What do you do for a living? – I am a Java Programmer!

Almost always, when I meet someone for the first time, they ask me, what I do for a living. This is a normal social conversation opener and of course helps the two parties introduce themselves to each other.

If I were to introduce myself as the CEO of an organization or the Business Head of the BFSI vertical in a large IT service organization, you would almost immediately understand who I am and what my role is within the organization.

But unless you hold such a position in organization, this kind of an introduction does not suffice. When I was head of the Philips Healthtech R&D organization in Bengaluru, I have sometimes met an employee in the passing that I could not place. I would ask them what they were doing. Typical answers I would get were:

1.      I am a Java programmer in project “X”

2.      I am a Tester in project “X”

3.      I am a Senior Software Engineer in project “X”

4.      I am scrum master in project “X”

An introduction like this to someone familiar with the organization, its structure, and its list of project may suffice. This kind of an introduction will not provide meaningful information to anyone else. And yet this is the kind of introduction that most software engineers and architects give when they introduce themselves.

I do not know of any civil engineering architect who introduces himself/herself by saying that he/she is an expert on the latest 3D CAD software. Or that he/she knows exactly the cement:sand:stone ratio when building a foundation to a building. These professionals introduce themselves by saying that they are experts in building skyscrapers, or dams, or bridges, or homes.

It appears to me that “Engineers build the world”; while; “Software Engineers write code”.

It is time to change this mindset. So how should any professional (irrespective of their profession) introduce themselves? I would urge you to think of your role across the following four dimensions in the sequence given below:

1.       Whom do you work for?

Obviously, this will include the name of your company, the name of the vertical within the company, and the name of the project within that vertical. This is not enough. It is more impactful if you describe the customer or end-user that you work for. Therefore always include in your introduction the answer to the question “who’s life do you touch?”. Remember that this could be an internal or an external customer.

2.       What do you do for that customer/user?

This part of your introduction explains, “How you touch the customer’s/end-user’s life?” Here is where you explain how you make the customer’s life easier, or what service you provide them. Typical examples could include:

a.      I help my customer process insurance claims

b.      I help my customer diagnose cardiac related illnesses

c.      My line managers can be rest assured that their team members have adhered to all the required processes

d.      I build software applications that elderly people use to withdraw money from the bank

3.       Why do you do this for your customer?

This part of your introduction should help the listener understand why your role is so important. What would the customer miss if you were not doing your job? Why is what you do so important for your customer? Typical examples could include:

1. Will save time for insurance claim processing
2. Will reduce human errors
3. We are a regulated industry and it is important that all our solutions adhere to the required processes to ensure that our solution can reach the market
4. Will help elderly users by making them more independent in their financial transactions

4.       How do you do this?

This is where you will explain the tools and technologies that you use to realize the solution. Terms like “Java”, “Devops”, “Agile”, “QRadar” etc are highlighted in this part of your answer.

Therefore if I were to explain “What I do in the organization?”; it may read as follows:

I am a Senior Engineer in company “A”, in the “Energy” vertical. My customers are the “Energy Monitoring” engineers who ensure that Energy distribution is uniform across the complete grid. I develop applications that will help these engineers graphically view the overall distribution of energy while giving them the required data and metrics to take decisions that are more objective. This application will help the engineers save over 5% transmission losses. I develop the applications on a Linux box using a Java development environment. It is necessary to ensure that the application also meets the Industry Standard “xyz” and I am proud to say, that I have been able to deliver to this standard so far.

This kind of an introduction helps:

1.      Clarify to the listener the real scope of your job

2.      Understand the importance of what you do

3.      Appreciate the competences that you bring to the table

4.      Describe where you fit within the project scope

5.      And of course explain what you do, for whom you do it, why you do it, and how you do it.

Let us get into the habit of thinking about our jobs differently. In fact, if you practice an elevator pitch on these lines, you will automatically think differently of your job. You are not a mere programmer – you are someone who touches other people’s lives. You can use such an introduction in your resume, in your linkedin page, or while introducing yourself to someone else.

We are engineers …. not merely programmers.