For my VOX job shadow over spring break, I asked to be matched with a job in the field of computer science. Computer science is the study of the methods, processing, hardware and application of computers. My main focus is in coding/programming. Every website, program, software or app that you use has been told to do its tasks by computer commands. Computers do not understand English, but there are numerous computer science languages they understand such as Python, HTML, CSS, or Java. A human has to learn these languages in order to tell the computers what to do. This is what programming is.
Perkins+Will is an architecture firm with 23 offices around the world. There are many different positions in the firm, but I spent the day with the computer science staffers. The Atlanta office of Perkins+Will is across the street from the High Museum of Art. The building is beautifully modern. I walked into the building and was greeted by a receptionist. The lobby was completely white. My job shadow mentor Chris Hellman took me on a tour of “the most interesting floor of the building.” Each floor had many conference rooms and rows of desks and computers. He then walked me to the area of the office where he works, the Programming Department. There, I was greeted by his team of coders, each with two computers screens and headphones plugged in, rapidly creating and fixing problems. They were surprised to find out that I was interested in their job. Basically, this team of six people creates the websites, apps and programs for employees and clients of Perkins+Will to use. Their current project is a software program which allows you to manage potential clients and their requests.
The team’s work ethic was rather interesting. They all sit in a row together and worked as an assembly line. For example, Chris is the designer, so he makes the prototypes of how the finished product should look. While another member of his team designs other aspects of the website. Next, another member begins to code and make the actual software, following the prototype guidelines while another member focused on the back-end of the project. Everyone is working together yet, not.
One thing I learned as soon as I got there was that everybody trouble shoots. No one knows everything, so everyone asks each other for help. They even have a meeting devoted to troubleshooting each others’ problems called a scrum meeting.
I also learned that when it comes to computer science, most of what you learn in school is theory, so in your actual career you have to learn on the job and apply the theory. For example, Chris did not go to college for business or marketing but he designs software for people in those fields.
I am grateful for all the advice the team gave me and for letting me see a day in their life. This job shadow encouraged me to start working more. My job shadow experience made me realize that I have spent so much time thinking about what is the best first move that I have not made the first move, which is to start.
