Software engineering is a branch of computer science which includes the development and building of computer systems software and applications software.
Computer systems software is composed of programs that include computing
utilities and operations systems.
Applications software consists of user-focused programs that include web
browsers, database programs, etc.
Software engineers have extensive knowledge of programming languages, software
development, and computer operating systems, and they apply engineering
principles to software creation.
By applying these engineering principles to every stage of the development
process, from requirements analysis to the software process, they can create
customized systems for individual clients.
What does a
Software Engineer do?
Software engineers are highly sought after. Developers that live in high
demand areas often receive many inquiries a month from recruiters and head
hunters. A software engineer applies mathematical analysis and the principles
of computer science in order to design and develop computer software.
There are many types of software that a software engineer can develop, such as
operating systems, computer games, middleware, business applications and
network control systems. Changes in technology and new areas of specialization
keeps this profession evolving at a rapid pace.
When working with a client, a software engineer will typically analyze the
client's needs, then design, test, and develop the computer software in order
to meet those needs. They are experts in computing systems, software structure,
and recognizing the limitations of the existing hardware.
The process is complicated and intricate, therefore the use of diagrams,
flowcharts, and the creation of algorithms to tell the computer what to do are
created.
Converting these instructions into a computer language (coding/programming) is
usually the responsibility of a computer programmer.
Software engineers must also possess interpersonal skills, and be able to
effectively communicate with users in order to train, test, and debug software
all the way to the end product. They are often involved from the early stages of
software planning right through to the testing, development, training, and
support stages.
Software Engineers
Categories
Software engineers can be divided into two categories:
1.
Applications Engineers
2.
Systems Engineers
1. Applications Engineers
Applications engineers create or adapt applications for businesses and
organizations by analyzing the end user's needs. They will design, build,
install, and maintain these applications or programs.
2. Systems
Engineers
Systems engineers coordinate the creation, maintenance and growth of a
business or organization's computer systems. They coordinate each department's
needs, suggest technical direction, and set up any networks that link up
computers with the company.
A Software
Engineer knowledge/Skills
Being a software engineer is a great career choice for someone who is
exceptionally good at both left and right-brained thinking (analytical skills
as well as problem-solving skills).
Software engineers are instinctive problem-solvers, good at working with others
and focused on seeing issues through to their successful completion.
A software engineer should be well-versed in:
- Programming
and coding
- Fundamentals
of computer science
- Design
and architecture
- Algorithms
and data structures
- Information
analyses
- Debugging
software
- Testing
software
A software engineer needs to posses a variety of skills in order to
perform their jobs with expedience and excellence. Some of those skills include
general programming skills, analyzing information, software debugging, software
design, software testing, software documentation, teamwork, problem solving,
software development process, software development fundamentals and software
requirements.
Are you suited to be a software engineer?
Software engineers have distinct personalities. They tend to be investigative
individuals, which means they’re intellectual, introspective, and inquisitive.
They are curious, methodical, rational, analytical, and logical. Some of them
are also conventional, meaning they’re conscientious and conservative.
What is the
workplace of a Software Engineer like?
With such unprecedented growth in a multitude of industries, software
engineers can pursue careers in any number of areas, including technology,
healthcare, automotive manufacturing, green energy, remote sensing,
aeronautics, government, non-profit, and finance.
Software engineers can work as either employees or as contractors. They
typically work in comfortable settings, but it is sometimes a stressful job
that involves long hours and tight deadlines.
What career
options are available for a software engineer?
Technology is growing at a rapid pace, and opportunities in software
development are growing right along with it. For software engineers with an
appetite to develop valuable interpersonal skills, management roles are widely
available. Interpersonal skills (or soft skills) include communication,
conflict management, empathy, leadership, listening, negotiation, a positive
attitude, and being able to work as part of a team.
Individuals who are technically skilled communicators have many options
available to them. They can, in time, qualify for a variety of roles, including
Senior Engineer, Team Lead, Architect, Manager and can eventually make their
way to senior management.
A software engineer's career path could look something like this:
1.
Junior Web Developer
2.
Software Web Developer, Sr. Software Web Developer
3.
Lead Software Engineer, Technical Architect
4.
Development Team Lead, Software Development Manager
5.
Director, Vice President, Chief Technology Officer
1 - Junior Web
Developer
This is a starting or ground-floor position that an individual right out of
college or an accelerated course could get with little to no computer
programming experienc.
One can start applying for job postings as a junior web developer with a working
knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and jQuery. Any number of online coding
schools or in-person programs and dev bootcamps offer classes in these
programming languages.
Requirements for a junior web developer include: being able to write simple
scripts; having an understanding of the expected application lifecycle; and
possessing a basic understanding of database and application services, such as
caching and queues.
However, the biggest difference between a junior and senior developer is their
level of experience.
2 - Software Web
Developer, Sr. Software Web Developer
A software web developer, or senior software web developer is someone who
has: several years of professional programming experience; can write complex
code; possesses a thorough understanding of databases, application services and
application lifecycle development; and has become proficient at creating entire
applications
People who don’t like the idea of management and prefer to stick with writing
code can spend many years or even their entire career as a senior web
developer. However, this position can also be a great jumping off point to a
position as a software engineer or a manager, such as lead software engineer or
CTO (chief technical officer) of a startup.
3 - Lead Software
Engineer, Technical Architect
For someone who wants to take on additional responsibility and more of a
challenge, but is not interested in team management, a lead software engineer
or architect role may be a great fit.
Lead engineers are looked to for
guidance and direction by other engineers and programmers, and the role is seen
as a mid-level management position. Lead engineers still write code, but also
collaborate with others regarding work flow priorities and implement final
decisions. They have years of programming experience, expertise in a specific
subject matter, and can think of, plan, and build appropriate software to solve
complicated problems.
Architects still write code occasionally as well, however they are mainly
responsible for designing complex systems that other web developers will
implement. The role of architect is a technical one and not usually a stepping
stone to something more - often thought of as the highest position on the
technical side of things.
4 - Development
Team Lead, Software Development Manager
Management is the next step along the software engineer's career path that
can involve different focuses and responsibilities. These can include managing
teams of developers, managing large-scale projects, and hiring and firing
developers.
Mid-level managers (like lead software engineers) keep track of productivity
and workflow in the department and report to a senior manager. A senior manager
coordinates the needs of the project leader with the development team, which
requires excellent people skills and the ability to resolve conflict
effectively.
The senior manager’s job is also to add or terminate employees to the team
whenever necessary which can be a challenge at first, but a powerful leadership
skill when mastered.
5. Director, Vice
President, Chief Technology Officer
Senior management (which can include titles such as director, vice
president, or chief technology officer) report to the CEO or to the company's
board of directors. They oversee the work of other managers and often have some
responsibility towards setting strategic and corporate direction.
Some executive type responsibilities may include setting goals and initiatives,
developing long-term strategies, and holding various departments accountable
for specific measurable objectives.
Senior managers are also responsible for supervising, hiring, and firing
mid-level managers.
What is the
difference between a software engineer and a software developer?
One of the main differences between software engineering and software
development is job function. Software engineering applies engineering
principles to create software, therefore software engineers take part in
software development by connecting the client’s needs with technological
solutions. They systematically develop processes to provide specific functions
by using engineering concepts to develop software.
On the other hand, software developers are responsible for the entire
development process and are the driving creative force behind programs. They
typically work together with the client to create a conceptual design and then
have computer programmers create the programming code needed to run the
software.
The computer programmers along with the software developers will test and fix
problems together and the developers will provide project leadership and
technical guidance through each stage of the software development life cycle.
What does it take
to succeed as a software engineer?
Attracted by high salaries, strong employment opportunities, and a chance
to build things that can change the world, more people than ever are choosing
software engineering as a career choice.
However, succeeding in this career requires more than just great coding
ability. The best software engineers bring specific qualities and attributes to
the job that make them stand out from everyone else.
1 - Working well
with others
Software engineers who know how to work well with others are much more
likely to be successful in their careers than lone wolves are.
A software engineer's job is to figure problems out and to produce a great
product, not just to write as many amazing lines of code as possible. That
means communicating with other engineers, developers, managers, quality control
people, customers, etc. and treating them with respect and understanding. The
better your relationships are with your team, the better your own work will be.
2 - Letting go of
the ego
Not bringing your ego to work with you and staying humble can be difficult
at times. No matter how good you think you are at what you do, it's inevitable
that you will make mistakes along with some bad decisions.
Accepting constructive criticism from your peers when errors are pointed out
and accepting responsibility for your mistakes will make you a much better
engineer in the long run.
Possessing a humble attitude is the only way you'll be able to channel other
people's feedback into improving, learning, and making yourself a better
software engineer and person.
3 - Not putting
out mediocre work
Software engineers who pay attention to details tend to write
higher-quality code. They tend to step back and catch mistakes, instead of
rushing and cutting corners. Those that feel a personal sense of ownership and
pride when it comes to their work tend to be more successful in this career.
Putting effort into what you're doing wards off mediocrity and gives you that
push to produce high-quality work and not get too complacent. Also, sharpening
your skills by learning new languages or keeping abreast of any new data
structures or algorithms can keep things interesting and fresh.
3 - Cassandra
Cassandra is an Apache-developed distributed NoSQL database system that’s
been around since 2008. It’s believed to be one of the most scalable database
options to choose from because it handles data across many commodity servers.
The tool was developed at Facebook as an open-source project on Google code.
Some features of note are its decentralized structure, replication capabilities
and tunable consistency to reduce failover.
4 - Being
naturally curious and interested
People who love to learn are constantly improving and exploring new and
better ways to do things. By listening to podcasts, reading blogs, or going to
conferences, you can stay on top of the latest trends in software engineering
and be looped into topics that will make you a stronger and more well-rounded
engineer.
By being open to new things, new ideas and approaches to solving problems may
come to you that wouldn't have occurred to you otherwise.
5 - Developing
soft skills
Soft skills are fast becoming hard skills in this ever-changing world. It’s
simply not enough to be highly skilled as a software engineer without developing
skills that help you get along with your team effectively.
These skills have a significant impact on a your attitude which ultimately ties
back to your success.
The skills for success tend to be fairly consistent - adaptability, problem-solving,
self-management, attention to detail, creativity, communication, collaboration,
work ethic, empathy, and organization are just a few. Keeping these qualities
in mind can help any engineer improve, no matter how experienced.
6 - Seeing the big
picture
Understanding and balancing
the day-to-day steps that are required to get to a goal yet not losing sight of
the long-term vision is key to being a successful software engineer.
By practicing this skill and thinking ahead, you will be able to see how each
individual component will eventually contribute to the product as a whole and
how each element will interact with each other.
The ability to weigh out the long- and short-term outlook and see how certain
decisions can influence the scope and direction of a project is a key
attribute. Being able to adapt and prevent a project from derailing is what
separates really good engineers from mediocre ones.
