Game developer

Studying STEM has given David Haverland the tools to set high scores all day

David has always been passionate about making games, but his first job took him in a very different direction.

“I started as a structural drafting cadet to earn money and gain life experience before pursuing my dream of game development,” he says.

After high school, David studied computer software engineering and landed an internship with a company that specialised in motion capture gloves.

“I did content creation for them, showing how their gloves can be used. I got to meet many professionals, including people who had worked on my favourite games.”

This experience, plus his background in STEM, later helped him land his dream job in game development in New Zealand.

“Having a career in STEM has allowed me to pivot as much as I want since many skills are transferable,” he says.

“I am very passionate about my job but being able to also come home at the end of the day and work on my own dream is what gets me out of bed every day.”

One of his current projects began as a side project at home.

“I brought it to my manager and we quickly merged it into another ongoing project. Because of this, I was able to help guide the project from an early stage.”

David’s dedication and passion for game development haven’t gone unnoticed on the world stage. Two games he made while still at uni won a student prize at New Zealand’s game awards, and another was a finalist in The Game Development World Championship.