Chris Wing

Having completed both undergraduate and postgraduate Computer Science programmes at Kent, Chris Wing has gone on to hold a variety of roles in the tech sector both in central government and for private clients. He is currently a consultant at Deloitte. 

Tell us about your career path since graduation.

I graduated from my undergraduate degree in 2017 and went to work for a company called Oracle, where I initially joined as a graduate. After completing their graduate scheme and being offered a permanent role, I continued working for them for just over a year in their financial services sector as a Cloud Architect.

From there, I decided to leave Oracle and continue my studies, so I went back to Kent to start a post graduate course. After finishing the MSc in Advanced Computer Science, I went to work in central government, working in Defense and Cyber. I was there for just under a year and after I left I joined Deloitte as a consultant, where I remain today.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

Typically, I try to get up early(ish) and get to the gym for a workout before I properly start the day, as I find it too crowded in the evening. I’ll get home and make some breakfast, starting my workday around 8.45/9.00. From there, depending on the project I’m on, my day varies between client and internal calls, pair-programming, solo coding sessions, and code review.

Also depending on the project, there sometimes needs to be on client site, so my day can often be dramatically different to how I first plan it. I’ll usually work until 17.30/18.00, where I log-off for the day to wind down.

Can you share a professional highlight from your career so far?

Without going into too many specifics, some of the clients I have worked with have given me a real sense of fulfilment and achievement, knowing that the work I have produced has an impact on real-world problems, and the people who I have worked with (both Deloitte and clients) are at the top of their fields, so working alongside them gives a great sense of accomplishment.

How did your time at Kent help you achieve your current career?

Kent was amazing for preparing me for where I am today. At a course level, Kent provided a robust, relevant and interesting curriculum, allowing me to understand key concepts any aspiring software engineer would need. The lecturers were absolutely fantastic, incredibly approachable, engaging and above all happy to help when asked.

On a more personal level, being at Kent provided me with the confidence I needed to succeed in a workplace, it enabled me to explore interests, broaden my mindset and make great friends along the way.

What advice would you give to our current/prospective students who are looking to get into the same line of work?

The world of technology in general can look like a daunting place, with constantly evolving tech and tools to work with. It’s an impossible task to learn EVERYTHING out there, so try and keep things simple. Focus on what you’re interested in, often having an interest in the subject will make learning a lot easier. If you aspire to become a software engineer, don’t think you need to know ALL that there is around software engineering. It's a huge field, so find an aspect you enjoy (Backend, Frontend, Architecture, Platform, Data Engineering, etc), and focus on that.

Over time, you will naturally broaden your skillset - don’t feel like you need to start your career with an already wide set of skills. No one should be expecting a grad to have “10+ years of experience in XYZ”. If they do, stay away!

Do you have a favourite memory from your time at Kent?

I have so many fantastic memories from all my years at Kent, it wouldn’t be right to highlight one - and it would take me forever to talk about them all! I have particularly fond memories playing in the band room with fellow flat mates during my post grad, and equally fond memories having beers after a certain set of seminars with friends in my undergrad.

Is there anything you would do differently if you could repeat your time at Kent?

I absolutely love electronics and hardware/software interaction, so if I could do my undergraduate degree again, I’d chose to do either a joint honours with electronic engineering, or something else relating to electronics. Computer science will always be my favourite though, so I wouldn’t stray too far away from that!

Are you still in touch with other Kent alumni or academics?

Yes! I still keep in regular contact with friends from my undergrad and postgrad!

What are your future ambitions?

At some point in the (hopefully not too distant) future, I’d like to write a book, or at the very least write a book with a group of people - what on yet, I’m not exactly sure, but currently I have a great deal of interest in programming language design.