Jawad Hussain

Environment and Configurations Manager, Capgemini
BSc Computer Science with Year in Industry (2014)

I started off doing a placement year with the Swiss banking industry, namely UBS AG (London), a Wealth Management and Investment Bank. It was followed by a short private contract over the summer. Recently I have joined Capgemini at a post-grad level as a consultant, where I am being trained in DevOps; a development strategy with immense opportunities in automation and continuous delivery, which, traditional organisations (government projects, large investment firms, and big software houses) are eager to embrace in the coming years.

What is the best thing about what you are doing now?
The people I work with are genuinely nice; they are eager to help me, and one another. My company invests highly in their employees (in training and development). Furthermore, I was surprised to find out that Capgemini has an impressive apprenticeship programme where it pays for the apprentice's university studies, and provides them with training to join them as a consultant. That is the future of the industry, in my view; corporates who responsibly invest in young people right from the start, indiscriminately.

What are your fondest memories of the University?
My fondest memory is engaging with other students on my course and meeting people from a breadth of cultures, from all over the world. The University is a safe place to learn from others, talk about anything and everything, from self-aware robots to the origin of species, and really develop ones thoughts, imagination and ideas.

What did you think of the learning experience within the University?
My learning experience was overwhelming, and I had failed to grasp the fundamentals for the first six months of my course. My then personal mentor and a professor (who is still fulfilling that role and is a greatly admired friend) did a great job in bringing my score up from achieving 20% in my weekly exercises to achieving over 80% in my overall grade for first year.

Did you find the degree programme at Birmingham challenged you?
It was very challenging as it started at the deep end. But what better time to be faced with challenges than in your first year? The support I received from lecturers was limitless.

What advice would you give to current students studying on your degree programme?
Speak, and encourage others to speak. Make your stipend doing what you love. Learn to embrace change and learn to make change. Communicate; opportunity is embedded in your ability to communicate with one another.