Huy reflects on his journey into IT, emphasizing that while financial motivation is valid, engineers should find deeper meaning in their work by building products that bring long-term value and impact to customers, while fostering a team culture that values data-driven decisions over seniority or age.
Back in college, I had 2 options. One was to follow Chemistry, and the other was IT. After full consideration, IT seemed to bring more chances to earn a better living. But there's one thing I always tell the juniors, chasing after money is not a wrong choice. It's a solid motivation. But other than that, I hope they can find other targets to make the job more meaningful. It doesn't have to be a huge one, but it should be inspiring enough to push them to grow.
At this moment, I'm happy with what I do. Build useful tools that bring impact to others. Of course, I still make money out of it, but it'll be more fun once you know your work matters to people.
For me, Software Engineering means more than just a mundane programming service. Once you develop a product, it should come with long-term value. It's our job to advise the best solution and must be customer-oriented, rather than being a short-term service provider.
I'll be lying if I say there is no pressure working with people who are older than me. There is. Sometimes it's hard to give feedback and judgment. But people are very open to receiving feedback since they know that it makes things better. I value their ideas and vice versa. All decisions will be made out of data and working processes with no bias of external factors. I find it lucky that every team in this company lives by that code.
We do have conflicts, but we try our best not to make it a problem. Conflicts of ideas happen all the time, we don't keep score or let it bother us much. Even after a harsh meeting, we can still sit back, have lunch, and shoot the breeze like usual.
