Case studies: Systems developer: Anthony

Anthony has a degree in computing and works as a systems developer at a large university, predominantly linking with the Business School and the School of Engineering.

My actual job title is IT systems support adviser but my role, to a large extent, is that of a systems developer. I have worked in this role for the past 12 months and am enjoying the varied nature of every day and the range of different challenges presented.

I first became interested in IT whilst at secondary school when I realised that I had a natural ability in relation to computers and programming. I studied the subject at A-level and then studied for a BSc Computing, which I completed two years ago. During my degree I spent a year on placement working with a small software house near to my home in Manchester. I really enjoyed my placement, and the experience confirmed my decision that I wanted to pursue a career in IT.

After I graduated, I began to seriously consider my options and, to be honest, my current job rather presented itself to me as a perfect opportunity. I loved university life and when I saw the advert in my local paper for the job of IT support at a university I was very keen to apply. The pay was not as much as I would receive in some sectors but I was keen to return to the environment that I had enjoyed so much as an undergraduate. I had already applied for several vacancies with large organisations and had been unsuccessful, so this appeared to offer a new avenue for me.

Once in post, I soon realised that working life is very different from the life of a full-time student but I am enjoying the job and its challenges. The aspect that I most enjoy is that of systems development, which accounts for about 70% of my work. I spend the majority of my time either engaged in dealing with service call type IT problems/solutions type work or more complex systems development work. The work ranges from rewriting small scale IT systems to make them appropriate to specific needs, such as tracking student performance whilst on placement, to larger projects involving rewriting systems with much wider application.

I am currently involved in a number of projects that involve rewriting systems to make them more applicable for their application, including software to manage international applications. I really enjoy the challenge of this and gain a lot of satisfaction in a successfully completed project.

What I particularly enjoy about my job is the challenge of rewriting complex systems, which is intellectually demanding. I particularly enjoy the satisfaction of successfully cracking a complex task and bringing it to a successful conclusion.

My advice to students thinking of a career in systems development is to get as much relevant work experience as possible. This certainly helped me get my current job and provided a useful insight into the profession. This experience could come from a range of sources, including university, study or work.

In the future, I would like to remain within the higher education sector and progress to a more senior post within systems development.