing content and enjoy it as much now as we did when we started, amassing a whopping following of at least 200 subscribers, not including our mums.
Just over a year later I officially migrate over to a Quality Assurance role. Now I don't only complete testing, I also assist with release management, put my analytical skills to use resolving incidents and defects, write test plans and scripts, etc.
A portfolio of logos created below, click for more information.
My first game created using Unity and C#.
