Alumni Profile - Owen Davies

Owen"During the second term of my MSc I was offered a job as a C++ programmer at Delcam." 

MSc Computer Science, 2011, School of Computer Science

Where are you working now and what are you doing?

I am working for Delcam, a CAD/CAM company, writing software for 3D printers.

Please provide a short paragraph detailing how your career has developed since graduating from the University of Birmingham.

During the second term of my MSc I was offered a job as a C++ programmer at Delcam. Following the 6 month graduate induction I joined a team working on an unreleased piece of software for Additive Manufacture. The team has grown a lot since then, so I now find myself inducting the new starters into the tricks of the trade.. 

What is the best thing about the job you are doing now?

I love the problem solving aspect of programming, the excitement of figuring out the answer to the problem you've been banging your head against.

What did you think were the best points of your course and the University?

It was an excellent blend of practical programming skills with the theoretical background you need to build greater knowledge on later. I was thrown into relatively complex programming tasks very early in the course, which pushed me to learn a lot very quickly.

What advice would you give to current students studying on the course?

It's amazing what you can learn in 12 months if you really apply yourself. It's an opportunity to learn a great amount in a short time, which is far more important than the marks, or even qualification. 

How did you grow as a person by studying at University? Did it change your life in any way?

It gave me what I wanted: the skills necessary to enter a new career.