Most Important Skills For A Software Engineer At An Advertising Company
Tristan, a software engineer, emphasizes the importance of both soft skills like "collaboration" and "empathy," advocating for hackathon participation to develop these, and hard skills such as coding proficiency in languages like Java or Python, and optionally, statistics and math for specialized roles; the interview also highlights the value of understanding "how to hack programs," not to be malicious, but to improve code security and comprehension of underlying systems.
Coding, Collaboration, Problem-Solving, Resilience, Mathematics
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Tristan Hilbert
Software Engineer
Advertising Company
Major: Computer Science
Loyola Marymount University - Masters : Computer Science
Computer Science
Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Collaboration skills are essential. Participating in hackathons and working with others on coding projects are invaluable experiences for aspiring software engineers.
2. Persistence and a growth mindset are crucial. Software development involves setbacks, and the ability to persevere through challenges is key.
3. Technical skills matter. Proficiency in a coding language (like Java, Python, or C++), familiarity with statistics (if pursuing specialized areas like game or AI development), and a basic understanding of cybersecurity are important assets.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
I wanted to separate these into two categories. First, I'll go over soft skills.
Collaboration is key. I highly recommend joining a hackathon if you're interested in software engineering. Try to work with others on your code, even if they aren't fully engaged. Seeing how they interact with your web app or text program, and what errors they encounter, is very important. Recruiters and those reviewing applications will appreciate hearing about this.
Determination is another crucial soft skill, especially if you're new to coding. You will encounter many breaking points and will likely fail multiple times. It can be heartbreaking and difficult, but being able to work past challenges and continue learning despite shortcomings is vital.
There's no such thing as a bad developer, or code that wasn't meant for you. Anyone can code. No one can dictate your path, and I believe anyone can achieve this. So, believe in yourself and have that determination.
Empathy and intuition are also important. You'll need to review others' code, and understanding their work, their thought process from point A to point B, and discussing it with them is incredibly valuable.
Moving on to harder skills, focus on a programming language like Java, C++, Python, or anything else. Work hard building projects you enjoy in that language. Build a web server, a calculator app, or explore project ideas online for tutorials and inspiration.
Codecademy is a great resource for learning a language if you're just starting. If you aim to work beyond web development, especially in areas like gaming or AI/ML, statistics and math are essential.
While many programmers might say math isn't necessary beyond calculus, having a math background can offer a different perspective. It allows you to understand the intuition behind the code, not just the code itself.
Finally, learn a bit about hacking. Understanding how to hack programs and websites, not to become a pro, but to recognize vulnerabilities and what bad actors can do, is beneficial. Knowing what websites need to watch out for and what people can achieve is important. Skills in creating bots, for example, even if they seem simple, teach you to spot malicious code and how code functions at a deeper level, beyond what you see when using an app.