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Brandon is currently studying Software Engineering at Blackpool and The Fylde College, part of the Lancashire & Cumbria Institute of Technology (IoT).
In the final year of his BSc (Hons) Software Engineering (Game Development) Level 6 course, Brandon combined his studies with real industry experience, helping him take the first steps in his career as a developer.
Before starting the degree, Brandon had already been studying IT and found progressing into higher education straightforward. He explains: “I was originally on an information technology course and the transition into university was quite an easy one. I didn’t have to go through UCAS or anything and local to my hometown.”
He chose software engineering because it aligned with his interests and allowed him to pursue a subject he was passionate about – software engineering.
During the first year of the course, Brandon developed core programming skills through practical projects. “In the first year it was an introduction to programming which involved doing a dice game project in Python,” he explains.
The project helped him build fundamental programming knowledge, including using development tools and debugging code. “It involved a lot of fundamental concepts in terms of learning programming, how Visual Studio Code works and just general debugging and running projects as well.”
As the course progressed, Brandon developed further skills in areas such as database development, website development and general programming concepts. These skills became particularly valuable when he began the work placement element of the course in his second year.
During this time, a guest speaker from a games studio highlighted the importance of building a portfolio to showcase work to employers. Taking that advice, Brandon created his own portfolio and began reaching out to companies. “I took the steps to do that myself and as a part of also having my own portfolio, reaching out to employers managed to land a work placement with a company called Pentagull.”
The placement proved extremely valuable. “They were impressed with my work ethic and a lot of stuff that I learned from university sort of applied to that work experience.” As a result, the opportunity led to a part-time job with the company.
Through his placement and job role, Brandon has been able to apply his university learning in a professional environment. Reflecting on this, he says: “It was nice to see the transition between putting learning into practice in the real world as well.”
Receiving a job offer was a key milestone. “It was very rewarding when I got the job offer and I think I wouldn’t have even gone to the work placement if it wasn’t for this university course.” He also credits the course with encouraging him to build a portfolio, something he believes played a key role in securing the opportunity.
Brandon values the supportive learning environment at the Institute of Technology. “Compared to a lot of universities where you sat in big lecture hall, I think Blackpool and The Fylde College stands out because you get the one-to-one support from tutors, and you’re in classrooms.”
Now, Brandon is working as a Junior Software Developer while completing his degree, and hopes to progress further once he graduates.