Computing & Networking Graduates


Darren Sweeney
Computer Games Development

Rendering Engineer, EA DICE Studio
 
The course had a lot of practical classes and projects that cemented the theory shown in lectures which allowed for a more engaging experience, while having lectures that were incredibly supportive and easy to approach with questions. There was a lot of opportunities to go to networking events such as Games Fleadh and Global Game Jam to build up a portfolio of work and meet other students and industry developers.
 
I work at the EA DICE studio on the Frostbite engine team as a Rendering Engineer. Frostbite is used as the engine for a diverse set of games such as FIFA, Battlefield, Star Wars Battlefront, Dragon Age and more. My job as a rendering engineer is to develop and maintain high-quality rendering systems for multiple AAA games. Working closely with game team engineers and artists to create highly productive and effective art and content workflows.
 
The course covered a lot of industry must know knowledge to get hired in the game industry such as the C++ programming language, data structures, mathematics and algorithms. I use a lot of this knowledge every day at my job and it’s the basis which I build on each day to improve and progress in my career.

Ciara McMahon
IT Management

Cloud Support Associate (CSA), Amazon Web Services (AWS) Premium Support

The course has a diverse range of subjects that touch all bases of the industry. I enjoyed the practical element and continuous assessment throughout the four years of the course. The small class sizes ensured access to lecturers who are always encouraging and easy to approach.
 
I work as a Cloud Support Associate (CSA) at Amazon Web Services (AWS) Premium Support, where I help customers from a diverse range of industries from around the world leverage the latest cloud technologies. I work in a fast-paced environment that is continually evolving. Day to day I help customers solve real-world complex technical problems. The support I provide ranges from help during critical event launches, applying advanced troubleshooting techniques and assisting with cloud architecture consultancy to provide unique solutions to our customers use cases.
 
My role allows me to work with the AWS Graduate program as an interviewer, trainer and mentor to incoming graduates and I help them progress in their career.
 
I am a strong advocate for Women in Tech (WIT) & STEM. I attended the college’s Women in Engineering and Computing seminar where I spoke as a keynote speaker about my ongoing journey into IT.
 
The unique blend of management and technology based modules allowed me to develop critical-thinking, communication and collaborative skills which are essential to work within the industry. Several of the projects I completed for my course have tied into real world examples of my career. I found one of the biggest challenges and the most worthwhile was my six month internship. During this time I was able to improve my practical skills, develop new areas of interest whilst helping me to decide which area I would like begin my career in IT.
 


Gerard Morris
Software Engineering

Senior Software Engineer, Netwatch
 
For me, I liked that the course gave students good exposure to a lot of languages and technologies. It also put a lot of focus on mixing practical with theoretical, so you got to apply in labs what you were learning in lectures.
 
I am currently working as a Senior Software Engineer with Netwatch in Carlow. My current role exposes me to a cutting-edge technology stack with a lot of opportunities for developers to really own and drive the design of features. We follow the Agile process and get to work with technologies such as Azure, Docker, Kubernetes, Xamarin, Microservices and so much more. The team itself has a nice mix of experience and backgrounds, and being a senior developer, I often help others and try to push the latest industry best practices.
 
During my time in Carlow I feel I got good exposure to a lot of languages, which really helped me when I graduated as it gave me a lot of options for careers. In the end, I got the first job I applied for upon graduation, and was one of several SETU Carlow (Formerly IT Carlow) students to get hired at the time. The computing department in Carlow is highly thought of in industry and I have found graduates from here in various companies that I have worked in all around Ireland over the past decade.

Eddy Fakhry
Software Development

Senior Software Engineer, Bank of America Merrill Lynch

The ease of access to the lecturers and their constant availability was a great advantage. Everyone gets to know you on first name basis and you feel that your passion for the course is appreciated and rewarded. Whether fresh out of school or a mature student, it is always a welcome confidence boost when you feel that the people in charge actually care.
 
I am a senior software engineer for the Financial Reporting of the Prime Brokerage Margin Risk Technology at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. A fast paced and challenging environment dealing with the daily critical changes in the global financial markets and reporting financial results to our global prime brokerage clients.
 
Team work is something that the college tries to instil in you as a mindset. Team projects start from the onset in the course and this proved critical to quickly adapt to my role. As well as that, the broad spectrum of subjects gave me a wider understanding and a better perspective on software development as a tool for business. The course is not limited to technical subjects and this helped me greatly in being able to conduct business conversations related to my role with managing executives.