Dan B.
About me
| Dan B. | |
| Archaeology | |
| Archaeology | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Derwent | |
| 2010 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Lead Education Developer | |
| Computeam Ltd. | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Creative arts and design / Digital and IT services | |
| Small business (0-49 employees) | |
| 2014 |
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A day in the life of a Lead Education Developer in the United Kingdom
Augmented reality & virtual reality developer working in education sector.
My career goals when I graduated
Always work in an area that interested me and excited me.
My career history
- Started company when I left university
- Developed and sold resources to schools and other educational institutions
- Company acquired and role transferred into new company
- Develop augmented reality and virtual reality resources for schools and a variety of other educational institutions.
- Recently won a BETT Award for Primary Digital Content which is widely respected in the education technology industry.
What has helped my career to progress
A willingness to learn and maintain self-improvement. I always want to be better at what I do and to add more skills into my skill set.
How my studies have helped my career
Public speaking has been the most useful aspect of my studies. I have often had to stand up and speak in front of people, from small groups to large audiences, and without prior experience of this on my course I am sure this would have been much more daunting and challenging.
What surprised me about my career so far
The power of a "network". It's mentioned all the time but having a network of people you know in your industry can be instrumental in providing opportunity. It is worth bearing in mind however that a network is not much use if you have nothing valuable to share.
Where I hope to be in 5 years
Leading a larger development team creating bigger and better apps and resources for a variety of audiences.
My advice to students considering work
If you are unsure of what you want to do when you leave university, bear in mind that many of the most important skills you learn will not be subject specific. The university has a number of fantastic societies and organisations which will provide opportunities outside of your course, and these may prove instrumental in your future employment.
My advice about working in my industry
Working in the education sector is very interesting as educational institutions operate very differently to other organisations, with different pressures and priorities. Be willing and prepared for unusual requests and a general lack of awareness of how business works!
Other advice
Experience or examples of work can often be more influential in your employment than the content of your course. Seek opportunity to gain experience, or failing that be willing to learn skills in your own time that will be useful for the role you are considering.
Contacting me
I'm very happy to take any questions regarding the content you find in my profile, and if you believe talking to me will be useful for your future career then I am happy to do so.
What I do
Lead developer of augmented reality and virtual reality apps for educational institutions including schools, museums and libraries.
Skills I use and how I developed them
My role requires a broad range of skills including project management, computer programming, 3D design, graphic design, web design and video editing. I am also required to represent the company at trade events, conferences and seminars where public speaking is a useful skill. Many of these skills were developed through hobbies and activities outside of my course, and also on-the-job training, but basic time management, project management and public speaking skills were greatly enhanced by my time spent at university.
What I like most
Creating innovative and exciting experiences using the latest technologies such as virtual and augmented reality.
What I like least
In all honesty there is not much I dislike about my role, however admin tasks such as time logging can be very dull in comparison with the rest of my role!
What surprised me most
The organic nature of my role. I am expected to do a variety of tasks using a wide skill set, which keeps the role fresh and interesting.
Next steps...
If you like the look of Dan’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Dan a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Dan to be your mentor.