Biggest Challenge Of Working In The Target Retail Industry As A Software Engineer
Christian's biggest challenge as a Target Software Engineer is overcoming the tendency to work independently rather than collaborating with other engineers; this requires learning "when to ask for help" and "how to ask key questions" to avoid inefficient problem-solving and ultimately succeed in the role.
Collaboration, Teamwork, Problem-Solving, Communication, Overcoming Challenges
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Christian Vasquez Leon
Software Engineer
Target
University of California, Berkeley, 2020
N/A
Mathematics, Data Science, Statistics
Apparel, Beauty, Retail & Fashion, Technology
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
Scholarship Recipient, Immigrant, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Collaboration is crucial in software engineering and can be challenging but essential for efficiency and avoiding unnecessary work.
2. Knowing when to seek help and effectively communicate with senior engineers is key to success.
3. Adapting to collaborative work styles is an ongoing process requiring continuous effort and improvement.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
My biggest challenge currently, as a software engineer, is that collaborating can sometimes be tough. It's very easy to be heads down, working through your own code, issues, and tasks.
However, collaborating with other engineers is important. For example, it helps ensure you're not going down random rabbit holes. If you have a bug to fix, you might try to solve it one way, but there could be two or three other effective solutions.
You don't want to spend too much time on a single task. This is where collaborating with other engineers becomes helpful. You need to know when to ask for help and how to ask key questions to your lead and senior engineers.
By collaborating with your teammates, I think you can truly propel and succeed in my role. Adapting to this has been a challenge, and it's always a work in progress.