What a Software Engineer at Tech Company Wishes They Knew Before Entering the Software Engineering Industry
Hannah, a software engineer, wishes someone had emphasized the rapid pace of technological change in the industry—"the technology you might learn today might not even really exist tomorrow"—and the importance of "soft skills" like curiosity and a love of learning over technical prowess. These attributes, rather than a computer science degree or coding speed, are key to long-term success as a software developer.
Technology, Software Engineering, Career Development, Soft Skills, Continuous Learning
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Hannah Ramadan
Software Engineer
Technology Company
University of California, Santa Barbara
Hackbright (Software Bootcamp)
International Relations & Affairs
Technology
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. The tech industry changes rapidly; skills learned today may be obsolete tomorrow.
2. Soft skills like curiosity and a love of learning are more important for success than technical skills alone.
3. A computer science degree isn't necessary for a successful career in software engineering.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
I wish I would've understood how fast things are changing. The technology you might learn today might not even really exist tomorrow.
I think I was always a bit nervous about getting into software engineering because I believed I had to be really good at math or really technical. But I now know that a lot of what makes a really good engineer are some more of those soft skills.
What makes you curious, what drives you, the love of learning – those are the things that are more important. They are going to make you a successful software developer, not necessarily having a computer science degree or being able to solve LeetCode problems really fast.