Hi there ! My name is William Delong and I am a Software Developer currently working for IBM in New Brunswick Canada.
My journey into the IT field started back when I was in high school. I remember sitting in my advanced math class and hearing, for the second or third time, a recruiting pitch for Computer Science at UNB. The pitch was really well done - to the point where it was almost too good to be true. They spoke about the high demand of careers in the field, the opportunity of doing co-op work terms during the degree to make money, gain experience and possibility of graduating debt free, all the different industries you could work in, etc...
After hearing this pitch a few times over the years, and being in my final year of high school, I took what they were saying very seriously. I was still unsure of what I wanted to do with myself after high school and desperately was trying to find out. I asked several questions throughout the presentation and afterwards I was convinced. I explained the program to my Mom as well. I told her about the possibility of the co-op program, the working, the experience, not to mention the chance to graduate debt free. Needless to say, I bought their pitch and she bought mine! I applied and was accepted to the Computer Science program at the University of New Brunswick.
The program was everything, if not more, for me than what they had described during the recruiting pitch. I loved the faculty and developed many awesome relationships with my professors. I had the opportunity to be a peer mentor and a tutor for the faculty as well. So I was able to really participate and contribute to the student body. From dodgeball and bowling tournaments, laser tag and hackathons - it was awesome. In my second year of study I was even able to take part in UNBs student abroad program. This allowed me, and 3 of my unreal friends, to spend a term in Europe studying over the summer.
Oh! All the things they said would happen happened as well. My first time through the co-op program I interviewed with 8 different companies and got 2 job offers. I only had been at UNB for 8 months with no work experience so I was surprised how fortunate I was. By the time I completed my degree I would have completed 5 co-op work terms at 4 different companies. This allowed me to graduate with nearly 2 years work experience and, again to my surprise once I realized how expensive Post Secondary Education is, debt free! A week before my graduation I was offered a full time position and was able to jump right into the real world of Software Development. Both my Mom and I have been very pleased with the decision I made several years ago.
Currently, I am thoroughly enjoying my role as a professional Software Developer. Having the opportunity to work in an ever evolving industry with brilliant people solving real world problems everyday is a terrific experience. In my spare time I sometimes dabble in what has always been one my favourite areas of software, mobile app development. You can check out some of my work over on my iOS Apps page.
If you have any questions or want to get in touch with me the easiest way to do so would be on twitter or by email.