A day in the life of a Software Developer at Propel Tech

Name: Charlie Brinicombe

Position: Software Developer

Proudest moment: Achieving a Master’s degree in Astrophysics

Favourite thing about bespoke software: The variety of projects and problems to solve

• How did you know you wanted to become a Software Developer?

I first started writing code at university as part of a computer simulation project, but I wanted to learn more, so I started taking courses online in my own time to improve. After completing several courses in different programming languages, it clicked that I could do this as a job, so I started researching different software development careers.

• What does a typical day and week look like for you?

In a typical week, my time might be spread across a single or sometimes multiple projects. This could involve gathering requirements from customers, writing specifications, and of course, building bespoke software. Typically, a day will start with a morning team meeting to discuss what we have achieved so far in the week and what we’re working on that day. Then I may have some other project-specific meetings with either internal teams or customers to discuss specific aspects of current projects before getting my head down in some code.

• What kind of challenges do you come across?

In terms of software, it might be a new framework or approach that I’m getting used to, so often, it’s about learning from other developers and their experience. But frequently, we are presented with a challenge by a customer that we may not have come across before, and we must put our minds together to research and decide on the best solution to support them.

• What programming languages do you use most often?

I’m a full-stack developer focusing mainly on .NET Core for API development and JavaScript (React, NextJS) for front-end development. I have also worked with NodeJS and occasionally PHP (Laravel, Lumen).

• What do you enjoy the most about your job?

I enjoy the variety of projects I get to work on, which gives me a broad background of experience. For example, I have built APIs, frontend web applications and websites, as well as a custom background scheduling tool that provided integration between two systems.

• List one thing you have learned during your time with Propel Tech.

Although good software development skills are obviously essential, the softer skills are just as, if not more important, to develop yourself. For example, being able to communicate project scope and timelines to customers and how to understand other team members and their challenges to work with them best.

• If you had to pick just one, what would be your favourite project to have worked on so far? 

I am currently working on a project for our sister company, Prime Systems, where we are re-platforming all software, including an API, mobile app and web application, to bring them up to date. This is a very open-ended project with several moving parts, but I enjoy the challenge. 

• What advice would you give to someone considering a career in software development?

Don’t think you can’t start a career in software development just because you haven’t written any code before. You can learn anything in time; it’s more important to have an aptitude for and enjoy learning. Just get stuck in!

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