WHERE  LATIN AMERICAN DEVELOPERS & ENGINEERS  MEET  US-BASED COMPANIES

Your Career

In Software Development

Insights

I have my software engineer degree, now what?

Mar 28, 2022 | Tips & Tricks

Right after receiving your diploma, throwing the cap, and putting away your graduation gown, there is that one moment when we sit in our beds at the end of the day, and we think, “Now what?”. Do not fret! Remain calm, breathe, and let’s do this together.

Finding the right company for you

Finding a good company to work for is like dating. If you go for the flashy stuff, it may not be what you want. And don’t we get some doozies that way! Make sure the company values match your own. Analyze your interviewers. If they’re the filter to get in, they should be the person you want to work with day after day. When I go look for a job, I look for 3 things:

1. I want to love what I do since I’ll be doing it every day in the foreseeable future, and it better be fun cause I hate getting bored.

2. I want a manager who sees me as a human being, not a number. When my productivity was going down, the best bosses I ever had sat me down in a meeting room and asked me about my family, my partner, and my pets. Cause they knew that if we forget the person, the professional won’t shine as bright.

3. And finally, I look for a company that enables its employees to be the best they can be. That offers courses, improvement plans, community days, and career days that enrich our professional curriculum.

If you have that, the money won’t matter… scratch that. The money won’t be that important.

School is never over

Hey, do not kill the messenger! Maybe we won’t have classes per se, but within the engineering world, we never stop learning, and that’s its beauty. Every company we work for will require different technologies, new tools, and languages we don’t master yet. We have to grab them as weapons laid on the floor while playing Gears of War, so we can then become unbeatable and invaluable to our team. We have to start somewhere, and anywhere is always the best place to start.

Hustle culture

Being the geek I am, I would do a thousand-word essay when the teacher asked for a thousand-word paper back in college. We are used to giving more even if we don’t realize it because we believe more is better. So, when we start working, we think that more hours automatically translate to more dedication and ownership. If you, like me, lived with that chip on your shoulder, it’s time we get rid of it. Take your time to divide your workload, set reminders for lunch and breakfast, take daily walks, set aside a couple of hours to talk with your loved ones. Cause, like my mum, always says, “there’s always going to be more work, but the people may be gone later.” So, enjoy the ride, all of it, cause after those walks, talks, or coffee breaks, the code magically starts working, and those commas find their place.

What is the best degree for a software engineer?

Software Engineers come in all colors, forms, and sizes. Sufficient to say, software engineers, come from all backgrounds: computer science, computer engineering, or any other bachelor’s degree

program. If your goal is to become an excellent software engineer, you need a passion for coding and a tireless desire to create.

Is being a software engineer worth it?

The answer to that question depends on what you want out of life. If you want more than reasonable compensation, the answer is definitely yes. If you wish to be a part of a close-knitted community to thrive alongside the company goals, then yes. If you want to know more about what characteristics appeal to big companies, give this article a read.

Is software engineering good for the future?

We all know there is no way to predict the future. A clear enemy for software engineers is automation, and over the years, some jobs are more at risk of becoming fully automated. Realistically, automation engineers will prevail over the next 20 years, at least for that exact reason. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 2020 to 2030, employment in software development is projected to rise by 22%. With this information in mind, we can be sure software developers and engineers will have a broad field of opportunities in the future to further their careers and grow within their jobs.

Can I be a programmer with an engineering degree?

Yes, since it’s mostly about skill. Many companies require a degree to set a general baseline and determine what kind of training they need to provide their new hires. Not all engineers with a degree have the right set of skills to be good programmers. Find your skills and improve upon them, find people with similar interests, share your knowledge, look for better ways of fixing a problem. There is always a job out there for people that work hard to find it.

What should I do after 12 to become a software engineer?

There is no specific age to start becoming a software engineer. After 12th grade, you have the world at your feet, focus on getting a degree and possibly a side-work so you can apply everything you learn in school. Some of the things you can do to become a software are:

  • Find a bachelor’s course with a 3 to 4-year duration in Computer Science Engineering, IT Engineering, a BCA or BSCS.
  • Learn to become a master debugger. Make a lot of mistakes but learn from them all. That way, you can understand why specific issues arise within your code, and with time, you will be able to fix any errors in the future.
  • Improve your proficiency in different programming languages like C+, python, .Net, PHP, java.
  • Try to memorize different programming data structures, coding styles, and design patterns. Good memory is always a plus.

 

Which pays more for computer science or software engineering?

The difference between computer science and software engineering may be substantial if you look at their respective curriculum. Computer science is best suited to develop software engineering skills from a curricular standpoint since it focuses on logic and math subjects. With either major, you should focus on getting the highest-paying jobs you can apply for, such as Product Manager, Artificial Intelligence Architect Developer, Full-Stack Developer, Cloud Architect, DevOps Engineer, or Data Scientist.

Why do software engineers quit?

One of the hardest things to do in any job setting is to handle the stress that comes with delivery dates. Sometimes engineers tend to lever due to toxic work culture or the fact that they don’t feel challenged enough with their current activities.

Is programming a good career in 2021?

Computer programmers are in high demand, and they will be in the upcoming years since they can work in banks, security, manufacturing, client companies, healthcare, life sciences, transportation. They all need programmers to automate services and applications.

Do all software engineers code?

To understand this, we need to go back to the Software Development Lifecycle:

Stage 1 Requirements gathering and decomposition

Stage 2 Design

Stage 3 Coding

Stage 4 Testing

Stage 5 Deployment

Coding is 25-40% of each project depending on its size; junior and midlevel engineers do between 80-90% of the code. Senior engineers around 70% and system architects between 40-50%, so as you progress and climb the engineering ladder, you will spend less time coding.

How hard is it to get a job as a software engineer?

Among the sea of opportunities for software engineers, some people look hireable, but many of us need to work hard to give a semblance of poise and knowledge. Being a good interviewer is a skill that needs to be nurtured. Need to freshen up your interview skills? Check out this video.

Can computer engineers work as software engineers?

Yes, both careers and interconnected, software and hardware, body and brain. And we need to learn to work together learn from each other to make the best with our strengths.

Which has more salary software engineer or software developer?

According to talent.com research, a software engineer can earn up to MXN 35,000 a month while the average software developer only up to MXN 27,500 in Mexico. At the same time, Glassdoor states an average of MXN 30,000 with up to MXN 60,000 for more experimented engineers.

What should I take after the 10th to become a software engineer?

After 10th grade, you can choose the science stream and take an optional subject from mathematics. Start reading books about operating systems, databases, and programming basic concepts.

Which subject should I choose in 11th for software engineering?

Within the science side from the 11th-grade standard, you can choose from PCM (Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics) or Biology. Chemistry and Mathematics. Or pick Information Technology, Computer Science, and Software fundamentals.

Do software engineers use python?

Python is a language trending up and broadly used by software engineers interested in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and InternetOfThings (IoT). Its use has been popularized due to its flexibility and speed, taking after its predecessor (R programming language) as the main language for scientists’ research.

Is the software engineer the same as a programmer?

They are different sides of the same coin. Programmers take care of creating functional code, while software engineers focus on designing software considering the clients and business needs.

Do software engineers use math?

Although math is not directly related to a software engineer’s daily tasks, it does make your life easier to know the mechanics and inner workings of basic operations if you are creating, let’s say, software for a bank. Machine Learning, game development, and robotics include mathematical logic and rationality to be able to put things together. For graphics programming and data science, linear algebra is necessary. We need math in our everyday lives, and as an engineer, you have to decide how good you want to be at your job. Does knowing math help you in general at whatever you set your mind to? Yes, it definitely does.

Is software engineering stressful?

Despite its many challenges, software engineering is one of the most relaxed jobs. Most jobs come with the same problems that arise with this profession, from dealing with bad managers, challenging clients, working long hours, having tight deadlines, crash in production, poor work-life balance, tech debt, drilling legacy systems, micromanagement, having too many meetings and not enough coding.

When starting a new job, some of the complaints I get from peers are that senior peers don’t like sharing their knowledge. This perception comes from old practices that engraved workers with this statement “If I know more, the company will think I’m more valuable, and they won’t let me go.” Younger generations don’t come with this chip on their shoulders. Engineers such as myself have come to terms that while knowledge makes you powerful, sharing it makes our team powerful and our company great.

Analyzing, breaking down, and solving problems is needed to become a software engineer. And it can be stressful and overwhelming at times to see the big picture and translate the solutions into code.

Is software engineering a high-paying job?

Software engineering can come with very high monetary compensation, but not initially. While junior and mid-level engineers receive a decent salary, it gets increasingly higher when you become a senior engineer and even higher when you achieve management status. Managers, Project Managers, Product Managers, Data scientists get the best earnings of us all. As of 2022, the highest-earning professionals in software engineering are data scientists and big data engineers

Conclusion

Now that you’ve learned how to start your software developer career, you’re ready to meet with the Nexxus team, where you can interview and apply for software development career opportunities.

Even though finding the best company for you it’s a trip, some people can help. Sonatafy Technology provides Latin American engineers and developers with a direct pathway to US-based companies hiring RIGHT NOW. If you are ready to take your career to the next level and work with some of the most influential, well-known companies in the US, contact Sonatafy Technology here to get started.