Q&A with Senior Software Developer, Paige

Can you let us know a little about what your role entails?

As a senior engineer I'm involved in pretty much the whole gamut of the software development process. This ranges from meeting clients and scoping prospective projects, to high-level system design, hands-on coding and deployment, overseeing projects and providing guidance to our more junior team members.

How long have you worked in the software development industry?

I got my first software engineering role as a graduate back in 2016, so professionally a little over 6 and a half years, although I've been doing software projects and coding since childhood (I'd like to think I've improved a little since then though).

Can you remember what first sparked your interest in becoming a developer?

My Dad is a seasoned game developer and growing up I always thought what he did was the coolest thing ever. I was so interested in knowing how it all worked. At about 9 years old, after bugging him enough about it, I started making simple 2D games with a tool called Klik'n'Play, which used a rudimentary kind of visual scripting to let you write program logic. I eventually started trying to make more complicated apps than were really feasible with it, and graduated to a "proper" engine with an actual programming language at about 12. After that there was no stopping me!

What do you love about your job as a Senior Software Developer?

I just love solving problems and building things, and I get to do that every day as a software developer. In this industry there's also an endless amount to learn about, from new tech constantly coming out to exploring deeper intricacies of languages we already know, and that's really exciting to me.

What personal qualities do you think help you succeed in your role?

Perseverence, organisation, and knowing when to ask for help are all massively underrated traits in developers, in my opinion. We're often running a very tight ship to try and align multiple projects to finish on time, so you can't afford to just sit with problems. The ability to be objective and put the project first over a need to solve something alone, or being scared to admit to struggling, was something I personally had to learn the hard way. Besides, some of the best solutions tend to come about through collaboration.

What are you currently excited about at work?

I'm stoked about the level of involvement I'm getting from the start to the end of projects, the varied kinds of work we're doing, and also simply about the people I get to work with here. CSG have cultivated a really welcoming office culture and it's a pleasure to be part of it.

Is there a common misconception about developers that you’d like to dispel?

That software development is just about sitting by yourself and churning out code all day. There is so much more to it than that; it's a real team process from beginning to end.

What’s your favourite piece of tech you’ve ever owned?

Probably my first smart phone. Before that you had to be sat at a desktop PC or carry a laptop around in order to play games or have an internet connection. Then suddenly you could do all of that anywhere - revolutionary stuff!

What’s your dream way to spend your downtime?

Still building stuff! Outside of software I'm super into crafts, tabletop miniatures and music. I'm always happiest when I'm immersed in a lot of creative projects, especially when collaborating with others. Right now I'm in the midst of learning piano parts for a progressive metal album that my partner and I are recording in a few months time, painting up a Star Wars Legion army, and planning trips to see gigs with my group of friends.

Do you have any guilty pleasures?

Thai food, trash TV, and keeping way too many browser tabs open at once.

Finally, what advice would you pass on to other women looking to pursue a career in the tech industry?

Be confident in your abilities, don't undersell yourself. The more women we get in tech, the more it's going to be seen as normal rather than "being a woman in a man's industry", so the only thing we can really do is just to go for it and let the quality of work speak for itself.

Thank you Paige, we couldn't agree more! 

To learn more about our brilliant team, click this way. Or if you're a budding programmer or experienced software developer looking for a new place to make your mark, we may have a desk with your name on it. If you are interested in becoming part of the Clever Software development team, we'd love to hear from you.