Meet our alumni
Jordan Lacey - Video Game Programming
Original program: Video Game Programming
Alumni Information
School: LaSalle College Vancouver
Grad Year: 2016
Program of Study: Video Game Programming
Degree: Bachelor
Employment/Professional Information
Company Name: Bandai Namco Studios Vancouver (BNSV)
Location: Vancouver
Job Title: Software Engineer
Primary Responsibilities: Reading and writing Code.
Describe a Typical Day at Work:
Most of my work day is filled with either writing my own code or reading over the code of a colleague. I regularly interface with designers, artists, and other engineers as we go through our two week sprints. When not coding, I'm in sprint planning meetings, participating in build reviews, or engaged in upcoming feature discussions.
What accomplishment(s) are you most proud of?
Most of my time at Bandai so far has been spent on a special project we're keeping under wraps - the last few months, however, I was lucky enough to join our team working on Tekken Mobile as we approached worldwide launch. It feels good to work on a large, well known IP like Tekken! Helping the studio reach a very important milestone has been a big part of my first year in the industry.
What do you enjoy the most about your career?
That's easy - it's the same thing I loved from the start while learning to code: pushing myself to the most of my ability to come up with solutions for complex problems. There is nothing more rewarding than solving an issue or implementing a feature and getting to immediately see it work in front of your eyes.
How did your education at LaSalle College Vancouver help prepare you for your career?
A big part of time spent in school was dedicated to working with those from other programs, such as artists and designers. Every day at work is spent alongside people whose minds may work and think different than yours, which is why being introduced to a network of different people in school really helped. My time spent as a tutor also helped give me the skills needed to teach others, whether that be an explanation of implementation, or introducing a new engineer to our code base and architecture.
What advice do you have for people beginning their careers in your profession?
Work on your communication skills and people skills. Learning to express the thoughts and ideas you have in your head is key. Knowing something is not enough; you need to be able to explain to others what you know in order to land that first job. Once you start working, ask questions. As a programmer, you have to realize that the amount you know is nothing compared to what you don't know. This is something that will never change for as long as technology evolves. Ask questions, listen to the answers given, and learn as much as you can.
Thank you for sharing your success story with us Jordan! We are proud of you.
