Software Engineer

What is a Software Engineer?

The following responsibilities are common for Software Engineers:

• Designs, develops and tests computer software and its applications and systems
• Develops software for diverse types of software including video games, business applications, operating systems, network control systems and middleware
• Creates manuals and detailed flow charts and instructions including algorithms that give computer instruction
• Constructs, develops and maintains general computer applications including software or specialized utility programs
• Uses programming languages like Java, C++ or Python

A Day In The Life

Software engineers write, debug, maintain and test software that instructs the computer to accomplish certain tasks, such as, saving information, performing calculations or protecting data and information.  They convert the computer instructions into a type of  programming language, the most common three types are Java, Python and C++.

These individuals are involved in all aspects throughout an entire computer projects life cycle.  They should be capable of being responsible for working on anything from web applications and content management to databases and operating systems.  At the beginning of a project, they must first determine the scope and objectives of the software solution.  Next, they need to identify what needs to be designed ad developed and the time frame the project can be completed by.  They choose the appropriate coding and language to use for the project and then determine and develop a framework that can be exploited to speed up the process.  They should also be aware of how this software can be use across various different platforms as well.

Once the development process is completed, then these individuals must conduct automated unit testing.  This involves programming and testing simultaneously and ensuring everything works and integrates properly and they also ensure the software fulfills the necessary requirements for the client/user.

Typical Work Schedule

Most software engineers work full-time following the regular working schedule of 40 hours per week. However, software engineers work in teams to integrate parts of a software into an integrated system. Accordingly, you need to coordinate your schedule with other members of the team including regular meetings. Software engineers usually follow strict deadlines and you will commonly need to continue for extra working hours which extends the schedule to more than 50 hours per week. Additionally, continuous learning and training is an essential part of the working schedule of successful software engineers to stay updated in this rapidly changing field including the knowledge of available resources that can save much time and effort. This may include attending meetings, training workshops and conferences.

Projected Job Growth

According to the US bureau of labor statistics (US) the employment of software engineers is expected to increase by about 22% from 2009 to 2019. This growth rate is much higher than the average for all other jobs. Many fields will need software engineers including for example working on new applications for smart phones and tablets as well as the applications built on newer models of home appliances. Another field is health and medical insurance and reinsurance carriers which requires software to manage enrollment and other related issues. Also, computer security for companies and individuals will increase the demand for software engineers that develop new applications to help protect computers and electronic infrastructure. This indicates that graduates of software engineering should not face much difficulty finding their matching job as long as they have up-to-date knowledge and experience in the field.

Typical Employers

Software engineers have a wider range of employment options. Employers may include corporations working in computer systems design and development, as well as other related fields that ranges from the huge corporations like Google, Facebook, etc. to smaller companies and other software publishers. Recently, software engineers are needed in various fields including manufacturing, insurance, teaching or health. Many companies have even started employing them as part of the management team to cope with the significant effect of the ever-changing technologies.