Software Engineer

Jim Herold

Topics

What do software engineers do

How do I prepare to be a software engineer (my path)

Questions

Engineers write code

Engineers solve problems

import java.io.*;

import java.math.*;

import java.util.*;

class GFG {

static void towerOfHanoi(

int n, char from_rod, char to_rod, char aux_rod)

{

if (n == 0) {

return;

}

towerOfHanoi(

n - 1, from_rod, aux_rod, to_rod);

System.out.println(

"Move disk " + n + " from rod "

+ from_rod + " to rod "

+ to_rod);

towerOfHanoi(

n - 1, aux_rod, to_rod, from_rod);

}

​

public static void main(String args[])

{

int N = 2;

towerOfHanoi(N, 'A', 'C', 'B');

}

}

Towers of Hanoi

Engineers solve problems

boolean solveNQueens(int[][] board, int col)

{

if (col == N) {

for (int[] row : board)

System.out.println(Arrays.toString(row));

System.out.println();

return true;

}

for (int i = 0; i < N; i++) {

if (isSafe(board, i, col)) {

board[i][col] = 1; // place the queen

if (solveNQueens(board, col + 1))

return true;

board[i][col] = 0;

}

}

return false;

}

8 Queens

Engineers create algorithms

Given a list (possibly big) of numbers, create a list of steps to put them in sorted order.

First Pass

( 5 1 4 2 8 ) → ( 1 5 4 2 8 )

( 1 5 4 2 8 ) → ( 1 4 5 2 8 )

( 1 4 5 2 8 ) → ( 1 4 2 5 8 )

( 1 4 2 5 8 ) → ( 1 4 2 5 8 )

Second Pass

( 1 4 2 5 8 ) → ( 1 4 2 5 8 )

( 1 4 2 5 8 ) → ( 1 2 4 5 8 )

( 1 2 4 5 8 ) → ( 1 2 4 5 8 )

( 1 2 4 5 8 ) → ( 1 2 4 5 8 )

​

Engineers improve algorithms

Engineers work with customers

Engineers design systems

Engineers push new code to servers

Topics

What do software engineers do

How do I prepare to be a software engineer (my path)

What is the job market like

Questions

How to prepare to be a software engineer

Sample programming languages and get a feel for coding

Take undergraduate courses

Get an internship or research experience

Sample programming languages

Find a book or website and learn a new programming language

Get a feel for what programming is like and how learning new things in this space works

I took my first programming class in High School and got a D

Take undergraduate courses

Core courses: Intro to programming, Data structures, Algorithms

These classes will kick your butt and some professors can be tough

I had legendary Prof. Laszlo

“Careful. To anyone taking any of his classes, tread lightly. This is a teacher who feels it is your duty to learn the material and not his duty to teach. His lectures are disorganized and sometimes hard to follow. Simple concepts can easily be muddled and confused... and that is if you read the book. Otherwise, you will be completely lost. He does not hesitate to give confusing questions (sometimes strangely worded) that often do not coincide with similar, yet vastly different questions in the book. He is hard and yet seems deceptively easy. He will insult the entire class if the class does not perform to his expectations. This can be very discouraging to the point of completely dropping out of a CS major. Tread lightly, do your best, and may God have mercy on you.”

Get an internship or research experience

Learn what being a software engineer is actually like (when I was in undergrad I thought I wanted to build video games)

Grow your skills, resume, and social network

I did an unpaid internship at JPL for a year

I did a summer research session at Harvey Mudd

Resources

Levels.fyi

Learn Java with Baeldung

Find an internship

Find a research experience

Learn algorithms and python

Topics

What do software engineers do

How do I prepare to be a software engineer (my path)

What is the job market like

Questions

Software Engineering Career

BLS has an annual outlook on all kinds of different careers like Software Developer.

Software Engineering Career

“Software developers, … typically need a bachelor's degree in computer and information technology or a related field, such as engineering or mathematics. Computer and information technology degree programs cover a broad range of topics. Students may gain experience in software development by completing an internship, such as at a software company, while in college. For some software developer positions, employers may prefer that applicants have a master’s degree.”

​

Software Engineering Career

There are signs of concern right now that don’t align with the BLS outlook.

“Once heavily wooed and fought over by companies, tech talent is now wrestling for scarcer positions. The stark reversal of fortunes for a group long in the driver’s seat signals more than temporary discomfort. It’s a reset in an industry that is fundamentally readjusting its labor needs and pushing some workers out.”

source

Q&A