Andy Stephenson
“You don’t have to be a nerd to study computing; the world of computing encompasses a plethora of different career choices that range from managing teams to marketing products as well as getting stuck in with code. With such a diverse industry, you just have to find out what you’re passionate about and there are plenty of people along the road to guide you there.”
Technical Director
Degree(s):
Software Engineering BSc (Hons), Durham University (Technology Enhanced Learning MSc, Durham University TBC)
Why I love my job
If someone leaves the lights on in the office overnight, how do you know? How much does that cost the business? Wouldn’t it be useful to be on the way to receive a phone call from your energy management system alerting you of this, informing you of how much this will cost but then offering to switch the lights off for you? This is one part of my role as technical lead for a smart energy company aiming to create intelligent systems to monitor and manage all aspects of businesses’ energy consumption with the ultimate aim of saving energy and money.
An awesome project
I find it’s great fun getting together with a bunch of friends – both technical and non-technical – to chat about technological projects we’d like to work on. With computing, you can very quickly turn an idea etched on the back of a beer mat into the world’s next most exciting startup. Recently I started working on an app called Clean Campus which is designed to resolve issues like broken lights throughout campus quickly using a reporting system based on smartphones. Other than being a break from the day job, these projects help develop yourself professionally as well as giving you a great opportunity to test out new technologies.
Life outside of work
Personally, I’m really passionate about ‘clean-tech’ industries such as electric cars, smarter cities and energy efficiency. These industries are currently experiencing rapid change and are having technology applied in every area to optimize resources and make existing technology more efficient in order for us to develop a smarter planet. With computing, it’s important to contrast your daily work in front of a screen; I love getting out and about as much as possible and you’ll frequently find me off camping at weekends or cycling across the country just for fun!
