The T-shaped software engineer

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🧠 A few questions that were asked got me thinking about the T-shaped software engineer and how critical they are to successful agile software development.

👉🏻 When starting out, on a career in software development, it's best not box yourself in to a particular area.

👉🏻 Try full-stack development if you get the chance, by doing this you'll get to know if front or back end is your sweet spot. Learn how to write efficient unit tests as early as you can. Be prepared to point out issues and ask questions.

👉🏻 Equally, exercise your curiosity and patience by doing some testing. Don't get hung up on how the testing is carried out, automation is not always the best way. Try some exploratory testing, perform static reviews of any documentation and contribute to iteration refinement by asking questions to promote understanding and agreement.

👉🏻 And last, but not least, once you get familiarity with a product, take the opportunity to get involved with requirements when you can - creating user stories and developing them through backlog and iteration refinement sessions.

👉🏻 Over the course of time, you'll get to know where you want to focus, but gaining this experience will make you a t-shaped engineer and much enhance your career progression and/or future employability.

👉🏻 Oh, and one more thing. Quality is everyone's responsibility, take ownership no matter what your role.