A Day In The Life Of A Software Engineer At An HR Software Company
A day for a software engineer involves receiving project requirements, then creatively problem-solving and writing code to build upon existing systems; this process can be "really energizing" and rewarding, but also frustrating when debugging unfamiliar code, highlighting the need for persistence and a passion for problem-solving to thrive in this role.
Problem-Solving, Coding, Creative Thinking, Logical Thinking, Resilience
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David Curtis
Software Engineer
HR Software Company
UC Irvine
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Computer Science
Technology
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Software engineers receive requirements from project managers and determine the best approach to build new features upon existing codebases.
2. The role involves creative problem-solving, logical thinking, and often requires perseverance to overcome challenges.
3. While demanding, successful software engineers find fulfillment in solving complex problems and view challenges as opportunities for growth and learning. Frustration is part of the process but shouldn't lead to burnout
Transcript
What does the day in the life of a software engineer look like?
A software engineer receives requirements from their project manager about what needs to be built. They then figure out the best way to build it.
They typically write code, building upon an existing codebase. This codebase has usually existed and been growing for years, and it's your job to build something new on top of it.
There's a lot of creative problem-solving because they're building something that's never existed before. It's going to be hard, requiring complex logical thinking.
It also requires a lot of staring at the computer screen, trying to figure out how to solve these problems. For me, when I was solving something really hard and new, it was energizing.
It can be a lot of fun and really rewarding to solve these puzzles. You also have to dig through times of code you've never seen before or aren't familiar with.
You might solve a bug that's hard to diagnose or identify, so it can be frustrating at times. Good engineers get excited about those frustrations and find joy in problem-solving. People who get burned out can't handle it.
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