At a cybersecurity company, alum Jason Yue (’19) is working to design a mobile app that helps business class consumers access their routers remotely.
Path to becoming a developer
After graduating from TWU, Computing Science alum Jason Yue first took a year off to relax and “celebrate being done.” After the break, he launched into a job search and landed an I.T. position at Fortinet, a global cybersecurity company headquartered in Sunnyvale, California with offices around the world, including in B.C., Canada.
Starting in an I.T. role at Fortinet helped Jason to learn and work widely in areas such as hardware, software and networking. This broad knowledge was in Jason’s view “key to being a developer” as it provided him a more comprehensive understanding of the business and the industry.
After working in I.T. for two years, he decided to specialize in programming. He believed that as a programmer, his work could have a wider reach to benefit those outside of the company – in particular, the customers.
“I.T. has a really good impact on people within the company because you’re helping everyone else,” Jason reflected, “But as a mobile developer, you can have a larger reach to help customers, which are the most important people for the company.”
Jason’s customer-mindedness has led him to the current path that he is on now, working to create mobile solutions for corporate customers.
“I discovered my passion through working alongside professors and seeing what projects they were working on. Working on projects with like-minded students is also a great motivational booster."
Workplace skills learned at TWU
Prior to working as a mobile developer, Jason was studying at TWU. He recalls his time at Trinity Western as a “pretty fun experience.” Like many students, Jason chose TWU for the small class sizes, which provides greater opportunities for students to interact with professors and peers.
“You can really take advantage of professors having more time to talk with you, and you can learn more. They’re willing to talk to you and they’re pretty open,” he said.
Jason also appreciated the campus atmosphere, saying, “It’s a really nice community at TWU.”
It was within this supportive community that Jason deepened his interest in Computing Science, especially through encouragement from professors who involved students in various hands-on projects.
“I discovered my passion through working alongside professors and seeing what projects they were working on,” he said. Not only did Jason’s professors involve him in interesting work, but they were also available for questions and conversation.
Career tip #1:
“Get experience and take advantage of your resources, including professors and people around you."
Faculty at TWU are often available to provide guidance for a student’s studies and project directions. “Because the classes are so small, you can talk to them if you have any concerns,” Jason said.
During the course of his studies, Jason was inspired to delve into mobile applications. One class in particular offered him the freedom to create a project of his own liking, and so he decided to build an app together with his classmates.
“Working on projects with like-minded students is also a great motivational booster,” Jason commented.
The team built an app called CiteCam, which can scan book or textbook barcodes and produce a citation compliant with APA, MLA or other standard academic formats. “It’s great for students writing papers,” Jason said. The team was given the chance to publish the app but decided not to.
Career tip #2:
To gain experience, “Start developing in different [coding] languages, making different products, things like websites and mobile apps."
Having graduated with a Computing Science degree Jason was equipped with general education in programming. This meant that he could pick up many programming languages relatively quickly. His TWU program was designed to help him be adaptive, which trained him to become a fast learner. “The features I work on, I can pick up really quickly,” he said.
Another helpful skill he learnt while at university is communication with people. In his workplace, Jason is comfortable working with senior managers and getting their input on the work that he’s doing, a habit that he picked up while working with faculty members at TWU.
At TWU, Jason also learned Christian values. For example, Jason learned the importance of listening to others and communicating through gracious actions. These values would become helpful in the workplace. "In every position you’re in, you usually have to communicate with someone,” he observes; hence, communicating well “helps a lot with opening up more opportunities.”
Career tip #3:
Communication skills, some of which Jason picked up while doing group projects at TWU, continues to help him in many areas as he pursues his career in I.T. and mobile development.
Experience as the doorway to career launch
When asked for his best advice to current students, Jason replied: get relevant experience.
Luckily for Jason, the Computing Science courses at TWU provided a lot of opportunity for him to do just that. Small class sizes and proximity to professors were also very beneficial. “Get experience and take advantage of your resources, including professors and people around you,” he offered.
“You can ask [professors] about their research or ask for their suggestions on what you should do,” he continued, believing that professors can often refer their students to practicum and internship opportunities.
Another way to gain experience is by experimenting in one’s chosen field. “Start developing in different [coding] languages, making different products, things like websites and mobile apps,” Jason suggested.
His last piece of advice is to work on fostering interpersonal skills. “In programming, it’s always a group project: you’re not going to be working alone, you’re going to be working with people,” he said. Jason has found that communication skills, some of which he picked up while doing group projects at TWU, continues to help him in many areas as he pursues his career in I.T. and mobile development.
About Computing Science at TWU
TWU's Computing Science program prepares you to be a technological leader with a global perspective. In addition to studying fundamental computing science topics, students can choose from a variety of elective courses, including: artificial intelligence, software engineering, computer graphics, databases, programming languages, computer networking, and virtual reality. Learn more at TWU Computing Science.
See also — TWU Computing Science students compete in the International Collegiate Programming Contest:
TWU News
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier global Christian liberal arts university. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four campuses and locations: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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The views expressed by students and alumni are their own. They do not necessarily represent the views of Trinity Western University or of any other companies, groups or organizations named.