Maximizing Coding Time
James Creasy
Employer: Perforce Software
Job: Software Engineer
DDJ: What's your job there at Perforce?
JC: My primary job is building multi-platform GUI applications that provide dynamic visual interfaces to the Perforce SCM system. My most recent project was the new administration tool in our visual client application.
DDJ: What do you like about your job?
JC: Perforce's fun and dynamic work environment allows me to enjoy software development as much as I did more than 30 years ago when I first discovered the fascination of programming. I like to build applications that let people interact with data in ways they haven't seen before.
DDJ: What do you find challenging about your job?
JC: I'd like to have more resources to develop the backlog of ideas I have for my projects.
DDJ: What have you found that makes your job easier?
JC: In the last two years, I have learned the importance of team dynamics and specifically utilizing the strengths of various team members on a project. And I have also learned to gain support from outside my group and from management. This allows me to maximize the time I can spend on design and coding.
Broad Shoulders
Stephen Lardieri
Employer: Microsoft
Job: Software Development Engineer
DDJ: Where do you work?
SL: The Windows Live Mail team at Microsoft.
DDJ: What's your job there?
SL: I own the development of Service Packs and Windows Update packages for Outlook Express and Windows Mail. I also own the Active Search, Messenger integration, and Secure MIME features in Windows Live Mail. Finally, as one of the senior developers on the team, I am expected to participate in all team-wide technical discussions and to contribute actively to code reviews and recruiting efforts.
DDJ: What do you like about your job?
SL: When I find a bug in Windows, I can knock on the door of the developer responsible and ask him to fix it.
DDJ: What do you find challenging about your job?
SL: Some of the features I've helped develop, such as Active Search, are proving controversial in the marketplace. So I'm having to learn about handling political and PR concerns in addition to growing my technical skills.
DDJ: What have you found that makes your job easier?
SL: Microsoft provides its developers with an incredible set of tools and infrastructure for managing source code history, tracking bugs, running nightly builds, and dealing with all the other administrative aspects of developing a large software product. These tools are pretty standardized throughout the company, so chances are that any problem you encounter has been encountered and solved before. As Newton said, if I have seen farther than others, it's because I've stood on the shoulders of giants.
One Day At a Time
Dave Rico
Employer: Boeing
Job: Systems Engineer
DDJ: What's your job there at Boeing?
DR: As a systems engineer I support enterprise architecture for large-scale organizations, software engineering for large-scale Java systems, and technology risk assessments for software-intensive systems.
DDJ: What do you like about your job?
DR: The variety of technical and management challenges and opportunities Boeing has to offer. Boeing is a $61.5 billion corporation and employs more than 150,000 people. Boeing is one of the better places I've worked.
DDJ: What do you find challenging about your job?
DR: Customer relationship management, both internal and external customers.For me, this boils down to people skills. One can't survive without great people skills. My people skills are a work in progress.
DDJ: What have you found that makes your job easier?
DR: I believe learning to relax, letting go, and not getting too wound up about one's career is a key to making the job easier. I gave up trying to save the world years ago. Now I'm learning to take life one day at a time and let the cards fall where they may. This definitely makes my job easier.
