Louise Findlay

Louise Findlay, 20, graduated from North East Scotland College with an HND in Digital Design and Development (Web Development) in 2019 and she is well on her way to a career in web development. 

She is now in her fourth year of a degree in BSc Computer Application Software Development (Web) at Robert Gordon University after progressing directly into year three of the course through the Degree Link 2+2 pathway. 

Alongside her studies, Louise and some of her classmates are already working as freelance front-end web developers after impressing their employers during the RGU Hack 2020 event, in which they built a demo app in only 24 hours. 

Her story started at Milne’s High School in Fochabers, where her interest in computers led her to study NPA Web Fundamentals through Moray College UHI in S4. This sparked a passion for web development, which she discovered she could pursue at North East Scotland College in NC Computing with Digital Media. 

“I could’ve stayed on at school and studied Higher Computing but developing websites interested me more than programming and I wanted to choose a subject that would focus on that.  The course at NESCol looked fascinating because I could study a wide range of areas from agile team-working to mobile web app development.” 

Discovering the progression opportunities both within College and to University sealed the deal, and Louise has never looked back. She grabbed every opportunity presented to her – even taking part in the WorldSkills Web Design Competition during her studies, and winning the NESCol Computing Faculty Learner of the Year. 

“I enjoy Computing because it’s such a broad field. There’s a variety of skills to learn and you can easily develop a niche. No two projects will be the same and since it’s such a fast-paced field, there are always new developments to keep abreast of. 

“The computing courses give you lots of practical skills and a strong foundation to expand upon. College helped me become more independent with my learning, having to manage my time across several modules with different coursework deadlines. I learned how to break down assessment briefs and use Harvard referencing which are vital skills for university assignments.” 

Now in her final year of studying, Louise is starting to look towards the next step in her story. She is hoping to gain employment in a small studio or agency as a front-end web developer whilst continuing to work freelance on the side. 

“Computing is such a great industry to work in because it’s so flexible, ever-changing and has a variety of jobs. Cyber security is becoming increasingly popular and trends such as front-end JavaScript frameworks and MEAN/MEARN/MEVN stack are popping up all the time. Remote working and part-time freelancing are examples of how you can make working in the Computing industry work for you.” 

Apply now for a course in Computing.