Where I've come from; where I am now; where I'm going

Where I've come from

With my Dad being in the army, I grew up in a variety of towns, predominantly living in army quarters before my family settled in Braintree, Essex where I lived for the past 10 years and completed my GCSE’s.

After finishing High School I went on to study for an Intermediate GNVQ in Information Technology at Braintree College. Having completed and passed the course, I began the 2 year advanced GNVQ. I quickly became disillusioned with the course which was essentially a course in how to use Word, Excel and Access rather than focusing on the technical side of computing. I left midway through the first year and began to work full time at the local Cineworld Cinema which had recently opened.

During my time with Cineworld I developed an enthusiasm for the marketing side of the business which allowed me to use the creative side of my personality designing film displays as well as creating competition posters and entry forms which were used to promote forthcoming films and resulted in me being promoted to Marketing Supervisor, a position I held for 3 years before being promoted to operations manager at our sister site in Bishop’s Stortford in November 2003.

Over the next 2 years I gained experience in the Concessions, Health and Safety and Marketing aspects of the cinema. Whilst I undeniably enjoyed my role as a manager, I grew increasingly frustrated with the path my life had taken and yearned to find a way to combine my love of computing with the creative side of my personality.

During a weekend visit to friends who were studying in Leeds, I spoke of my frustrations and of my desire to work in an industry which would allow me to use my creativity. About a week later my friends told me about the HND in Interactive Media Design at Wakefield College. I found the course website and after exploring it, decided that the course was exactly what I needed to make my dream career a reality.

Where I am now

After successfully applying for the course I made the move from Essex to Wakefield in January this year. After a shaky first few months, during which time I struggled to find work, I’m pleased to say that I have now fully settled into the area.

I’m living with my 3 best friends and have a wonderful girlfriend, Faye, who I’ve been with for the past 2 months and have been working for HSBC in Leeds since April to help support me through my studies.

Where I'm going

Upon completion of HND, I plan to find myself work within the design industry with a well established company to hone and further develop my knowledge and skills. After building a strong portfolio and learning from industry professionals, I hope to set-up my own design company specialising in Website design and creation.