New graduates level up their industry careers thanks to studies at University of Northampton

Students have pressed play on accelerating their gaming careers after securing a score of graduate gaming gigs across the country.

Ellie Abrahart and Jayden Lawrence only collected their Games Art and Games Design degree certificates last week.

But they were already on their way to career success thanks to their time at University of Northampton (UON) which helped them up their game within the industry, securing jobs at Venatus and lecturing at Coventry College.

Jayden Lawrence has joined advertising technology platform for gaming and entertainment, Venatus, as a Sales Strategy Executive and is excited for the future: “I am loving my time working at Venatus, I work with talented individuals and have the opportunity to collaborate with amazing brands.

“During my time at UON, I made some great friends and unforgettable memories. I was extremely impressed with how engaging the tutors are, and how they push students to their full potential.

“The highlight of my course was the Game Jam. One of the challenges tasked us with creating a game for the Northampton Saints Rugby Club in three days. Our team won the competition, and I learnt many valuable skills in this short amount of time.

“I’m excited for the future, and hope in 10 years’ time to be continuing to learn and thrive in the gaming industry.”

Ellie Abrahart is currently passing on her top-level knowledge at Coventry College as a Games Design Lecturer. She says: “I absolutely loved my time studying at UON and would do it again in a heartbeat. My studies from foundation to graduation went by in a flash, I wish I could go back and do it all again.

“I’ve been teaching at Coventry College for a few months now, and I’m really enjoying being back in education – just in a different capacity this time! Teaching students how to design and build games is definitely my passion, and passing on information from my studies is so gratifying.

“In 10 years’ time, I want to have achieved my teaching qualification and master’s degree. I’m working towards a real full-circle tale, as I’d love to eventually work at my home university of UON!”

Jordan Tomkins already took a huge step towards his future career after graduating last year through joining one of the biggest names in gaming – PlayStation – and took a moment to reflect on his post-UON journey so far: “I’ve been working in my role for the last few months, and already I’ve learnt so much.

“It’s great to have the opportunity to work surrounded by very experienced people who have been with PlayStation for decades, as it allows me to accelerate my knowledge and experience. While my current role as CertOps Compliance Tester isn’t where I want to be long term, it’s certainly a massive stepping stone towards venturing into the industry.

“Looking back at my studies at UON, a particular highlight was for me was definitely the Game Jam events, which challenged me and my course mates to design and build a game to spec within four days. I loved getting competitive with my friends and trying to make the best game possible, and when my game ‘Tri-Pilot’ won best game overall, it was a true first moment of feeling like what I do has some real potential and was a massive confidence booster.

“My goal has always been to become a creative director for a Triple-A project, where I lead a team through an initial vision for a game idea all the way from just words on a page, to a finished and groundbreaking product. Even though it may take a while to reach this, I’m absolutely passionate about becoming an experienced designer within a game studio, and see where it leads me.”

Find out more about studying Games Art, Games Design and Games Programming at the University of Northampton.