What A Software Engineer Wishes They Had Known Before Working In HR Software
David, a software engineer, reflects that the reality of the job differs from introductory coursework expectations; "the day-to-day work is generally not that," often involving debugging and configuration rather than constant algorithm-based problem-solving. This suggests that while a passion for puzzles is helpful, other skills and interests can also contribute to success in the field.
Problem-Solving, Coding, Industry Realities, Career Exploration, Hard Truths
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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. The day-to-day tasks of a software engineer often involve debugging, configuration, and planning, not just solving complex algorithms.
2. If you struggle with data structures and algorithms, you may still find a good fit in software engineering if you enjoy other aspects of the work.
3. Software engineering may not always involve the exciting puzzle-solving seen in introductory courses; consider a PhD or a highly technical role if that's your primary interest.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered this industry?
It's a great question. When you take an introductory computer science class, you're learning about algorithms and always solving puzzles. It's really difficult.
The day-to-day work is generally not like that. Most of it involves looking through code to identify bugs and trying to get things configured properly. It also includes planning for future work. So, those puzzles are a smaller piece of it than I originally thought.
If puzzles are really hard for you, or if you struggle with data structures, but you enjoy other aspects of computer science, it might still be a good fit. Conversely, if you love these puzzles and problem-solving, maybe you should pursue a PhD.
Perhaps you want to find a job that's highly technical, but a lot of the work will be different. Much of the work is a different kind of puzzle, and it's not always quite as exciting.
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