Career Path of a Software Engineer at HR Software Company
David's career path began with a pivot from chemistry to computer science at UC Irvine, driven by a realization that "I could do my computer science problems...and after working on them for eight hours, I still felt like I was energized." This passion led to extracurricular projects, internships, and a seven-year tenure at Workday building talent management software, culminating in a management role before pursuing an MBA.
Career Exploration, Software Engineering, Internships, Career Development, Problem-Solving
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
David Curtis
Software Engineer
HR Software Company
UC Irvine
None
Computer Science
Technology
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. David's passion for problem-solving, initially sparked by chemistry, led him to computer science where he found his energy sustained by challenging projects.
2. His engagement in extracurricular clubs and projects provided valuable practical experience beyond his coursework.
3. His seven years at Workday, including five as an engineer and two in management, demonstrates career progression and the opportunity for growth within a single company.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Did you have any internships or jobs before your current role?
Sure. When I started at UC Irvine as an undergrad, I thought I wanted to be a chemist because I loved science. I had a chemistry teacher who tricked me, but once I got there, I realized I didn't have the skills to become a good chemist.
I started looking for other things where I could use my affinity for science and mathematical problem-solving. I stumbled upon computer science and really liked it. One thing that set it apart was realizing I could solve computer science problems.
I took my computer science classes and after working on problems for eight hours, I still felt energized and ready to go. It seemed like something I would like to do long-term.
In my undergraduate experience, I also joined clubs that gave me access to projects outside of class. I was building apps on weekends, which allowed me to gain valuable skills. These were not just theoretical skills from class, but also the hard skills I would use in my job later.
I also worked hard to get internships over the summers, which gave me more hard skills. After that, I was lucky to find a job at a company called Workday, building Enterprise talent management software. I was there for seven years.
I spent five years as an engineer building talent management software. Workday is a software-as-a-service company, so we were building software that you might be using when applying to jobs. Our customers were other businesses.
After working as an engineer for five years, I moved into a management position for two years before going after my MBA, which is what I'm doing now.
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