Software Engineer
(Female, Age 26) from Round Rock, TX
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 26 who works as a Software Engineer in Round Rock, TX. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Software Engineer |
|---|---|
| Salary | $70,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 42 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Round Rock, TX |
| Years Experience | 6.5 years |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
We have about 2400 employees world wide. We are a global company. I work in the video division, which creates videoconferencing units all the way from the bottom level of hardware design and testing to the top of software design and testing. Production units are made in another country outside of the USA. I work specifically in the user interface group in the software side.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I create design documents, act as feature lead on many different features, am involved in human factors decisions, create and modify user interface screens, code in java, c, c++ on both unix and windows platforms, and test the products.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
health insurance, vision plan, life insurance, disability, 401k, free drinks and snacks, free lunch once a week, PTO (paid time off), 12 paid holidays
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
well compensated, not over or under
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
Yes, I work with others every single day. I really like interacting with people in my job. I enjoy several of my coworkers but of course there are some that I really don’t care to be around. My boss does a good job of recognizing this without having to say anything and seems to group us together appropriately. I do not like to work alone, although I suppose I am alone for the most part of my job. I really only work with others while in meetings in the design process stage or when I need help. I also sit down with someone when I am ready to check in my code changes. I really do learn a lot more and gain experience when working with others. I hope to continue this!
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
I work in a cubicle (one of the few, amongst individual offices). I don’t like that. However, I am more content with my cube that faces a window rather than some of the inside offices with no window. I also like the fact that the office overlooks hills full of trees. It is very peaceful and good to step outside to relax with the view and nature surrounding me.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 3
Benefits: 2
Hours: 1
Co-Workers: 4
Supervisors: 5
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 6
The Actual Work: 7
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | Waking up, shower, take care of dogs, get my lunch together if I’m taking it to work. |
| 8am to 9am | Commute to work. Arrive around 8:30 or 9am. Hours are open. |
| 9am to 10am | Some days we have a meeting to go over any issues we are working on today; make sure everyone is on the same page; make sure no one is testing the same thing someone else is testing. Other days I just get to my desk and read any emails I need to catch up on and respond to colleagues. |
| 10am to 11am | I read/review any documents on future technology feature that I will be feature lead for in the next software release. |
| 11am to 12pm | I am still reading document, setting up system to test by getting source code together and making a build. |
| 12pm to 1pm | Lunch time!!! |
| 1pm to 2pm | Begin testing unit with feature verification test plans. Coordinate with peers and write down issues I see for tomorrow’s 9am meeting. |
| 2pm to 3pm | Find an option checkbox on the user interface screen that isn’t checked by default; I think it should be checked so I visit with human factors team as to why it is not checked. Now it is going to be checked by default for the user upon software release – hooray. |
| 3pm to 4pm | Continue testing, find an audio cable is bad so we really don’t have a software problem; what a relief! |
| 4pm to 5pm | Start writing software feature spec document that I’ve been meaning to write; fix a couple bugs and fill out report as to what I have changed to fix the issue(s). Forward the issue to SQA (software quality assurance) for them to retest. |
| 5pm to 6pm | Check Outlook for the next day’s meetings/events so I can be prepared. |
| 6pm to 7pm | Time to commute home (traffic is worse going home for some reason.) |
| 7pm to 8pm | I am home and can eat dinner/work out/play with dogs, etc. Sometimes I am at home and check my email through the web email or I connect through the VPN tunnel. |
| 8pm to 9pm | Sometimes I may work from home at this time. I try not to unless necessary. |
| 9pm to 10pm | I usually relax. |
| 10pm to 11pm | Time to go to sleep. |
| 11pm to 12am | I hope I am sleeping by now. |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
Newspaper ad as a temp
What was the application process?
I went to the temp agency and took their useless tests. I then interviewed at the actual company once I passed the basic temp agency tests.
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
Yes, I interviewed and tested at temp agency to qualify. I then interviewed at the actual company later on with several people one-on-one.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
This was 7 years ago. I’m sorry but I don’t remember.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Not exactly. I was just thrown in to do the work. I learn on my own so that wasn’t hard for me, but for others it might be.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Yes, I trained by getting my degree in Computer Information Systems in the business school at the university. It entailed java programming, c++ programming, data analysis, database classes, etc.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
Parts of it, but as a whole I had to still learn a lot on my own.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
n/a
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
I would recommend that they go to college, get an internship to get their foot in the door and get some experience. Pay attention to the internship and take notes! You may need them at a later time! It really pays to shine while an intern. I wish I would’ve stepped it up a notch while I was in school and working. I may be even further than I am today (which is pretty good, I must admit).
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
You need to be detail oriented and careful if you are a programmer. Mistakes are OK but be sure to utilize your tools so you do not affect anyone else with your mistakes (i.e. if you write a letter, use spellcheck! — the same goes with code compilers).
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes, definitely. If not formal training, teaching yourself and working on self projects can boost your skills.
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Keep your head up and if something is giving you a hard time, take a break and come back to it. Talk to your peers.. they will always have an answer.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes because it is helping me grow and learn more everyday. I want to advance in my career. I do not want to stay with the same job forever as I really do like change, which brings challenges to deal with from day-to-day.
What are your current career goals?
I want to become a product manager or even a program manager. I haven’t quite decided yet. I am evaluating and watching a friend of mine who moved from being an engineer, to being my boss, to a marketing product manager. I will decide someday after I get more technical experience under my belt.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
Stick with it through the good and the bad, and you will become a better person. I am glad I stuck with my job even though I have had doubts.
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | engineering technician | 4 years | 45000 | Had responsibility for globalization/internationalization/localization of software. |
| Prior Job 2 | Assistant Manager | 3 years | $12/hr | Open, close shifts. Counting money and making deposit from store safe to the bank. Clocking in/out delivery drivers. Working the till. Customer service and satisfaction. Inventory and ordering food and related items. |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:3.6
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.4 | Texas State | BA CIS |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
n/a | n/a | n/a |
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