From flooring installation to professional gaming, Adam Tingley’s career journey has taken some unexpected turns. Now firmly rooted in the tech sector, he’s channeling his diverse background into community-building, mentorship, and upskilling the next generation of tech talent in Brighton.

Can you share a bit about your background?

I grew up in a little town called Eastbourne but have lived in Hastings, North London and now Brighton! I have had a varied work life which has given me a variety of perspectives to draw from for ideation and problem solving. I pursued the sciences for a while before switching across more generally to tech. Alongside work life, I enjoy creative endeavours such as creating video games and creative writing!

Did you come up through a “traditional” techie route or has your career taken twists and turns along the way?

Twists and turns is an understatement when attempting to describe my career route. I spent a number of years in manual labour by fitting floors, rennovating buildings and working on building sites. I then moved into office work and had roles as an insurance claims handler and an occupational health coordinator. Alongside all these I also took to being a professional video game player and producing content for Youtube whild building an esports brand.

Since then, I’ve taken the initiative to move fully into the tech industry and really make use of skills I have been building since I was a teenager.

Reflecting on your career, is there a specific moment that stands out as pivotal or defining?

I believe I have had two pivotal moments that have affected my career choices greatly. The first was while I was in college. I had a programming tutor that detested creativity and an IT tutor that assigned me a 6 month long database project about sheds. Unfortunately the 17 year old version of myself didn’t gel well with that.

The next pivotal moment was when I finally had enough of a security net under me to be able to take the small risk required to upskill and self-teach to a level that I felt confident in taking on my current role. I took a year to fully refresh myself on what was required to manage and set up IT systems, I taught myself C# through creation of games in Unity and I upskilled in Immersive technologies (with a focus on VR).

What piece of advice would you give your younger self as you embarked on your professional journey?

Work out what your passions are. Turn some of those into a career and others into hobbies and never be afraid of seeking alternative routes forward.

Looking ahead, what’s your big prediction for the tech landscape in 2025?

AI is undoubtedly going to have a lasting impact on tech roles, however, AI frequently overshadows quantum technology. I believe that once commercially viable quantum chips are available, the tech landscape is going to change drastically and within a very short adoption period. Impacting cybersecurity, banking, communications and energy sectors.

Considering your involvement in Silicon Brighton and community-building, what does the concept of ‘community’ mean to you personally? How important is it in the tech industry?

It’s essential. People working together to achieve common goals is such a clear force for good. It also can’t be understated the importance of having like-minded individuals to bounce ideas around to form a foundation of something great!

How do you balance staying updated with the latest industry trends while ensuring continuous personal and professional growth? Any specific resources or practices you find particularly valuable?

I like to flit between the tech and video game industries. I find that having multiple interests allows me to avoid burnout and keep ontop of advancements in both industries. I’d also highly reccomend having a hobby if you don’t already. They act as a wonderful way of resetting your mind and refuelling your focus!

As someone who has contributed significantly to the community, how do you see mentorship playing a role in the development of the next generation of tech professionals?

As I work within education, I get to facilitate and see the immediate impacts of mentorship, work experience and work placements. In my view, there is no better way to help the next generation of students upskill than by engaging with local colleges and universities. I also believe that there is a huge benefit to companies upskilling younger generations and juniors. The more employers that are able to set aside time to dedicate towards these goals, the better. It will only help to close the skill gaps and curate skillsets within the local tech community.

Anything else you would like to promote to our community?

We are currently offering a number of level 5 courses for any that are looking to upskill. One of which is our Level 5 Web Development course which will be starting up in October! (www.brightonmet.ac.uk/courses/level-5-diploma-in-web-application-development) With a number of other high level tech courses and bootcamps available very soon!

Be sure to check out our website (www.brightonmet.ac.uk) for more information on our courses.

For any employers or individuals that want to donate some time/equipment/funds to help the younger generations find their way into employment, please don’t hesitate to reach out to either myself at Adam.Tingley@gbmc.ac.uk or Karena.Morrison@gbmc.ac.uk.

Is there any additional wisdom, experience, or anecdotes you’d like to share with our audience?

Life is far too short to be serious all the time. Make the change that you want to make and be who you want to be!