A Career in Software Development: 101 with Tarun Jairam
- Peek
- Dec 7, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Dec 15, 2021
Some classic advice on how to build your career in software development: quickly and well.
Written by Ayushi Chaturvedi
Student Ambassador at Pash, Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology, Hyd
An engaging evening with the zestful Software Developer from JP Morgan & Chase, Tarun Jairam, gave us plenty of insights into the software world. A Computer Science graduate from VNR VJIET in Hyderabad, Tarun tinkered with a lot of frameworks before he got to where he is.
Tarun discussed a day in the life of a typical developer: writing, running, and testing multiple codes; researching and building new features; and, but more importantly he introduced some key points that help most aspiring developers to succeed in software development. Here are the highlights:
Quality over quantity.
Most students are in a mad rush to learn all programming languages and frameworks to get to their dream workplaces. This attempt is futile, as each language and framework has different applications. Understand the role that you want to be in and put in the time to research what tools and skills you need to have. And then, deep dive into it.
Hard skills get you in, soft skills get you far.
Workspaces today prioritize higher efficiency and growth, and this is what recruiters focus on while hiring candidates. It is why while your technical skills may get you into a company, soft skills like communication skills, how you fit in with the company's culture will get you into the higher ranks within your company. The best way to do this is to go to more events, workshops, and seminars. Put yourself out there!
“Experiment a lot, listen to your instincts, and find out what works best for you. Make sure to seek guidance from mentors as this could accelerate your career by a good 2 years. And finally, put yourself out there among like-minded people and those from the field that you’re interested in, observe how things work closely, and then make your path!”
Seek mentorship.
Tarun noted that finding a mentor, someone who could've structured his learning would've accelerated his career much more quickly. Mentors help upcoming people tune their skills, show them better opportunities and tell them what to avoid in their career. Know a senior who is doing well? Reach out to them and ask them what you could do better. We're sure they will have a lot of advice!
(Psst, you can also reach out to the multiple speakers we plan on having at Pash!)
Experiment, a lot. You'll find out what you're good at and what fits you.
Tarun worked at 3 places before he joined as a full-time employee before he moved to JPMC. Two were startups, one was JP Morgan itself. During his internship, Tarun understood the culture, thinking, and systems that made JP Morgan successful and enjoyed the learning he had there more than at the startups. This couldn't have been possible without experimenting with different places. If you're trying to figure out what you like, spend time doing things that will help you understand.
Looking to start your career off the right foot? Join us at Pash to learn from more speakers every week (we're expanding to business and freelance sessions too!). Head over to our website and sign up!
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