Seth Moyes didn’t expect to land a software engineering position upon graduating when he first enrolled at the University of Colorado Denver with plans to major in marketing. Nonetheless, Moyes’ enthusiasm for his new position is contagious. Moyes graduates this December earning his BSBA in Information Systems from the CU Denver Business School.
Deciding on a career path
Moyes planned on creating software programs for architects, which is why he began his academic career in marketing and then switched to the College of Architecture and Planning. Being more left-brained, Moyes realized he was better suited for information technology than for art and design. Since entering back into the Business School, he hasn’t looked back.
He has since become involved as the Chief Information Officer for the Portfolio Management Group (PMG), a student-run organization that provides students the opportunity to develop skills related to investing and portfolio management. As a part of the club, Moyes gets his marketing fix by running the website, posting content on social media, and designing logos and brochures.
Why CU Denver?
A Colorado Springs native, Moyes wanted something more urban and diverse for his college experience, so he moved to Denver in 2012 to attend the University of Colorado Business School. “Urban and diverse are the two biggest strengths of this university,” Moyes shared.
“Urban and diverse are the two biggest strengths of this university.”
“Beyond that, the Business School was widely recommended amongst my peers and colleagues. It had a lot of good recommendations and had a good reputation. I was proud to join an institution like that,” Moyes added.
An education that pays off
Taking a web design class from Dawn Gregg, PhD, Professor of Information Systems, kindled Moyes’ interests for web design. He enjoyed it and was naturally gifted in it, and asked Gregg how he could continue to pursue this area. Gregg encouraged Moyes to take her server-side scripting languages class the following semester.
Moyes didn’t realize it at the time but taking the advanced web design class this semester has led to invaluable one-on-one time with Gregg. From time spent during office hours to discussing coding problems, Moyes said that Gregg has gone above and beyond to help further his education.
A direct result of her mentorship, Moyes walked into his interview well prepared. “They asked me a lot of very technical questions, and the stuff they asked me about was covered in Professor Gregg’s lectures. I was thinking my education is really paying off.” Moyes shared.
“They asked me a lot of very technical questions, and the stuff they asked me about was covered in Professor Gregg’s lectures. I was thinking my education is really paying off.”
Persistent effort to prepare for a career
Once he saw how coding can improve a business or someone’s life, that’s when it clicked and became enjoyable for him. To gain even more experience, Moyes dedicates an hour a day to practicing code no matter what. This dedication is building up his confidence, and he is starting to understand how certain things work.
Reflecting upon his academic career, Moyes wants to encourage his fellow students to just show up. The hardest part of getting a job is showing up to events that will help jumpstart it. For example, if you take steps like attending the Career Fair or going to the Business Career Connections (BCC) for advising, then you are naturally getting a leg up on your competition.
Helping doctors with rounding solutions
As a software engineer for MyRounding Solutions, Moyes will be creating different features for an app that makes rounding in hospitals more efficient. When conducting their rounds, doctors normally write the data on paper, which is later entered into a computer. This inefficient process is in desperate need of technology.
With MyRounding Solutions, the doctor can input his/her rounding data directly into the app from an iPad or another tablet. The app aggregates the data so hospital administrators can see how each area of the hospital and the hospital overall is performing.
The company’s fast-paced and high-pressure environment excites Moyes. The company works on an intimidating three-week cycle, but Moyes is certain that his education at the Business School has helped form a firm foundation to jumpstart his career.
