Annual showcase can provide career boost for gifted students

A Teesside University student is combining work with study after being given an early opportunity to showcase his digital skills.

And now Adam Riddick is hoping his company can recruit more talented Teesside University graduates when they return to the annual ExpoTees exhibition this month.

ExpoTees is an interactive exhibition by final year students in the School of Computing which allows them to demonstrate their work to industry professionals. Since ExpoTees was launched, hundreds of graduates have gained employment as a direct result of the event.

Adam, 27, was given the rare opportunity to exhibit his work at the 2013 ExpoTees while still in the second year of his BSc (Hons) Computer Science degree.

His interactive financial management advisory tool caught the attention of employers and he was offered a one year placement with Simpson Group in Washington.

In June last year, Adam then moved to Pea Soup Digital in Thornaby as a Development Project Manager and is completing his degree part-time.

Along with Accenture, Pea Soup Digital is a lead sponsor of ExpoTees and the company will be looking to recruit graduates at this year’s event.

Adam, who leads the development of the company’s e-commerce platforms, said: 'I absolutely love the job and I am working on some really exciting projects.

'Completing my degree at Teesside University is giving me the best of both worlds.

'I can’t speak highly enough of ExpoTees and the opportunities it provides. It enables you to make a memorable impression and have a number of important conversations with people from industry.

'I’m looking forward to returning this year to experience the event from the other side and we hope to be able to recruit some innovative and creative members of staff who can change the way we do things for the better.'

Jo Noble, ExpoTees organiser and Senior Lecturer in Computing, added: 'ExpoTees is generally an event for final year students but Adam was able to exhibit in his second year as he had completed a really impressive project and was recommended by his tutor.

'He has gone on to do fantastically well and it will be great to be able to welcome him back and congratulate him on his success.'

ExpoTees, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, takes place at the University’s Darlington Campus on 13 and 14 May. The event has grown from a two hour exhibition with a handful of students, to a two day event featuring up to 200 students exhibiting cutting edge digital work to hundreds of guests.

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