Why I become Software Engineer

I am Software Engineer since 2018, graduated from Bachelor of Informatics Engineering in Telkom University. Learnt to become Software Engineer from my early software engineer internship jobs, and decided to commit to this job up to now.

Becoming Software Engineer is one of decisions I have never regreted, and I am quite sure I will never. Even though the up and down the market supply demand for this job, not even a flinch of regreting this profession 😌

This article is very personal and not to be mean to persuade you to become a Software Engineer like myself. If you eventually come to this article because you are finding a reason to commit a journey, please do reach me via leaving comment so we can talk privately or having online video call 🤙

Where am I start

Before commiting for this career journey, I was at the moment to choose major for my undergaduate degree. Unlike typical student in my high school who seek for both major and college, I only seek for major because I was too lazy prepare for a high grade campus. Whatever it is, I just want to study computer science.

But why computer science? At that time, it was because I realized my self spending quite much time on my laptop. It was brought by my father as a gift for my hidden interest (because I am not aware at that time) in computer stuff (not necessary programming and so on).

I was even not like a geek who could hack their own computer with randomness, I am just a typical guy who curious to seek out what computer can do: gaming, graphic design, gaming, Internet, installing Linux. The last one made me feel quite a geek at that time 🤓

Deciding on what major after tons of alternatives, we decided to go for computer science because of that reason and only, not knowing very specific what the prospect of this major would be.

The luxury to proof your idea instantly

Have you ever imagined of a biology student final project? Yes! Performing an experiment in the lab (or in the nature), which is cool right? But actually not! Because you can not control nature, and you cost much money to restart your experiment.

In computer science, when you want to test on something, then you can just open your laptop and write some lines of code, then you get the result in no day without moving from your desk or spending anything (except brewing a coffee ☕️ in for case)

For someone who could not stop think and imagine like me, I could not stop thinking about a particular think unless I can proof that. So, I am kinda find a comfort situation to relieve my mind for this endless cyclic condition 🤯 But it makes me feel better.

Oh even, it will part of your job actually to continuously proofing something instantly by writing a code!

Engineer from home

Later in the college, I ended sign up for a tech career enthusiast student community. It exposed me to various opportunities and jobs in the tech industry. It was very surprising for me that there is a job that allow you to work from home, it was happening before the Covid 19 pandemic.

What the most interesting part is, I am an ENGINEER 😎 There is no one in my family up to grand grand grand ... (not really sure) ... father who is an engineer. Even though I have never explicitly proud of that fact, but it is still cool right? 😁

And again, an engineer who could done all his jobs from home!

Global mega trend in industry

A bit serious from this point, yeah, this is more to say why I KEEP becoming Software Engineer.

In my opinion, what could define what we will happen next is the industry. Since the first industry revolution, people leave their lawn and farm for working in factory. Working in factory could give you wage daily with no risk of crop failure.

After that, people come to the factory and the office. Because of massive cost in human labor, they start to replace human with machine. Not only they replace human in production, they replace human who work in the management, to do things human brain can not do: up to the extreme of handing with milion of data and decide in an instant!

Surely, in Indonesia people still ask for employment and tend to resist this massive replacement. Not only business who benefit from this era, but governance and society also. Few days ago, I updated my residential status via online instantly, which few months ago I need to do the paperwork and come to the service center with a tiring time consuming long queue.

Take opportunity in low maturity level of this discipline

Even globally, no one no what software engineering realy is. We have Software Engineering Body of Knowledge (SWEBOOK), but we ourselve still debating on to tackle the right process to do certain thing correctly acurately, even withing the same company, within the same project, within the same team, within their inner mind!

With tons of debate and views, there is one practice that I have just learnt recently

Everything in software architecture is a tradeoff.
– 1st Law of Software Architectures

Why is more important than how.
– 2nd Law of Software Architectures

Those are from the book Software Architecture Fundamental by Neal Ford and Mark Richards.

From those two laws, we can deduce that the engineer will find theirself in uncertainty and subjectiveness. For me it is good! More custom software for very specific needs, more engineer to deliver the solution 🙌

an hour ago when I was starting to write this article, I thought that this would be a very cheap and short article. I ended spending an hour to share my personal views and experience I have rarely shared to anyone.

I really hope that this shall not be your reference to be more commit on your new or existing journey, please do talk to me if you find yourself confused to decide your next journey! 🙏 which I gladly willing to help you with that.