What is a typical day like in your job?

Hi Chase,

I'm a software engineer, and my days vary quite a bit, but there are things that usually happen every day. I get in to work around 9am, grab some coffee to wake up, and go hang out with my team. I work very closely with about 5 other software engineers, and talk to each other constantly about our thoughts and opinions about the work we are going to do. Every day at 9:30 we have short meeting where everyone shares what they are currently working on, and whether they are having trouble or not. If they are having trouble, the team tries to help them out.

After the morning meeting, we decide what work we will try and accomplish for the day, and then we write code. The team I work on does this collaboratively. We all sit around a table and look at a big TV where a teammate is sharing their computer screen. We all give input on the code that is currently getting written. There is usually lots of debate about how best to accomplish a task, lots of questions, and lots of teaching. We are teaching and learning from each other all day.

Working this way is really tiring, so at lunch time I usually go outside for a walk, and eat some food.

The afternoon is more coding! When it's 5pm, I go home and play with my dog. Not every day is the same, sometimes something we've made will crash and we have to fix it, sometimes we have meetings to decide what we will work on in the future, sometimes I don't want to go to the office, and I work from my house. The one constant is teaching and learning, they are the most important skills I use every day.

If you're interested in becoming a software engineer, I would highly recommend learning how to make a website. It's pretty fun, and it makes you appreciate websites you use every day! All you need is a computer with a browser.

Hi Chase,

Good question! There are two types of engineers. Those that are on the customer side, and those that are on the manufacturing side. For example, Dell is manufacturing who sells products/solutions to the customers.

There is no typical day. I wake up, check emails, respond to co-workers/customers, prep for customers calls, work in my lab, work remotely or onsite with customers engineers. In technical sales you never punch a time clock, often I find myself working early in the am and in the evenings.

As a technical sales professional, my day is broken up into three main parts.  First, I have to focus on the sales aspect since I have a quota to achieve.  This also benefits me in that I get paid on what I sell. Second, I have to technically support my customers by answering their questions, assisting with technology problem resolution, and initiating proof of concepts to show how the technology I sell helps their business goals.  The third part is on-going education, since technology constantly changes. I have to allocate time to stay abreast of new technologies, through online courses as well as hand-on testing, using trial licenses.  I hope this has been helpful.