Burt works at Infogrames, the French-owned games development company that has a 100-strong games development team based in Melbourne. It's a multi-faceted group that includes programmers, artists, designers, producers and games testers.
"I have always enjoyed playing computer games throughout my life," Burt says. "But I never dreamt of turning a hobby into a profession."
Although a love of computer games helped enormously, it was her passion for maths and physics that paved the way for her career in this exciting part of the IT industry. Her double degree in science and engineering from Melbourne University, with majors in physics and software engineering has helped her develop some of the core skills required to be a graphics programmer.
"It's obviously a job with a fun side to it but there is also a lot of complex programming involved," Burt says. "I use my maths and programming skills daily, but unlike many other areas of programming, you get to see the impact of what you do in full colour! I have my own Playstation 2 sitting on my desk--it's purely for work, of course."
She adds that one of the best aspects of her job is the feeling of contributing to something tangible. "At the end of the project, seeing the game in the stores and knowing you've been part of it is very exciting. Seeing the enjoyment friends and family derive from the game is also great."
Apart from graphics programming, Burt is also working on in-house systems that will give creative staff more scope to incorporate minor design changes.
Although graphics programming is her passion (and her pastime) right now, Burt is conscious of the many opportunities in the Australian IT industry.
"[With the] first job out of university there's always a danger of becoming so absorbed in what you are doing that you become isolated from other opportunities and technical developments. As a software engineer, I think that is important to continue to keep up-to-date about developments in different areas in the industry."
In 2001, Burt joined the Australian Computer Society with the aim of developing industry contacts and meeting other young people working from different fields.
"I am aware that interacting with and learning from other people in the industry is also one of the best forms of professional development. The ACS gives me the opportunity to interact with people with a broad range of interests and jobs."
Burt is also involved in the ACS as a member of the Students and Young Professionals Special Interest Group where she hopes to network with other young women in the IT industry.
"At Infogrames, I am the only female graphics programmer out of a team of 50," she said. "It would be great to see more women in the games industry because they have a lot to offer, including new perspectives."
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The Australian Computer Society (ACS) is the recognised association for Information Technology (IT) professionals, attracting a large and active membership (over 16,000) from all levels of the IT industry. It provides a wide range of services to its members. A member of the Australian Council of Professions, the ACS is the public voice of the IT profession, the guardian of professional ethics and standards in the IT industry, with a commitment to the wider community to ensure the beneficial use of IT. Visit www.acs.org.au for more information.
