IEEE Computer Society Brac University Student Branch Chapter organised a seminar titled ‘Preparing for the Software Industry as a Fresher’ on October 16th, 2022 at UB2 19th floor, BRAC University for recent graduates securing the desired job in the fast-paced tech industry, addressing requisite preparation, pipeline and employment prospects overall.
Focusing on insights and work methodologies of the software industry the informative seminar was conducted by Keynote Speaker, Mr. Amirul Islam Al Mamun, a bright BRAC University alumnus, who is currently working as a Senior Software Engineer at Supertal, Singapore. With Amirul’s vivid knowledge and experience working in the software industry he enlightened his audience, 50+ graduate and undergraduate engineering students, on how to enter the industry even as a fresher with acquired skill sets.
At very first, he begins by classifying the positions and employment opportunities available for graduate engineering students. He addresses the most commonly sought-after job in the Bangladeshi software industry, web development. For anyone who is targeting that particular area, Amirul shared a comprehensive roadmap with all necessary pieces of information from the required programming language to framework everything.
Later he moved on to the emerging engineering job arenas such as AI/ML, cyber security, blockchain, database admin, etc both nationally and internationally. Not only that, Amirul explores opportunities for graduates who are not much interested in extensive coding while suggesting a plethora of non-coding work opportunities.
Deciding on the desired job or jobs, the next question that arises is preparation. For this, our speaker explains a three-phase preparation process that starts with gaining expertise in the required programming language, then learning data structure and algorithms, OOP, and OS problem-solving subsequently, and then doing different projects and frameworks for practice. While all the technical skills are being acquired it’s also very important to focus on soft skills i.e. communication and leadership to survive in the software or any industry in general, says Mr. Amirul.
Then again, networking and social media platforms such as LinkedIn, and Twitter play a vital role in the job search. Besides, communication and connection with people in a similar job arena also increase the chances of getting better job referrals. Therefore, Amirul emphasises creating a presentable resume and adding projects on the go for a better acceptance rate.
Interviews are also a very crucial part of the entire hiring process. Some interviews can be week-long and can have multiple examination steps which include both coding and non-coding tasks. Amirul advises to complete each assigned task diligently and appear for the interview with prior research and confidence. The aspirants can go through commonly asked questions, and tasks for beforehand preparation to boost their confidence.
Finally, Mr. Amrirul addresses the big question of whether or not academic grades matter. The answer is NO. In the software field, what is most important is that the hired candidate can meet the needs of the hiring company in simple words if he/she can perform the assigned task. For this reason, especially in this engineering field, skill wins over grades. Therefore, Amirul speaking from his years of experience and expertise focuses on enhancing one’s skill set as much as possible.
And to become proficient in those skills, Mr. Amirul advises participating in coding competitions as frequently as one can. One way to improve coding proficiency and sharpen analytical and problem-solving abilities is through Competitive Programming. Therefore, it is highly recommended to try oneself in competitive programming regardless of the academic stage to ace interviews with both national and international tech giants.
Gladly, IEEE offers such platforms as IEEEXtreme for students to test and show their capabilities and earn recognition. Students should avail such resources as much as they can. By the end of the seminar, the floor was open to the audience to place their queries and receive immediate responses.
To sum it all up, it was a very educational and uplifting session for both graduate and undergraduate students. Thanks to Mr. Amirul Islam Al Mamun’s capabilities which are proven by his eminent success the takeaway from this seminar is nothing but immense knowledge.
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