Brian
software engineer at an IT company
In general terms, what does your job entail?
Analysis, design, coding and testing of new functionality. Finding and fixing problems with existing functionality.
Describe the main events in a typical day
Receive new bug report; reproduce in development environment; analyse and design a fix; code and test fix.
Do you feel that you are using your talents in your job?
Mostly. The current state of the industry means that the focus is on maintenance of existing products rather than on the more interesting R&D end.
After leaving school what were the major milestones in your career development?
At UCD I did a Bachelor of Science degree, where I specialised in computer science after two years. I took one year out before the final year, and worked as systems support for AIB.
My current position is with a company that develops electronic payments systems. I have also taken a short course in Java programming at Moresoft IT.
What do you like about your work?
The opportunity to create elegant solutions from design to implementation.
Is there any aspect of your work that you not like?
The subject matter of the business can be quite tedious. The current market does not often provide the opportunity for new research and development.
In secondary school I enjoyed ...
Chemistry, Physics, Maths and Accountancy.
I was influenced towards to IT by...
I was interested in computers before starting college, although the course did not require that a major subject be chosen until two years into it.
