If you’re considering a career in software development, you’ll no doubt want to know what’s it really like once you land that first role? To provide some real-life insight, we asked our in-house software developer Abhiyank to talk us through his typical working day.

Originally from the north of India, Abhiyank moved to the south in 2011 after earning his bachelor’s in Computer Science from Ghaziabad, to start living the life of a full-time developer. Since then the language and travelling enthusiast has been ‘providing an interface between humans and machines.’ There. I have you told the simplest and best definition of programming, or what a developer does, as explained to me by Abhiyank. 

Over to you, Software Engineer (that’s what he likes to be called since it’s more specific to what he does). 

Okay, over to you, Abhiyank.

What does a developer do?

I started programming when I was in the tenth grade and haven’t stopped ever since. So, what does a developer do? To answer this question without boring you, let me tell you in a few words: I spend a lot of time fixing bugs, compiling code, and learning about software. In addition, I may respond to technical questions from clients and other staff and may help with testing and installing for clients. I might attend a sales meeting as the technical person.

How did you come to know about FrontM?

To be honest, I wanted to switch from my old job to go back to live the start-up life. A google search took me to a directory of the upcoming start-ups and that’s where I found FrontM. And then FrontM found me. What FrontM does is unique and everything else fit the criteria I was looking for.

How was your first week at FrontM?

KTs. I had KT sessions. Sorry, what? (asks the interviewer) Abhiyank replies, “KT as in Knowledge Transfer.” *Interviewer thinks “Why didn’t he just say training?”* *Interviewer realises ‘He loves to code, that’s why KT!!’. Okay, bad joke!

These sessions were quite helpful to understand everything I needed to know. And the best part about them is that I can always go back to our old meetings because I attended them online and could record them.

How does a day in the life of a developer look like?

I usually start somewhere between nine-thirty and ten. This is the best time to get some peace, and gives me the chance to get organised for the day ahead. After spending about 30 minutes sifting through my emails and Slack messages, I then check for errors and bug reports to see if any issues cropped up while I was gone, and prioritise my to-do list accordingly.

Pro tip: the more organised your to-do list, the better you can prioritize

10 am is the time to grab a second cup of tea and start the real work. With the first meeting still being 3.5 hours away, I get started with my high-priority tasks. This might be something leftover from the day before or an urgent bug that needs fixing. In the absence of emergencies, I simply make a start on my to-do list. 

Team meetings take place at around 2:30 every day where we get together to discuss our weekly goals and to talk about what we did the day before, what we’ll focus on for the day ahead, and any obstacles we’re currently facing. 

*Interviewer digresses and asks Abhiyank about his hobbies and interests*

“I build software for a living. I love to play with hardware when I’m not coding. 

A broken fridge door is right up my sleeve when it needs fixing. 

A portable handsaw or drill are a few of my favourite things.”

Any advice for young developers?

For someone who loves to build or create something, he or she must remember to enjoy the learning process. Keep improving, absorbing new ideas, learnings, and teachings. Upgrade and upskill! In a world where everyone focuses on ‘how do I make more money?’, let yours be ‘how can I increase my value?’.

Author – Abhiyank Saxena