Biggest Challenges Faced By A Software Engineer At An HR Software Company
David's biggest challenge as a software engineer wasn't team dynamics, although he acknowledges "that can also be a big challenge," but rather maintaining engagement after years of experience: "I didn't have the attention span to sit in front of my computer for eight hours and do a problem that was easy," leading him to pursue management to address this.
Teamwork, Problem-Solving, Overcoming Challenges, Career Development, Workplace Challenges
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
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David Curtis
Software Engineer
HR Software Company
UC Irvine
None
Computer Science
Technology
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Balancing independent work with team collaboration is a common challenge for software engineers.
2. Maintaining engagement and motivation when facing repetitive tasks is important for long-term career satisfaction.
3. Career progression can involve transitioning from individual contributor roles to management positions.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your role?
It's going to depend a lot on where you work and the culture at that company. A lot of engineers kind of get put into a corner and have to work on their own for a long period of time. That can be really hard for people because it's kind of blowing up the environment they want to work in.
I'd say that's uncommon. Most of the time you're on a team, and that can also be a big challenge for people. You have to work on a team with people who are checking your work and making sure it's working. You've got people telling you what to do. So, that team aspect is challenging for people as well.
But honestly, what it was for me was, after five years of doing the work, I felt like often there were pieces of things that became easy. I didn't have the attention span to sit in front of my computer for eight hours and do a problem that was easy. I was just chasing the 10% of the work that was fun and hard and difficult.
Some people would move to another company at that point. I chose to go into management, but you know, your management area.
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