We are software professionals ....we make our own future.

?Chillisoft makes a ding in the universe by the significant impact that we make on our people, society and our customers. ?A recent survey on the perspectives of Chillisoft youth is a heart-warming testament to this.

Given the prevailing negative and weary sentiment in business in South Africa, we thought it is appropriate to share some of these uplifting perspectives of our youth...Chillisoft’s future senior software professionals.

?Question: “How do you feel about your future”

“Absolutely positive! my motivation to become a better software developer is stronger than ever. I have a saying that I tell myself, "Believe you can and you're halfway there." The very definition of those words strikes a chord in me, which is in perfect synergy with the person I want to be. When I repeat that in my brain, I find that I can push myself further and, in fact, it gives me a tremendous sense of satisfaction. That itself is a huge motivation.”

“My future as a Software Developer is something that I feel positive about as we live in a modern era where custom software solutions have rooted itself as a core need in helping many entities such as businesses, institutions, governments, etc to stay organized and optimally operational.? Based on various global statistics it has also been shown that development opportunities are expected to continuously grow at a steady pace with no signs of slowing down as technology in general is fully embraced globally around the world.?With the consistent emergence of new development technologies and frameworks this creates new opportunities for developers to adapt and expand their skillsets.”

“ I feel very uncertain?about what is in store for South Africa. I just hope that things progress and become better because I'd like to stay here.”

Question: How has working internationally impacted you?

“Working abroad has been a life and mind-broadening experience like no other, which will arguably set a basis of comparison for my future endeavours. No matter what comes my way, I’ll always know, “I lived overseas for a couple of years – if I can do that, I can do this.” Challenges will be easier to overcome. This carries over into the fabric of my being and will remind me to be always present, wherever my path leads in life.”

“Being offered an international opportunity with Chillisoft has allowed me to shape my future by allowing me to significantly boost my experience as a software developer. Working on a large-scale international project has required me to adapt and learn at a much faster pace than I traditionally would. This has allowed me to accelerate the gaining of new skillsets as well as the enhancement of existing ones. ?International experience has also allowed me to experience professional growth in areas such as adaptability, leadership, problem solving, communication and teamwork.?I have been able to shape myself by being able to discover my strengths and weaknesses which has allowed me to be a more competent developer and individual overall.”

?“Having worked internationally for the first time I was able to experience many things such as cultural diversity, self-reliance, different views and perspectives and of course learning more about myself. ?I believe these kinds of opportunities offer unique experiences in various aspects of personal and professional growth.”

?“I’ve been exposed to a different environment and better ways to write sustainable code. The growth has been exponential, I get to learn things much earlier in my career, that I would have come across later improving my skillset. It has also changed how I view things and my perspective of software development."

“Living abroad has been a very interesting experience one must say, being miles away from home and the family. It has put me in a better position in terms of working towards my goals and being able to provide as much as I possibly can for my family. “

“Working internationally has been a valuable, enriching experience that has helped my personal growth, career development and cultural immersion. Living and earning abroad has allowed my wife to leave work and spend her time with our newborn baby, so she never has to miss any of those special moments.”

Question: How has Chillisoft impacted your career?

“Chillisoft, having given me my first foothold into the working world, has enabled me to provide for my family during the COVID lockdowns and continues to be a source of stability and growth through a good 2 years later.?Chillisofters have also been some of my favourite people to meet. They have been some of the most inspiring, welcoming, hardworking, caring and open people I've had the good fortune to meet. ?Having prepared to fend for myself in a workplace, if need be, it has been stunning to meet so many professionals who genuinely listen to your input and try their best to?share what they know in terms that you can understand. I can certainly hope to learn from that uplifting energy that was extended to me and lend a hand to business clients and fellow developers alike. Technology can be a daunting and vast thing?to understand but a practiced human kindness is likely to soften the challenge.”

“Chillisoft has definitely helped me find what I will enjoy doing for my foreseeable work career and I have found Chillisoft to be a very receptive and accommodating workplace that has allowed me to dedicate myself to the act of learning that I am currently tasked with doing. I can see myself working with Chillisoft in the software development field for a very long time and that gives me a strong sense of security.”

“Chillisoft gave me the opportunity to get in to the professional world of software development, and for that I am very thankful. Chillisoft gave me real world experience of how it is actually being a software developer. I got the opportunity to interact with other professional software developers and to learn new technical skills in software development that I haven’t learned before.”

“There are many ideas and thoughts about how software development should be done. Chillisoft has directed my attention to concepts/ideas in the software industry that are worth pursuing, and because of this I have a set of skills that gives me confidence in future as a software?developer.”

"Chillisoft has pushed me to dive in the deep end with some technologies I’ve never worked with professionally and I had to figure out how those technologies work.?Chillisoft has helped with my social skill by software conversations, I’m getting better at socializing now even outside work. Our work is very dynamic, and I think it important to learn how to be flexible. Chillisoft is exposing us to a lot of information by giving us books, courses , and letting us explore new technologies so we can gain as much knowledge as we can."

“Chillisoft is a company that isn’t short of opportunities. Each and every one of it’s employees have been given a fair chance at learning and being upskilled. As an Indian female I’m not sure if I would have received the same opportunities elsewhere. As I reflect on my almost 8 years of being at Chillisoft I’ve grown immensely as an individual and a professional and regardless of where I end up in the future I will forever be thankful for the sturdy foundation Chillisoft has given me.”

"I was given a chance to study and work at the same time. The other thing that I appreciate is that I was taught more about how to understand myself. That helped me make few good choices. Chillisoft does not feel like a work place its more of a second home, by this I mean, the love and support I get from Chillisoft made it easy for me to share that love and support with my family and community I live in. When you grow up you think you know things, thanks to the soft skills sessions I learned the listening skills, problem solving, being able to understand the problem more, this helped me to make correct life decisions."?

"It has allowed me to see that there’s more to the corporate world than crunching numbers, profit margins and meeting financial year end targets. I now have an understanding that building a sustainable corporate culture also improves my social being as you get to work with diverse people, work environments and systems which change frequently. Its similar to technology but having to adapt to the change and diversity and understanding that mostly everything interconnects and needs a host for the other to survive like the yin yang logo. This makes it simple for me to view my future in a positive manner as a professional and on a social level."

“I’m now somewhere where I wanted to be knowledge wise, I have been given a chance to be exposed to some languages that I didn’t learn at tertiary. I have been given a chance to do learnership in Software Development that way I added more knowledge into my basket. It felt like I’m doing BTech practical’s, so it so very helpful for me. I am a software professional ?and proud of that even if I still have a long journey to upskill myself, but I can see my progress and I know I’m going somewhere with the help of the Chillisoft.”

As the youth of South Africa, what are some of the things you are looking forward to for your future?

“I look forward to doing honest work that will impact someone's life, even in the smallest way. I look forward to growing as a person and professional in South Africa.”

“Being able to learn and develop new skills. I want to be part of being able to develop new software of something big. I want to eventually be fully independent and not rely on my parents.”

“South Africa has problems to deal with, but I have hope that this country can deal with those problems. As for being a software developer in the industry in South Africa I think the future looks good for such a professional. The future looks bright for a software developer in South Africa.”

?“Reduction in crime, lower interest rates so we may invest more in the country, rebuilding South Africa and restoring it to the beautiful country it once was.”

"Yes I do feel positive but there are worrying factors like political stability, effective governance, economic reforms, and social cohesion. I still feel that the country has the potential to overcome its challenges and build a prosperous future. I’m looking forward to my career growth, while exploring entrepreneurship and innovation as the world manoeuvres around information technology."

?“I always try to stay positive about my future in South Africa. I love this country and have family, friends and colleagues here, who I want the best for. There are a lot of things to fix in this country and listening to the news often causes a lot of doubts. That being said, I do feel like all the issues we experience here can be fixed. If I do not stay optimistic it means that I have given up on my country, which I will never do."

"I look forward to progressing in my career as well as personally. South Africa has taught me a lot of things and there is still so much to learn. I also look forward to buying property and raising children when I think the time is right. Even though South Africa will always be home, the rest of the world also has so many things to see and learn from and I would love to travel more often.”

?“Given the current economic conditions in South Africa, I do not feel positive about the future in South Africa, however I feel positive about the life I have here and the future I will have here. I feel as if I have a positive future with Chillisoft as we have a resilient attitude which is needed in this country in order to be sustained. I look forward to becoming more resilient and growing in my field to fulfil my goals. I feel positive about the opportunity that Chillisoft has given me which is to be able to experience working in another country whilst still being with Chillisoft and without having to abandon the life I have in South Africa. I look forward to coming back to SA with more money to invest in my future, hopefully buy a house freehold/ almost freehold. I look forward to coming back to South Africa as a more experienced dev and working towards progressing to the next level until I reach a Delivery Manager’s level!”

?South African software professionals are resilient, talented, driven and love this land. In these uncertain times, we have sought and found solace in our competence and capability, providing us with confidence and an inspiring future. We are software professionals, we make our own future.