Greg Burgoon - Computer Science '10
Computer Science alumni, Greg Burgoon, is anything but ordinary but his reasons for choosing to study computer science at Waterloo is a common story for many students looking to apply. Now working full time as an Engineering Manager for Xtreme Labs, now called Pivotal Labs, a world leading company that plans and executes corporate mobile strategies, Greg entered into the Computer Science program at Waterloo thinking that he wanted to explore the world of gaming.
“I was really into video games back in highschool and so I thought that it would be an interesting area to study and learn more. I also thought that it would be a fun job to have following university.” With his sights set on the gaming industry, Greg was eager to find a job that would give him the opportunity to experience his life’s passion. Using the benefit of Waterloo’s reputable co-op program, Greg found himself working with Blue Castle Games, now Capcom Vancouver, as a Software Engineer in his fifth work term. For 4 months, Greg was part of the rending team helping to develop games well into the alpha stage of production.
Though Greg learned a lot during his term and gained a thorough understanding of how the gaming industry works, he realized early on that game design, a job that he was considerably interested in before his studies was not ideal for what he wanted to get out of computer science. “ I learned a lot about how to manage large code bases, and how the video game business works but the 12 hour days and seven days of work were gruelling”. Back to the drawing board on his next steps, Greg was not deterred to find something he truly enjoyed and began searching for jobs for his sixth and final co-op. Luckily for Greg, the opportunity to work with Xtreme Labs presented itself and he jumped at the opportunity to try his hand at mobile software development. “[Working with Xtreme Labs] was by far the best experience I had as a co-op student. I worked on small projects, two of which were released, I had a large influence on what I was working on, and I learned a lot about software design practices.”
At the time, Greg was one of only 20 employees working for the small start-up. Now, Greg is one of over 150 staff persons working for the company. Since starting as a student while the company was only in its infancy, it was no wonder that Greg was given a full-time employment offer at the end of his final co-op term, which he gladly accepted. “They offered me back full time, and I’ve been working there ever since.” Having been with the company for a little over two years, Greg is happy to have had the experience of the co-op program to help him find his fit. For future students looking into the computer science co-op program, Greg offers the following advice: “Don’t get discouraged about your job – don’t expect the first ones to be great – use the co-op system to figure out what you like job-wise. Try a variety of different roles and use the co-op system to your benefit.”
Additionally, Greg suggests that students explore opportunities that Waterloo has to offer outside of the classroom. “Residence life is definitely a must for those starting university. It’s a great way to meet people and to participate in other things like sports.” Taking this student mentality to the workplace, Greg still actively participates in soccer, volleyball and squash with his fellow employees.
Thanks to the co-op program at Waterloo, Greg has landed a job that offers him the opportunity to work with a diverse group of people and be a part of the creative process. While his career path has changed over time, Greg is happy with his move and is happy to have had the support of the co-op and computer science program to get him there.
