I remember when I was first introduced to programming – I was around 13 at the time.
I went to a friend’s place after school to study for a test, but we ended up playing computer games. Preparing to play I noticed that he had a little program to help him launch his games.
“Quite neat” – I said to him – “Can you show me how you do that?”
He opened the file in a BASIC editor in MS-DOS and walked me through the code.
Excited and wanting to write my own program, the first thing I did when I got home that day was go straight to the computer to give it a go.
Looking back at all the years I spent in high school and university, the hours spent in front of a computer or reading books to learn more about this wonderful world of technology, I can guarantee you that one thing never changed – the constant learning.
And it is a wonderful thing.
I love learning and understanding how things are made, so it’s only natural that I picked up programming so easily. But programming is just one thing. Being a modern full stack Software Engineer is a different story.
My notion of what a career meant when I was 13 was very naive; I needed to pick a profession and do that for the rest of my life. Plus I had to pick something that would make money – curse you capitalism!
What I discovered when I first started developing my skills was that jobs change, and so do your interests. I no longer wanted to do programming for the rest of my life. I mean, it’s my bread and butter, but if I really wanted to evolve, I needed to learn more.
So I started searching for new things to learn – languages, human behaviour, how to present, and how to speak and write in different tones so I can attract and engage the right audience. It’s hard work and It’s even tougher when you’re adjusting to a new culture, believe me.
And in my constant search for improvement, I found that I’m not only a programmer – I’m someone who applies theories and principles, that thinks through a problem before touching the keyboard and who understands the value of sharing learnings with others.
Being a modern full stack Software Engineer is about all of the above – and more – it’s also about connecting with people. There’s no point in being a fantastic programmer if you don’t know how to express your ideas. And that’s one skill that I’m very proud of and I know that DiUS values it too.
I don’t consider myself a smart guy, but I’m certain that I hit the jackpot when I joined DiUS. I can confidently say that I work with some of the best Software Engineers in the market.
My thirst for knowledge has not only been matched, it has been challenged. I now know all these guys who not only love what they do, but they also love sharing what they know. And as the cycle goes, more people join in and you share your knowledge with them. You learn more and share more. It truly makes you feel part of the family.