Hidden Spotlight - (Front End) Software Engineering ⚛️

I recently caught up with Charlotte Skinner, a brilliant software engineer at The Student Room in Brighton, who I've worked with previously during my time at Hidden. I asked Charlotte a few questions, and she provided some really interesting thoughts and insights into what software development is like as a career, why it was something she chose to pursue, and what tips she'd give to people perhaps looking to embark on a similar path to hers, or even change career entirely and re-train.

- Why did you choose Front End Development and how did you get in to it as a career?

Charlotte: I love building products that make a difference to people’s lives, and I love how Front end development facilitates that. Building the user interface of software gives you immediate feedback as a developer in terms of whether what you’re building works, and whether the user finds it intuitive to use. I think it’s really cool, and several years on it never fails to amaze me how I can write some code and a beautiful website appears on my screen!

- What have been your biggest achievements / most memorable moments so far and what obstacles have you found most challenging?

Charlotte: I think my biggest achievement so far has been making the switch in careers into development from working in a lab. In the space of three years I’ve gone from having never done coding before, to mid level development. It was hard work but I’m proud of myself for persevering. Some of my most memorable moments so far have come from being able to communicate the tech that I’m building to the rest of the business to show how our work brings value to our clients. I’m quite introverted so being able to stand up and talk about tech (albeit virtually at the moment!) is a massive step for me, and it’s great that I’ve received really positive feedback. In terms of obstacles, I think something I’ve really struggled with is having to learn new codebases when you enter a new company. You might be learning a new language, or the same language but an entirely different set up. It’s daunting and you feel like a junior developer all over again, but experience lets you find familiarities between languages so that you find your feet quicker each time.

- Is there anyone that has inspired or mentored you and what impact did that have?

Charlotte: I have been fortunate to have incredible technical mentors in each company I’ve worked for, their experience and expertise has been invaluable to my progression and understanding. It’s super important for technical mentors to be patient and be able to break problems down into small chunks so that you can learn in a steady, manageable way. It teaches you really good habits for finding answers to problems yourself in the future.

- What advice would you give someone looking to pursue a career in software development?

Charlotte: Software development can be a daunting prospect from the outside, people think it’s all maths and algorithms.. which it can be, depending on your specialty. However I think there’s a place for everyone in tech. I’m not amazing at maths for example, but I love to create visual experiences so I became a front end developer. Be prepared to work hard and be patient with yourself as you do so. You’ll be rewarded with a career where you’re always learning new things and building solutions to make the world a better place.

I wanted to share this with the hope of showing people considering a career in software development what it's like to 'sit in that seat'. This has been an exceptionally challenging few months for many thousands of people and businesses, so for anyone working in (or seeking a career in) Technology, Creative, Design, Copywriting, Client Services, Strategy, or Project Management we are hosting our final Career Advice Days of 2020 on the 18th & 19th November, where we'll be providing any help we can to our community; whether it be general advice, reviewing portfolios, or putting you in touch with new connections who can help. If you'd like to join, just drop us a message at careeradvice@hidden.io 👈🏼

Similarly, if you're someone interested in hearing about opportunities within software development specifically, feel free to get in touch with me directly by dropping me a message on here, or an email at tom@hidden.io 📧