Alumni Stories - Richard Bone

Name: Richard Bone
Studied: MSc Conversion in Computer Science
Graduated: 2002
Employer: Accenture
Now: Senior Computer Operator

What does your current job involve?

Monitoring computer systems, batch processing, liaising with international customers, producing reports.

Which skills learnt at university benefit you particularly in your job?

Everything. The more you know, the more you can do. Apart from Robotics, I've used everything I was taught (work won't buy me any Lego). Managers like people who can do anything and can be moulded.

How did you progress from university into your current job?

I found a job at Accenture as a 'Tape Librarian' and wondered what it was. From there I moved into Operations and worked my way up to Senior Operator.

What are your career plans for the future?

Possibly Application Management, maybe even Technical Support.

What are the best things about studying Computer Science at Birmingham?

Facilities and the standard of teaching. If you're willing to learn, you'll do well. If you just want an easy ride and something on your CV, don't even bother applying.

What are the best things about your current job?

Shift work. You can fit an entire working week into 3.5 days and get the rest of the week off.