Getting Ahead in Software Development

Lee Ruii Ying, Software Engineer, Mission Software Systems at Digital Systems, is involved in software product development, which includes identifying user personas and applying microservice design into Application Programming Interface documentation. She shares how starting her career at ST Engineering helped her build confidence in her skills and gave her an edge in software development.

Q: Tell us more about how you became a software engineer.

When I first joined, I underwent training with ST Engineering’s Digital Academy. During my foundational training, I designed and implemented a Kanban Board based on an N-tier architecture. Through the model-view-controller approach, I used ReactJS as the presentation layer, NodeJS as the logic layer, and MySQL as the data layer.

I was exposed to technologies and concepts such as Svelte, GoLang, MySQL, and DevOps software package GitLab. The skills I picked up are very valuable to my work now, and I’m glad to have received training to help me get ahead in my career.

Q: What did you enjoy about your on-the-job training (OJT)?

As someone who enjoys learning, my OJT has helped me to grow professionally and personally. The biggest benefit of OJT is being able to apply the skills and knowledge that I acquired to the mobile applications that I am currently developing. I feel that I am more confident and better equipped to contribute to team projects now.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your work?

I enjoy researching and implementing the new features that I work on for my projects. Being involved in creating solutions that add value to our customers spurs me on!  

Q: What advice do you have for new software engineers?

Practise coding regularly, seek feedback and collaborate with other developers to exchange expertise. As the tech industry is constantly evolving, it is important to keep up with the latest trends and technologies. Remember that becoming proficient in software engineering takes time and persistence, so be patient and committed to your learning journey.