What is your job title?  

Application Developer - COBOL Specialist

What does your job involve? What do you do on an average day?  

On an average day I research issues, design modifications, code and test changes/fixes for car dealership software. I’m also responsible for training and assessing new members of staff, liaising with other departments within the company to establish/clarify customer requirements and helping to maintain internal Wiki documentation of process and coding standards.

What do you enjoy about your job?  

I love problem solving and this features heavily in my day, whether it be figuring out why something isn’t working the way it should or trying to find a way to implement a new feature in the most effective and efficient way possible.

Did you have to study any of the STEM subjects before doing your job? 

I completed a Bachelors degree in Physics and Astrophysics, which is where I was first introduced to programming (C++). There are multiple ways to get in to programming but studying a STEM subject really gives you the basis you need to think logically for programming.

Would you recommend your job to others? Why?  

I would definitely recommend programming as a job to anyone who enjoys problem solving. I’m quite impatient so I find the ability to quickly see the end result from my work really rewarding. Plus there’s always something new to learn, as technology changes and improves so rapidly.

What encouraged you to go into this career?

It took me a while to realise programming would suit me, after leaving university I tried admin, project management and system support and realised the aspect of my work I enjoyed the most was exploring the code behind the software and fixing any issues that cropped up. So I took the leap and was really glad I did!